Hello Fellow Travellers!

I hope you enjoy the following links and short videos about the art & cultural destinations we will be visiting in May. We can catch up on background information as we travel – wherever we have wifi: in our hotels and on the Shinkansen trains.

The Meiji Shrine  is our first ‘cultural’ destination. This link includes a very useful map showing the shrine’s proximity to our hotel and other places we will be visiting.

     

Tokyo Art Museums: we are visiting four very different museums. These links and short videos provide insights into the exhibitions and places we will see.

At the Yayoi Kusama Museum:About Yayoi Kusama

The Ota Memorial Museum specialises in woodblock prints from the Edo and Meiji periods. The May exhibition is yet to be announced.

At the The Nezu Museum: National Treasure Iris Screen Painting by Ogata Korin, 18th Century

The Sumida Hokusai Museum in Tokyo is staging a special exhibition in May: The Hokusai Birdpark

            

Kanazawa Art Museums: in Japan we should also think of gardens, shrines and temples as places of artistic expression because NATURE, in particular, the seasons, inform all aspects of Japanese culture.

At the Kenrokuen Castle Garden in Kanazawa we will discover the essence of Japanese garden design: the Garden

21^st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa is an exciting art space and city concept.

Outdoor beauty in and around Hiroshima: Miyajima is most famous for its giant orange Torii Gate, which has recently been restored. The whole island is a scenic delight. If the weather is pleasant, we may wish to linger on Miyajima: there are cafes, shops, a museum, places to sit and compose haiku, and a mountain to climb.

The Children’s Monument at Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima

Orizuru Tower Lookout: designed by Hiroshi Sambuichi

Kyoto Art & Cultural Highlights: The Netsuke Museum was originally a Samurai House, replete with folding hand-painted screens, books of poetry and a window looking out onto an immaculate, miniature ‘world-view’ garden.       

This Zen Temple in Kyoto, is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Japan: The Silver Pavilion and Gardens

Because of crowds, the Geisha District in Kyoto is best explored in pairs or small groups: Geisha District of Gion.

There is another district in Kyoto, Pontocho Alley, which comes alive at night, a lovely place for exploring and dinner.

The  Miho Museum designed by IM Pei is a 40 mins drive out of Kyoto and remarkable as much for its architecture and location as its art collection. Wonderful audio guide.

Enjoy!