Manjushage Spider Lilies🌞Zen Temple, Museum🍱Equinox Picnic at Gorgeous🌿Park!

On Tuesday, September 23rd (The Fall Equinox & a National Holiday!)
from 10am-3pm, let's have a great time visiting lovely Soko-in Zen temple in Matsudo to witness the annual blooming of the gorgeous, red, white & gold "Manjushage", Spider Lilies, (a type of Narcissus).
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(YOU DON'T NEED TO GO TO SAITAMA on a long train ride with 20,000 OTHER PEOPLE to enjoy the BEAUTY of these AMAZING flowers!)
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There will also be a LUCKY NEW MOON this week, so it's a great time to be enjoying nature!
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We'll explore the area, including the magnificent Matsudo Museum & have a sociable picnic & play time at one of the best parks I know of!
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Also called, "Higanbana" ("O-Higan" is the Fall Equinox) these remarkable flowers bloom all at once in Mid-late September, often accompanied by thunder & lightning storms!
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After visiting lovely Soko-in (Soto- Zen) seeing the blooms, plus many wonderful icons and stone carvings around the mossy grounds, we'll take an easy walk to old Kumano-jinja Shinto Shrine, then to splendid Matsudo Municipal Museum, which is located beside an ancient Yayoi-era village, which has been carefully reconstructed!
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After viewing, we'll walk through the woods to have a relaxing lake-side picnic at Matsudo City's BIG, wonderful, "Park for the 21st Century", where we can stroll, viewing a variety of wonderful plants, birds, waterfowl & perhaps hear a free lakeside concert, which are often presented on weekends!
https://www.city.matsudo.chiba.jp/shisetsu-guide/kouen_ryokuka/top/index.html
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There are many types of play apparatus, refreshments & various exhibitions to be enjoyed at the lakeside center, which is close to a wonderfully picturesque row of "Minka", or traditional farmhouses!
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https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303151-d2355143-Reviews-Forest_and_Park_for_the_21st_Century-Matsudo_Chiba_Prefecture_Kanto.html
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The superb Matsudo Municipal Museum, set in the 50 hectare (LARGE!) "21st Century Park & Forest", keeps a GREAT permanent collection, including thousands of items, rare Shinto festival costumes & masks, (like I'd never seen before), plus the ancient village, located on the wooded museum grounds. This environment provides a fascinating experience of ancient homes which I recommended highly!

https://www.city.matsudo.chiba.jp/m_muse/
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👉🏻 IT'S EASY TO GET TO MATSUDO STATION from Tokyo, or Chiba, by the JR Joban Line, Shin-Keisei Line or Metro Chiyoda Line! Just 20 minutes with NO transfers on either the JR Joban Line from Nippori, or 42 minutes from Kasumigaseki on the Metro Chiyoda Line!
Locate the East Exit, we'll meet you there!
🦁 (OR, you may meet us just outside the ticket gate at Shin-Keisei Line Yabashira Station at 10:30)
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Museum admission for adults is just 520 yen (plus 310 yen for any special exhibition). High School Students & above: 250 yen, kids below High School age are FREE.
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WE HAVE NO SET EVENT FEE, but work hard to create interesting, enjoyable events for you, so PLEASE be generous (￥1000-3000🙏🏻)
👉🏻 This is an all-ages Meetup, so kids are FREE & welcome, but babes-in arms are not due to possible noise & other factors. (Sorry!)
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After Meeting at Matsudo, we'll take the Shin-Keisei line to Yabashira Station, and walk a few minutes to Soko-in temple from there. Shin-Yahashira station, served by the Musashino Line is also nearby, so you may go wherever you wish on either line afterwards.
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WHAT TO BRING: We'll be walking for a while, so wear comfortable shoes & bring snacks or lunch, your beverage, a picnic sheet, a ball, a frisbee, maybe a folding umbrella. We'll stop at a convenience store on the way, but food & drink are available at the park!
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If you have questions, please ask before the day our our Meetup!
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Please join us. This is a beautiful area, that many people have no idea about! A good time is guaranteed & maybe great weather too!
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Thanks,
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Kerry D, your Meetup Organizer