Blossoming Friends

April Afternoon Japanese Garden

 The Japanese Garden in Delaware Park,  just below the Historical Society, was dedicated as a symbol of our friendship with the city of Kanazawa, Japan. We give a shout out to our friends in Kanawaza who have reached full bloom this weekend of Cherry Blossom season in Japan. We still have a few weeks to go in our neck of the woods.

http://www.buffalocherryblossomfestival.org/
http://japanesegardenofbuffalo.blogspot.com/

The Buffalo Historical Society

The Buffalo Historical Society

The incredible depth of history in Buffalo, New York is really astounding when you visit the history museum and look at old photographs of the city, such as the ones seen at  https://www.facebook.com/damien.failla  on his newly renamed site now called Buffalore. 115 years ago this week, as we posted yesterday, the Pan Am Exposition was in full swing, despite President McKinley's state after the assasination attempt. The Historical Society building which still stands, was one of the actual facades, not the plaster ones that were destroyed after the Expo to make way for affordable housing. Not only can we see artifacts from the Expo if you wander through during the last Food Truck Rodeo, you get to walk where others did 115 years ago, during probably the most important time in Buffalo's history, except for right now. 

https://www.facebook.com/damien.failla

Sunday Sanctuary

A View of the Japanese Garden - Mirror Lake

The sole occupant of the string of tiny islands in Mirror Lake is a white crane. The scene could be that of  a Buddhist meditative sanctuary, but it is just off the Scajaquada Expressway and Elmwood Avenue. Tucked in behind the Historical Society and Nottingham Terrace, you will find the Japanese Garden, quiet, understated and tranquil as it was intended to be. The walkway that passes through the garden, shadows the creek taking you from the lake at Delaware Park across the former Parkway, now the Scajaquada Expressway (Route 198 ), along Nottingham Terrace to the Garden, and all the way to Niagara Street. The garden is based on the design of a garden in our sister city of Kanazawa, Japan and installed by skilled Japanese artisans. The garden fits seamlessly into the Olmsted design, which itself was influenced by that country's nature-based architecture. The ancient quality of the garden does not belie its 1970s construction, and that is a good thing. In 2012 it was dedicated as an International Peace Garden commemorating our post War of 1812 peace, exemplified by the longest unprotected border in the world, that between the U.S. and Canada.

http://www.ipgf.org/gardens/go.asp?siteid=buffaloja1812
http://buffaloah.com/a/notting/25/jap/jap.html