These are fascinating photos @chris.elsdon , thank you for posting them and I look forward to seeing more. The massive statue is quite something in that context!
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
I watch a lot of programmes on NHK World and there are lots of gardens featured in various programmes. Worth a look if you're a bit of a Japanophile like me.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
I visited Kyoto a few years ago and did not venture into the suburbs, but I remember being struck by the potted plants that inhabited the urban alleyways. Many exuded this quiet elegance, and looked lovingly cared for.
Thanks a lot, everyone. Glad they are of interest.
I think the statue is Kamakura period (1185-1333). Apparently it’s actually a large Jizo, not a Buddha (as I had assumed).
I am not entirely sure about the houses, but I think they aren’t built to last because of the earthquakes here. You can’t use bricks, for example. So the wood needs to be replaced as it’s not built with the size or quality of the temples. What I don’t quite understand is that there are very old wooden houses in Canada and the U.S., but anyway, they certainly seem to decay here around 40-50 years old. Property doesn’t retain its value like in the UK. You are just investing in the land, really.
The road sign says, ‘Slow Down’. Actually, I didn’t know that and had to check. Being British, they just threw a driving licence at me and I didn’t have to do a test or anything. Poor old Americans (guffaw).
@BobTheGardener Thanks for the tip. I’d watched the NHK travel stuff but hadn’t looked out for the gardens. I’ll have a look. Cheers.
I will have to check out the city of Kyoto more @Molamola . Almost 3/4 of the time I have been down here has been during this whole COVID-19 thing. I haven’t been into the city that much. That whole Machiya set-up seems quite elegant, as you say.
Thanks everyone.
Chris
Edit: Apologies, I am writing this in paragraphs, but it doesn’t seem to post like that. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it soon.
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I visited Kyoto a few years ago and did not venture into the suburbs, but I remember being struck by the potted plants that inhabited the urban alleyways. Many exuded this quiet elegance, and looked lovingly cared for.
Edit: Apologies, I am writing this in paragraphs, but it doesn’t seem to post like that. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it soon.