Last Saturday, I woke up at 4 am and left home at 5 am to catch the first of four trains at 6 am to go to Yamanashi Prefecture to visit the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum. The last train had very cute seats.
My view of the the Yamanashi side of Mt. Fuji from the train.
I arrived at the Kawaguchi train station at noon and went to the museum by the very crowded red bus.
"In 1994, dyeing artist, Itchiku Kuboda (1917-2003), built the museum in its perfect location with a majestic view of Mt. Fuji and the serene Lake Kawaguchi." (from the brochure)
The setting seems almost magical. There are many unusual outdoor Doors.
Looking back to the entrance --
"The Main Building -- The main building is a pyramid-shaped structure supported by 16 wooden beams more than 1,000 years old, using a combination of traditional japanese and Western techniques." (from the brochure)
Photos were not permitted inside the kimono section of the museum. You can see a few of the kimonos at this website.
Photos were permitted in the tea room.
The garden is almost as interesting as the kimonos.
I enjoyed strawberry tiramisu and a latte at an outdoor table of the cafe, with a view of Mt. Fuji.
Next I visited the glass bead museum.
The entire visit was absolutely fantastic! Not wanting to get on a crowded bus, I walked back to the area near the train station to find my hotel for the night.
This was the view from my third floor hotel room as the sun set.
And on Sunday morning, Fuji san was still there.
On Sunday, I went back home - four trains and six hours. The museum and the mountain were well worth the long trip.
9 comments:
A fabulous view of Mt Fuji. Wonderful museum, I have their calendar from a few years ago and still enjoy looking at photos of the kimonos in it. Beautiful front gate.
Hi! Another of your fascinating excursions! Thanks for taking us along with you. I also enjoyed your link to the museum site and all the info it provided. What fantastic kimonos!
Len/ just south of Seattle with a fantastic view of Mt. Ranier (I still like Mt. Fuji the best)
Sounds like a wonderful excursion Pamela, great to get so many views of Mt Fuji.
How amazing. That would have been worth the early start.
I saw an exhibition of some of those kimonos in Melbourne about 30 years ago, and they were so beautiful they made me cry. I was mesmerised by them. To add in the beads, the gardens, and the mountain would be a day of bliss.
Pamela: I love seeing this display of photos, the kimonos are stunning.
It is amazing how lovely even a strange door can be, it looks like it should not be there but takes you through to a beautiful scene.
I hope you are having a great weekend.
Catherine
Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos of scenery and gardens and art. Your trip looks refreshing and inspiring.
HI! I am visiting via "Duta's blog". I also live in Japan!
Love the views of Mt. Fuji!!
Have a great day!!
You went! Was it worth the travel? I might go visit when I come to Japan.
Wow, you had a very long day there. All these gorgeous kimono and beads seem well worth the travel, though, not to mention the stunning view of Fuji-san!
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