Riddle of Tokyo's Sunflower Maze

When I was a kid, I love to play with word puzzles, picture puzzles and maze games. I have this boy-friend (he is a boy and he is my good friend) used to do our own puzzle games for each other. But unfortunately, he was being teased terribly at school by other boys for hanging out with a girl and her friends. Kids can be so mean at times. But we didn't care because we shared something in common, solving puzzles and creating maze games.

Because I had a good time with my friend, I grew up fascinated about being in an actual maze. Whenever I read the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, I feel like I can transport myself in the maze, feeling the excitement and as well as the fear of being in a maze. So, it has been a long-time dream for me to go and visit one. Some of the famous maze gardens I want to visit are the hedge maze of Hampton Court (I miss my chance of visiting this one and I am still regretting it years after, sob!), the yew tree maze of Longleat, and the one I really, really want to go to is the maze at Reignac-sur-Indre in France. Hopefully, all of them before I am too old and creaky.

So, when I heard that there is a sunflower field maze in Nishi-Tokyo, I knew I had to go and take a look. Since it is not open during the weekend and Monday (too?), I had to go on a weekday which is not a bad thing because it will definitely have lesser people.

It was a very hot afternoon and I nearly didn't make it to the door to go out and see this maze. But once you reach the sunflower field, you forgot about how hot day is.

The sunflower maze was created on 1,000sqm land. They planted a total of 3,000 sunflowers in this plot of land to create this maze. The creation of the sunflower maze is an idea of the Institute for Sustainable Agro-ecosystem Services, an institute affiliated with the University of Tokyo. They created it for their 'Sunflower Project DE OIL 2014', a project that focuses on learning about food and sustainable farming practices.

The staffs are really friendly. They quickly approach me when they saw me coming and encourage me to try out their maze. They also handed me their little maze map so that in case, you are lost, you can draw your way out. 

The sunflower towers around 2 meters and while in the maze, you could see just enough through the sunflowers to other areas of the maze and perhaps to make out silhouettes of other people who are there at the same time, but not entirely. It is also easy to find yourself hopelessly lost in that sunflower maze, although it wasn't that big of a maze.

Back to the sunflower maze, so, the maze itself is not very big, but once you are inside, it definitely feels far bigger. Like I-have-shrunk-to-an-ant-size magic. I feel that this maze has just that enough level of fun and confusion, especially for a first-timer! It was awesome. It is easy to get lost, but you can also easily find your way back on the interconnecting paths.

These girls went for several rounds in the sunflower maze.
I am sure they already know their way around with their eyes closed.

Okay, which way to go - left or right?

I am almost there! But that wasn't the way.

Finally, found it!

I was told that the maze route changes every year, so you can return year after year to try out their different maze route creation. I also heard that last year's maze route was harder than this year's. But still, I had good fun! The sunflower maze didn't disappoint me at all.

I definitely encourage you to go there with a friend and try it out yourself. I can assure you that you will enjoy getting lost in the sunflower maze. And don't forget your sunscreen and hat. And always drink enough liquid.

Well, if you are lost, you will still be in the company of the sunny sunflowers!

How to get there

There are two ways to get to the main gate of the Institute.

The easiest way is an 8-mins walk from the North exit (北口) of Tanashi station 田無駅) on the Seibu Shinjuku Line (西武新宿線). See map below.

The other way is to take a bus from the South exit (南口) of Hibarigaoka station (ひばりヶ丘駅) on the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line (西武池袋線).

Go to the bus stop of the South exit (南口バス停, Minami-guchi Basu-tei) and look for bus boarding stop No.2 「2番のりば」. Look out for the Seibu Bus (西武バス).

From bus boarding stop No.2  (2番のりば, Ni-Ban Noriba), take the bus Kyo No. 04（境04) which goes to Danchi Musashi Sakai-eki Yuki (団地経由武蔵境駅行) or Ta No.43 (田43) which is going to Danchi Keiyu Tanashi-eki Yuki (団地経由田無駅行). The journey on the bus should be roughly around 15mins. Get off at the Kami-Juku Jyutaku (上宿住宅) bus stop and walk 3mins.

Address and website

Institute for Sustainable Agro-ecosystem Services

1 Chome-1-1 Midorichō, Nishitōkyō-shi, Tōkyō-to 〒188-0003, Japan

〒188-0002　東京都西東京市緑町一丁目1番1号

http://www.isas.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp/detail/index.php?id=116

Best visit between: 13th - 29th Aug

Opening hours: 09:30hrs to 16:00hrs (last entrance is at 15:50hrs)

Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday (and also on rainy days or a thunderstorm or typhoon)

The admission is free.

Tanashi station (north exit)

Just walk straight for 550m!

Blue, blue sky...

Further up, there's a traffic light stop, just cross and walk straight ahead

You can see the sunflower maze from the opposite side of the street

A close-up

After this little sunflower maze, I am even more determined to make it to the other mazes that I have been dreaming about. Will you go and experience this amazing maze of the sunflower?

My favourite photo

Summer Cherry Blossom in Kamakura

Last week, I took a trip to Kamakura as it has been a while for me to visit Kamakura. I remember the first time I visited Kamakura, the town feels old and venerable. Kamakura has always been a tourist town, but it manages to feel otherwise.

Over the years, Kamakura has changed a lot. Although, I appreciate the changes that have been done in this city (it has definitely made the town look more interesting and beautiful), but I am not sure if I enjoy the experience of being in Kamakura anymore. It seems to me that more people are flocking to this city, making the streets crowded, not to mention, turning this place into an even more tourist town than before. 

Anyway, I am back to Kamakura to view a special flower which I like to call, the summer cherry blossom. They are not actually the famous Japanese cherry blossom, but every summer, this plant will produce brilliant clusters of red, purple, pink, lavender and white, wrinkly and crinkly-edged flowers. These flowers seem to fill the trees till it reaches an overflowing point. This plant I am talking about is known as a crepe myrtle plant. The plant produces crinkled, crepe-like textured  flowers, and perhaps, that's how it gets its name. 

In Japanese, these flowers are known as sarusuberi (サルスベリ). Almost sounded like strawberry if you are not listening properly. Maybe I should have called them strawberry flower instead because its deep pink colour.

It loves the sun (just like the sunflower) and that's why it flowers in summer. When these flowers bloom, they put up quite a show. Like puffs of heavy clouds, they cluster together in vibrant colours of deep pink, bright red, purple, white and light pink.  

The name given for these flowers by the cultivators also reflected their fatal attraction to them. These flowers have mind-blowing names such as 'Dynamite' for the red-coloured, 'Pink Velour' for the deep pink and 'Twilight' for the purple-coloured flowers. 

The flower is not the only thing that is interesting about this plant. Its bark is quite attractive, marked with blotches of various colours. As the older layers peel off in the early summer, it reveals colours from pale cream to dark cinnamon. It has an interesting whip-like branches that makes it look old and wise. And its leaf turns colours too from red in the spring, dark green foliage in the summer and a remarkable burgundy colour in fall. Its vase-shaped canopy provides shade like a banyan tree. Both are my perfect choice of shade for the summer.

The best places in Kamakura to view crepe myrtle flowers are Gokurakuji temple (極楽寺), Hongakuji temple (本覚寺) and the Hasedera temple (長谷寺).

How to get there

If you arrived at JR Kamakura station (JR鎌倉駅, JR Kamakura-eki), then, Hongakuji temple should be your first stop. The Hongakuji temple is about 5mins walk from the JR Kamakura station. The admission is free.

After that, you can make your way to the Hasedera temple to view more crepe myrtle flower. The walk from Hase station (長谷駅, Hase-eki) on the Enoden Line (江ノ電) is about 10 minutes or if you choose to walk from Kamakura station, it is about 30 minutes. There is an entrance fee to the Hasedera temple in case you didn't know, but it costs only 300yen. 

And from Hasedera, you can either walk for 20mins or use the Enoden line to Gokurakuji temple. If you are taking the train, then, stop at the Gokurakuji station (極楽寺駅, Gokurakuji-eki) and walk up the road till you get to the bridge. Turn left and you will see the temple. It is less than a minute's walk. The admission is free for Gokurakuji temple.

Address and website

Hongakuji Temple 本覚寺 

Address: 12-12 Komachi 1-chome Kamakura

Hours: During daylight hours

Admission: Free

View Larger Map

Hasedera 長谷寺 

Address: 11-2 Hase 3-chome Kamakura

Hours: 8:00-17:00 (Until 16:30 from October to February) 

Admission: 300yen

URL: http://www.hasedera.jp/words/english/e1.html

View Larger Map

Gokurakuji Temple 極楽寺 

Address: 6-7 Gokurakuji 3-chome Kamakura

Hours: 9:00-16:30

Admission: Free

View Larger Map

The crepe myrtle plant has one of the longest flowering periods with these colourful blooms lasting from 60 to 120 days. In a way, they seem to bloom all summer long, so catch them this summer if you are in Kamakura. I know for sure that the flowers will fascinates you with their eye-catching display.

When the sunflower becomes rainflower

I believe the weather god has been listening to my request for cooler temperatures. He/She has blessed me with a typhoon and plenty of rain. I am happy for the drop in the temperature but not so happy because whenever I planned to go out to an event or to meet someone, it rained. And it ALWAYS rained hard. 

Yesterday, I was in Tokyo station to meet up someone for lunch and after that, we are planning to go to the nearby Hibiya Park (日比谷公園, Hibiya Kōen). Normally, the walk from the Tokyo station to Hibiya Park normally would take only about 20mins. Because of the wonderful rain we had yesterday, it took us almost 40mins to get there. Maybe because my companion was also excited about Tokyo city that she stopped to take pictures at every 5mins. We also ducked into a clothing shop because the rain got so heavy and I don't want us looking like poor drenched kitty cats in the rain. And all that took us a while more than the usual walking time. 

When we reached the Hibiya Park, the rain has finally lightened up and we could walk around a bit. The roses are gone, but I believe the park authorities have been pruning and getting them ready for their annual autumn rose festival. 

Here I am getting worried and thinking to myself that, 'oh shit, I have brought her to an empty garden!', and then, we saw this almost out of sight row of sunflower near the tennis court. 

It turns out that she is also an avid flower lover like me ^^. As many times as I have been to Hibiya Park, I have never noticed these two rows of sunflowers before until now. We ended up taking lots of pictures of sunflower in the rain. Too bad that the rain made the sunflower droop. They didn't look so happy in the rain, but we were happy to see them. I guess you call them SUNFLOWER for a reason. But overall, they still look amazing.

If you are going to be around the city, catch them on a sunny day while they last (which I believe for another week or so). 

Poor sunflower - it looked a little unhappy

For sure, I will be going back there again this year in the autumn to see their roses.

All droppy :(

How to get there

It is only 2 mins walk from the exits of A10 or A14 of the Hibiya Station, serviced by Metro Hibiya Line and Chiyoda Line.

Alternatively, you can walk 2 mins from Exit B2 of Kasumigaseki Station, serviced by Metro Marunouchi Line and Chiyoda Line.

Or, an 8 mins walk from the Yurakucho Station on JR Yamanote Line. 

Lastly, you can also walk 8 mins from the Yurakucho Station on Metro Yurakucho Line JR Yamanote Line. Go to the Exit B2, go left and walk for 150m (500 ft). If you see some green trees, that should be it. 

Address and Website

1-6, Chiyoda-ku, 100-0012 Tokyo 

Tel: 03-3501-6428 (Hibiya Park Administration Office)

http://www.tokyo-park.or.jp/park/format/index037.html (in Japanese)

The cool water park in Oji

I found this really cool and kind-of a hidden park under the bridge just walking distance from the Oji station. The park's name is Otonashi Shinsui Park.

This little park has a little stream flowing through it. It is a lazy river, where the water is shallow enough for babies and toddlers to play in it safely. There is no worry about sunburn because it is also surrounded by trees providing the shade and the privacy. I saw many families bring their children here to play here in the water. And that is really cool for me. Playing in the water on a hot day is the coolest thing ever.

This brings back some memories of my childhood. My dad used to bring me and my brother to the rivers when we were young. Whenever he has the time, he will take us to go and swim in the rivers in Teluk Bahang, an area that is on the quieter side of the island. Those were actual rivers with a bit of strong water current depending on how much rain we had. Going to the rivers was some of my best memories. We get to cool off in the clean and clear water, catch little shrimps and sometimes, if we are lucky, some little fishes too. And only on some rare occasion, a crab!

My dad will buy roti canai (a flat Indian bread) and my mom will pack a small bag of sugar for us to eat with the roti canai. After a good swim, we will eat the roti canai by the riverside. Usually, while we, kids were having fun, my dad will go and chat with some of the families who stayed near the river. Sometimes, the kids from these families will join us for a swim too. I am always happy whenever I get to go to the rivers. Those were really some good childhood memories for me.

Unfortunately, a few years back, I found out (by accident!) that the rivers where I used to go as a child has been dammed up and flooded in to form a dam which is the current Teluk Bahang Dam. At that time, I was visiting Penang briefly and met up with an old friend. He took me to the dam, thinking that I will be impressed to see the new dam in Penang. But as we drive up the road, I noticed that the road was heading to the wrong side of the island into a new road that I have never been in before. And when we finally reached the dam, I was shocked to see the dam myself. My friend was pleased to see my reaction, thinking that my reaction was because I was awed. But it was not awe.

After the shock wore off, I began to feel a little sad for I realised that I can't revisit those rivers that held my childhood memories. The original road my dad used to drive on has been diverted. The families who lived near those rivers - I am sad that they lost their home. I am sad for myself because those rivers are all gone. I felt like a part of me has disappeared under the waters.

I did go to the dam another time on a different occasion, but that was the last time for me. Even the most recent trip back to Penang, I didn't visit the dam. I just can't make myself to see that place again. 

So, when I found this little park with a small stream and seeing children playing in it, I remembered those little rivers from my memories. It made me feel happy. And seeing those innocent smiles, I feel like I can travel back to my own childhood and relived those happy memories.

I am glad for these children that they had this special park. To an adult, it is just a simple park with a small stream, but to the child, it is probably the best park in his/her life. My memories live on in the smiles and laughter of these children.

The park is very near to the JR Oji station (王子駅). It is only 5mins walk from the station. You can see the way to get to the park from the map below.
The address of the park is:
Otonashi Shinsui Park (音無親水公園)
Oji Honcho 1-Chome-2, Kita-ward, Tokyo, Japan 114-0022
〒114-0022 東京都北区王子本町１丁目２



Do you have a special park too from your childhood?