Winter?
Do we have winter this year?
I think a cold day not more than 7 days. Isn’t?
Warm winter is a bad for ski resort. Snow shortage or no snow at all. I am sorry for them.
Snow festival in Hokkaido also get effected, they need to "buy" snow from other areas.
But, Warm winter also gives us chance to enjoy ume and sakura (not that much yet) bloom 2 weeks earlier.
In this warm winter, we have more chance to walk outside and enjoy sunny day (never leave a coat tho~). Here is the report.
1. Yakushi-ike Park at Machida
Fifteen minutes on the bus from Machida sta, Yakushi-Ike park has a huge and beautiful arrangement. A nice place to visit no matter the weather. This is our first time to visit the park even though we live nearby. Inside the park we can enjoy Japanese landscapes, ponds with Koi fish and turtles swimming, and colorful Ume and other flowers are ready to bloom.
When you enter the park, the information center is below you. They provide a Japanese map of the park. Take a walk past the pond, the waterwheel and the old farmer houses. You are allowed to enter the house but a little bit dark (and scary).
There are small (simple) restaurant where you can buy a snack and a drink. We ate hot white Radish with Miso as topping. Super yumm. There are also plenty of benches around the park so you can sit down and eat whilst admiring the view.
The park is very Family-friendly and with dogs also welcomed. However some part of the park is high (or hills?) a little bit tough for kids.
In this park, you can escape the city noise for a while.
2. Machida Squirrel Garden
Our another neighborhood awesome place is Machida Squirrel Garden. Populated by around 200 adorable, very energetic squirrels, also tortoises, rabbits, chipmunks and prairie dogs and snake yup a snake😂. Here you can see the cute bushy-tailed critters up close as you can.
To draw the squirrels in, buy a bag of seeds from the front desk, cost you 100 en. They’re not shy at all, they will eat straight out of your hands. Don’t worry, gloves provided for all visitor, ur hand will safe.
