Gardens and Geishas

 Today was quintessential Japan.  Our morning was filled with a visit to Kenrokuen Garden.  This incredibly peaceful, well groomed garden was centered by a large pond with paths reaching out into intimate spaces  near streams and smaller gardens.  The attention to detail was amazing with trees held up with ropes and beams, gardeners pulling the smallest weeds by hand, and resting spots strategically placed throughout.  The Japanese are quiet people and this place exemplified that.

After our visit to the gardens we returned to our hotel for a early afternoon break.  This allowed us time to review our photos and to choose the ones for our critique this afternoon.  On our own for lunch we visited the nearby mall to pick up something to eat in our room.  Convenience stores (7 Eleven and Family Market) are known for their egg salad sandwiches(Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich).  I know this sounds crazy but it's a fact.  I'm sampling them throughout the trip to pick my favorite.

This afternoon we were treated to a very special visit to photograph Geishas.  This is not a tour you can just call up and book.  Our Japanese guide first had to be introduced  by an acquaintance to the Geisha house before he could make arrangements for our visit.  Even more incredible, we were allowed two hours to photograph them!  Three Geisha's took up photography stations for our group to rotate through.  The gardens made a beautiful backdrop for two of them while the third was stationed inside a traditional room with bamboo mats, a Japanese painted screen and a paper wall.  They were very patient with our group and our requests for different poses. This was an experience that I doubt will be repeated.

After our shoot, we were feed a traditional Japanese dinner by robed servers.  The meal included several seafood items along with edible plants not typically found in stores.  Some were more suited to my palate than others but it was all interesting.

Tomorrow: Thatched Village and a Night in a Ryokan