Category: Asia

Saving The Green City: Srinagar, Kashmir

In 1895 Sir Water Lawrence wrote about Srinagar and the Dal lake: ‘The willows change from green to silver grey and delicate russet, with a red tone on the stems and branches, casting colours on the clear water of the lake which contrast most beautifully with the rich olives and yellow greens of the floating …

The Silent Royal

I grew up amongst a handful of plane trees that looked like giants to a small kid. We played daily in front of our home on the grass square, that had nothing else but six of these trees. We used the trees as goalposts when kicking a ball, and when resting in the shade. These trees were …

Japanese Cherry Blossoms – Washington, DC Exhibitions

Two beautiful exhibitions on the theme of the Japanese cherries are running in Washington, DC in Spring 2018. The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum host the exhibit on Sakura Orihon: Diary of a Cherry Blossom Journey, which runs from March 10 to April 8. It showcases the journey by landscape architect Ron Henderson from south to north Japan …

Olympism and the Unifying Spirit of the Korean Mountains

The Olympic idea originated in the hilly region of Olympia, a sanctuary of ancient Greece on the Peloponnese peninsula. Every four years, from the 8th century BCE until the 4th century CE, the Olympic Games of the classical antiquity were organized here, at the base of the revered Mount Kronos. The Korean peninsula, like Greece, is a …

In the Footsteps of the Great Navigators: Tranquility and History in Hirado, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan

One more final transfer at Imari station before arriving in Hirado. The booked tickets from Hiroshima to Hirado showed ten minutes to make the connection in Imari. It would be “plenty of time” and “Imari was a small station”, were the messages given in Hiroshima. There are few countries were you can voyage on a long journey …

Islands and Heritage of Japan’s Nagasaki Prefecture

In this series of articles several aspects of heritage, conservation, design, cultural tourism and sustainable development on the tranquil and rural islands of the Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan are being explored. These are places steeped in history but less known amongst visitors to Japan. The character of these islands is less urbanized than some of …

Lines on the Shore: Olive Bay Hotel on Oshima Island, Japan

In our series of articles about the islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture, this article looks at a recent example of contemporary architecture on Oshima Island (Ōshima), Saikai City district, Japan. The Olive Bay Hotel with architectural design by Kengo Kuma blends the remote and tranquil island environments of the region’s volcanic coast and the industrial context, with a luxurious retreat atmosphere. …