Saturday 22 October 2016

Reflections on Water

October 22, 2016

Reflections on Water is the latest blog linky party theme. I have taken the reflection to be more the meaning of serious thought than the meaning of seeing an image in water like a mirror.

There are of course a few Gotochi cards that feature water and I will showcase the ones that I have here.  The first picture I have for you is from Miyagi Prefecture.  Miyagi and Yamagata share a border, and on the border is a mountain.  Mount Zao, a famous ski resort and part-time volcano is the mountain in question. There is an onsen town in Yamagata and the mountain is also famous for Winter Snow Monsters.  Zao is actually shown on two different Gotochi cards, one from Yamagata and one from Miyagi (below).

This is the Okama Crater Lake, also known as the Five Colour Pond as it changes colour
depending on the weather. 

This lake is beautiful, but even in summer, this part of the mountain is very cold.  The mountain is being watched rather carefully these days as there has been some recent volcanic activity.  

Here are a few postcards of the lake so you can decide if the Gotochi card captures the view well or not.








Kenroku-en is one of the three Great Gardens of Japan.  It is a truly beautiful place in Ishikawa Prefecture.  I have visited it twice and it has never failed to impress me.  The view on the card below is of the Kotoji Toro, the lantern with two legs. (Three is the usual in Japan) This view is one of the most famous of Kenroku-en.


Below I have included a postcard view of the actual park in Kanazawa and two personal photographs. ( I apologize for not being able to put up postcards, but it seems that my filing system is not perfect!)  It takes hours to walk through and see everything.   There are museums and historic homes in the park as well.  It is very much a place worth visiting.





Thank you for visiting my contribution to the blog linky party.  Please visit the other members to see their vision of Reflections of Water. 

Unfortunately comment approval may again be delayed as I will be away from my computer for a few days. 

8 comments:

John's Island said...

Hi Helen, I enjoyed all the images. I especially appreciate your interpretation of reflection to include serious thought. I imagine it would be wonderful to spend some time sitting up above and reflecting on Okama Crater Lake down below as we see in the pictures.

Maria said...

Another wonderful interpretation of the theme ! Thanks Helen! I'm visiting Japan next month so now I'm wondering if visiting Ishikawa Park will fit in my itinerary

Helen said...

Thank you! If you do go up Mt. Zao and reflect on Okama Crater Lake, take a warm jacket! It is quite windy and cold up there. There is an observation building, but getting there from the parking area is a little hike.

I'm glad that you liked the cards!

Helen said...

Maria, I'm glad that you like the cards!

Where in Japan are you planning to visit? Kenroku-en Park in Ishikawa Prefecture is a lovely place to go. Kanazawa city is a little less touristy than Kyoto for example, but has a loop bus for tourists and is easy to get around. If you will be in the area then I highly recommend it.

I'm glad I was able to approve your message! I'm out the door in a couple of minutes.

Mail Adventures said...

Now I'm convinced that you can find Gotochi postcards for every theme... ;-)

Joy said...

I enjoyed seeing the crater in the different seasons, love the surrounding colours in the last card, it looks a beautiful day up there. Mountains and gardens are indeed perfect places for reflection, the Japanese gardens are gorgeous.

Helen said...

I do my best!!! ;-)

Helen said...

Joy, I appreciate your kind words. Okama Crater Lake is beautiful any time of year I believe. Kenroku-en is a truly beautiful place. I've only visited in fall and winter, but there are often quiet areas that are perfect for reflection.