Flowers in an Abandoned Japanese Garden

I found this old garden along a very lonely road in the high mountains surrounding Shizuoka, Japan. This area is rather remote and I have never seen another person while exploring the area, though there are several tea fields which appear well cared for. Before embarking on this particular hike I asked a man I met at the last village I passed about what I might find in the mountains beyond. He gave me a puzzled look and simply replied in Japanese that I would find...nothing. What I think he meant was that there are no people living in this area, though there does remain much evidence of people who did once call these mountains home. Abandoned houses and farms are found at intervals along the road, along with various structures such as farm sheds, carefully constructed stone walls and even a hidden Shinto shrine I spotted from across the canyon, but which I was unable to reach due to the steep cliffs and heavy brush which seem to guard the shrine from access (don't worry, it's in my plans to reach this shrine eventually!). Numerous trailheads can be found along the road which are marked by old machinery rusting in the dense green foliage. Each of these trails undoubtedly leads to some cleared farmland or terraces long ago cut and cleared from the mountain slopes above. I'm certain that an exploration of any one of these trails would yield a wonderful experience in uncovering the life work of a proud farmer from Japan's past who is now gone and perhaps nearly forgotten.

The concept of forgotten is the subject of this particular video. I shot this footage after spending some time on my return hike examining an old fence-like structure situated near some abandoned buildings along the road. After a while I decided that the fence surrounded a plot of land which must have once been a garden, possibly a kitchen garden for one of the empty homes nearby. The land within the garden plot had been almost completely reclaimed by nature with the exception of patches of pretty yellow and white flowers seen here and there within and outside the fenced plot. The flowers could be found in little clumps within the immediate area though no such flowers were seen anywhere else during my hike. The evidence of the flowers in conjunction with the garden fences and gates gave rise to some whimsical thoughts which I would like to share with you now via the video. I hope that you enjoy this small glimpse into the life of some unknown Japanese farmer who once cultivated this little patch of mountain paradise, and who's memory lives on each spring in the colorful faces of his now-feral flowers.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Japan
• Japanese
• garden
• flowers
• gate
• mountains
• farm
• farmer
• Tokaido
• Softypapa

[marblemill]

Im so glad you are capturing these parts of Japan.

My favorite parts. Nature there is quite powerful which is likely not the typical thoughts of Japan!

[softypapa]

@marblemill Thank you for watching and

sharing your thoughts about this video.

These areas are very special to me as

well and it's great to meet others who

share this interest. I promise to do my

best to bring more and better such videos

in the future. -Kurt :-)

[vertigoalopolus]

once again, thank you for your videos. they provide an insight to countryside that i long to visit someday. please post more of your journeys down these lonely mountain roads - absolutely fascinating.

how long did it take you to learn japanese? did you learn it before you moved to japan?

[softypapa]

Hello vertigoalopolus, I'm delighted that you enjoy these videos and it is my sincere pleasure to bring them to you. I have many lonely little roads yet to explore with my camera and I will be honored to have you come along via YouTube. Or if you are ever in Shizuoka then let me know as you are welcome to join me! As for Japanese I still struggle with this everyday. I'm afraid that my Japanese is really quite poor though I will always endeavor to improve. -Kurt :-)

[GundamFanDeluxe00]

why is everyting abandoned!!! cmon lol u can live there.. just build a road XD

[FearlessSama]

You captured humanity at it's best..Someone who was here on this beautiful planet[the background scenery is breathtaking];who is gone now but left behind their love of nature.Nothing is more grounding than a garden.My sincere thanks to you"Softypapa" for sharing this wonderful footage.

[LuckySilorio]

nice and neat. . . ^^,

[PuzzlingEvidenceTV]

Thanks for the reminder.

[DocGt21]

You are very welcome.

:-)

DocGt21

[softypapa]

Hello DocGt21,

It's a wonderful expression either way. Thank you again for sharing this with us. I will be sure to remember (and try my best to apply) these words of wisdom.

Kurt :-)

[DocGt21]

Hi Kurt.

Sorry my answer´s that late but I was away for my holidays.

The saying is very old and used in germany where I live. I tried to figure out more about the sayings origin, all sources available say middle europe.

There is another version that says: Built a house, have a son, plant a tree. But people seem to use it as they like; the tree and the house is always mentioned.

IMO the part about the book and/or the son could mean to give your experience to the next generation.

DocGt21 :-)

[pressmyeasybutton69]

I guess the work really spoke to you too. That's great. I do agree that the Internet is an amazing way that enables us all to share in new ways. It is the combination of our differences that is our strength. 'nochi hodo...' -Paul