Photogenic Japan: Yokosuka

Showing posts with label Yokosuka. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Kannonzaki Park

Millinophile and Chickadee went to the Yokosuka Museum of Art several weeks ago. The museum has art by artists from the surrounding area, so most of it was weird modern art.

After the museum, we decided to walk through Kannonzaki Park up to the Kannonzaki lighthouse (which we helpfully didn't take a picture of). This stone alley is on the way back down.

A battery we passed in the park.

Monday, June 29, 2015

A Little Park

Millinophile and Chickadee stumbled onto this little park on one of the side streets hear the Yokosuka JR train station. It had tons of stray cats.

We don't know what this is, but it looked like a commemorative obelisk with a small shrine.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

The Yokosuka International Association hosted a Japanese Culture Day last weekend. It was an entirely free event, with the exception of the kimono dressing and the ikebana (flower arranging), which were 500 yen each.

Japanese tea ceremony (we didn't have the greatest view--the lady with her back to us is preparing the tea).

After the tea ceremony, we were all invited to try making the green tea ourselves. The tea at a Japanese tea ceremony is powdered green tea, called Matcha. You use a tiny bamboo stick to scoop out some green tea powder and place it in the bottom of the tea bowl. You then add hot water, using the bamboo ladle that's perched on top of the tea kettle in this photo. You must then use a bamboo whisk to vigorously whisk the tea until it is foamy.

Chickadee dressed in a kimono (they even styled your hair for you). She enjoyed it immensely.

Calligraphy. You could choose either character. Chickadee made the left one (north/kita), and Millinophile made the right one (south/minami). The red stamp indicated that it is official calligraphy.

There was also an origami table. Chickadee chose to make this rose (hers is the top one and the other one is the instructor's).

Millinophile made this adorable cat.

Some other origami you could choose to make.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Transportation Festival

This past weekend, Millinophile and Chickadee headed over to the annual Yokosuka Transportation Festival.

The first stop: cotton candy for Millinophile (note how it's been spun onto chopsticks).

There were all kinds of vehicles there. People were standing in line so that their child could dress up as the operator of the vehicle (e.g. bus driver, firefighter, animal control person, motorcycle rider, etc.).

This was the most popular attraction. The kids (with a parent) could operate a real digger. They were scooping things out of the pool and placing them on the mat. The pool was filled with little plastic balls and toys. The kids got to keep any of the toys they scooped out.

A cool phone booth Millinophile saw on the way to the park.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Verny Rose Park

Verny Park is just a short walk from the navy base. This weekend, Chickadee and Millinophile headed over to look at all of the blooming roses. Verny Park has over 130 species and 2,000 individual bushes. It was quite impressive.

Part of the park.

"Christian Dior," bred in 1958.

There are three different kinds of red roses in this photo.

"Kibou," bred in 1986.

"Novalis," bred in 2010.

This is a statue of Oguri Tadamasa. He was a part of the first delegation to the U.S. He was also executed as a traitor.

"Sakuragasumi," bred in 1988.

This is Francois Leonce Verny. He came to Japan to build the Yokosuka Arsenal in 1865, and stayed to build the Kannonzaki Lighthouse and the Hashirimizu waterway. He also developed brick production before returning to France in 1876.