Today's post is part four on the Haradanien Garden (原谷苑) in north-western Kyoto (prior parts: one, two, three, and a bonus couple photo shoot). Today's simple post includes three more wigglegrams, adding to those in part three and my first post from the garden.

Another Area of the Garden with someone crouching for a shot (the branch is waving to you) Damien in the garden

To be continued...

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This post is a continuation earlier parts of "Kyoto’s Amazing Haradanien Garden", where in part one I introduced the location, and in part two I explained how it's wonderful even though it's quite crowded.

Folks wanting a couple shot would usually ask someone walking by to take it, but the couple above use a timer. (I tried to get the camera in focus and missed it badly, but I still like the vibe of the shot.)

As I mentioned in part two, the layout of the garden -- criss-crossing paths wandering on a hillside punctuated by dense foliage -- makes [...]

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This post is a continuation from Part 1 of "Kyoto’s Amazing Haradanien Garden", with a bunch more photos that I hope gives a sense what it's like to visit at the height of cherry-blossom season.

I'll explain below why Haradanien (原谷苑) is wonderful despite the crowds, but make no mistake, it's very crowded.

It's crowded, but the layout of the garden, with wandering paths on a hillside, is masterful. There are people behind the lady posing above, but you can't see them, and that works well with the first rule of photography: "If It's Not in Frame, It Doesn't Exist".

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Holy cow, I'm drained. I tried something called "hot yoga" (ホットヨガ) today at a local gym (Inspa in eastern Kyoto, near Sanjo Kawaramachi). I'd never done yoga... it seems to be simple stretching and balance, but "hot yoga" is doing it in a humid room heated to about 36°C (97°F). Fumie had just joined the gym and really liked this particular class.

Considering that I am spectacularly unflexible, I thought perhaps it'd be beneficial in limbering me up, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was not prepared for just how hot/humid it was, though I would have [...]
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Anthony (fifth grade) has a school field trip today for which Fumie had to make a bento lunch. It's been a while since he needed one of these, though when in preschool (five years ago!) he needed a bento every day.

The challenges of bento design are many... food that he'll eat without being fussy, food that will stay fresh without refrigeration until lunch, a presentation that is both pleasing and robust against the bumps and bruises of the inside of a backpack, all while being both healthy and sufficiently nutritious for a long day of hiking. It's perhaps easier [...]

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