KANA
JAPAN
harmonise with infinity
KANA was recently appointed as an ambassador for her hometown of Mito City.
KANA was born in Mito city and lived there until she graduated high school. Mito city is the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, located north of Tokyo. The population was approximately 270,000 in 2018. In Mito, you can find Kairaku-en park, which is one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. In February, we can see beautiful plum blossoms there. The local speciality is natto, which is traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It is a wonderful city, surrounded by beautiful nature, the Pacific ocean and mountains and rivers. The city has many kinds of delicious food. It is conveniently located; it takes only an hour to get there by express train from Tokyo. It’s a comfortable place, neither too hot, nor too cold.
KANA introduces Mito city through" Yin and Yang" : Exploring Mito Kairakuen Park. She has performed this piece at a number of concerts in both Japan and Malaysia in 2018 and 2019. The piece was composed by Tetsunosuke Kushidawho is a composer for Project KANA. We would like to contribute our humble efforts to the prosperity of Mito city from now on.
Josho-ji Temple
In 1700, one of the major shoguns, Mitsukuni built the last of his many temples. It is known as Josho-ji. The temple is the Daitoku-ji branch of the Rinzai school. The Rinzai school is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism, together with Soto and Obaku.
The temple was built on the site of Yoshida-jo Castle. The dry moat and earthworks remain around the temple. Its honorific mountain prefix is Futsunichi-san. There are tombstones dedicated to calligraphy brushes and also to tea whisks, which are an integral part of the tea ceremony.
The temple has a quaint atmosphere and the approach to the temple is particularly beautiful. The temple grounds boast wonderful scenery; in spring there are cherry blossoms, and in autumn you are sure to enjoy the gold and rust-colored leaves. In addition, the cool air in summer makes a refreshing change from the stifling heat and humidity of Tokyo.
To get there, you need to take a bus from Mito Station and then you will have to walk for 15-20 minutes. But, believe me, it is well worth making the journey!
2723, Motoyoshidacho, Mito, Ibaraki
Tel. 029-247-7172
Tokugawa museum
Recently I visited the Tokugawa museum in Mito. The Tokugawa family is the most famous family in Japanese history. The family governed from 1603 until 1868. The period is known as the Edo period. The first general (shogun) was Ieyasu. He set up three branch families. One of them was established in Mito. There were 2 major shoguns in Mito. One, Mitsukuni compiled the Dai-Nihonshi books of Japanese history. He is very famous as well as being the main character of the most popular Japanese period drama, Mito Komon. Another one, Nariaki set up Kodokan, which was a university, and also developed the first park in Japan in Mito. Mito is a very historical city.
