Shimizu, Japan (June 19)

Shimizu lies about 100 miles southwest of Tokyo and is notable for a rich history dating to the Edo period (1603-1868) and for its sublime views of Mt.Fuji - when it isn’t cloudy! The view of Mt.Fuji, Japan’s tallest mountain and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2013, from a seaside pine grove called Miho-no-Matsubara is considered one of the most culturally significant sights in Japan, and where Hiroshige, the 19th century master of the ukiyo-e genre used the scene’s green pine forest, white waves, blue ocean, and Mt.Fuji in his woodblock prints. One of the pine trees is over 650 years old and is thought to have mythical powers.

In addition to seeing the pine forest and Miho shrine, we taxied up to Nihondaira Yume (Dream) Terrace overlooking the city, Suruga Bay (the deepest in Japan) and mountains. The terrace was designed by Kengo Kuma, architect of the main stadium for the Tokyo Olympics.

Can you see Mt.Fuji?  We didn’t either.







What we didn’t see (although we saw that beach and pine forest…).







Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 19, 2023 at 8:53 AM

    This last picture would make a beautiful wall picture

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 23, 2023 at 9:30 PM

    Love Hiroshige, and most all of the woodcut masters of Japan. We have a great gallery with many here in Sonoma County in case you need a refresher course.

    ReplyDelete

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