November 23 2009: Well, Ok, this top picture isn't of a house....it's the bushes in front of a house. My friend Carol says she thinks these are referred to as "the burning bush". I have no idea, though they do look like they could be on fire. Bushes here are always very neatly trimmed and cared for, so I know this color combination was planned many years ago.
And nope, the bushes don't belong to this house above. And, as you might have surmised from the title, today we are looking at houses. First, I actually got out for a walk around a different neighborhood. It was a pleasant surprise, filled with many different house styles. The one above is actually just down the road from us, and is one of my favorites. Western style, but still with Japanese lines.
This one is definitely of western style. The yards are very small, but not because the house is overly large...the lots are small. Most yards are tidy and neat, though there are a few where obviously the owner doesn't throw anything away....that'll be pictures for another day.
Pretty flowers in a window.
This is one of the residential streets that I was walking the other day. Most residential streets are this narrow/wide.....about one and a half lanes (that's a big residential street) But of course, a lot of cars here are mini cars, so two fit nicely. It's when you drive an SUV that you have to be careful. One thing that a driver has to remember is that not all the gutters here are covered...and they aren't your normal gutter...trench is a better word. Open trenches, wide enough to take in a car tire. So as you are driving down a narrow rode, you have to do a quick check to see how much room you really have. And to complicate things...some gutters are covered for a few feet, then open back up again. If you don't know the neighborhood, just assume they are open, and don't go to far to the left. A lot of times though, if the road is very narrow, then one care will find a driveway to do a slight pull in. It can be a bit nerve wracking. Especially if you are the passenger and can see the open gutter....all the while the driver (he who shall remain nameless) is assuring you that he knows the trench is there. I expect to fall in at least once while we are here....don't worry, there'll be pictures....
Down a dirt road...just a little house, about the size of the "shack", but better built. The yard once bursting with color, now waiting for winter to completely take over.
I call this one the "Spanish Hacienda". I keep thinking this is one to find out in the country of Spain. Though, I've never been to Spain, so really wouldn't know....but it works in my world.
I just found the color of this one interesting. Houses come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Obviously there is no home owners association here. Which is great. Though the color of this house is a bit tame compared to some that I have seen (there'll be one coming up in a minute here)
A house fire! Not sure how long ago this was....probably just in the last week. The house was totally destroyed, and can only hope that its family got out ok. A residential fire is one of the big fears in Japan (right up there with flood and earthquake). This fire didn't appear to do any damage to the neighbors (can't even see any blistering on the houses next door). Which is amazing, as there is not a lot of space between houses. Maybe 10-20 feet at the most. My walking buddy Carol said a friend of hers in Tokyo experienced a "23 house fire". Meaning the main blaze took out an additional 23 houses.
So, around the corner from the burned house....is the lime green house. Pretty easy to spot if you're looking for landmarks to give directions. Actually, this is the second lime green house I've seen. I'll have to get a picture of that one as well....and then there are the purple houses...which I unfortunately didn't come across any of those on this walk....but they're out there.
And the narrow house. Which is odd, as there are no houses around it....unless they are planning to build more and they are just anticipating. Really it's not as narrow as the picture makes it look, but it is a definite rectangle.
Another mix of East meets West. Every house has an entryway...most times glassed in, so that they don't have to be heated in the winter. Some have pretty flowers, and most look neat and tidy. The entry on my house however, is closed in....this leads to not much tidiness going on. It is common for the Japanese to enter into the entry, then knock or call out a greeting.... this way they are out of the elements. Though on the houses that they have built for the Americans, the doorbell is on the very outside, and most Japanese will wait outside until being invited into the entry.
OK, obviously not a house...but the entry to the yard. They seem so formal, and yet inviting as well. Will have to find this one again in the spring and get a picture of their yard.
It is nice to see so many different styles of homes and colors. It gives inspiration to someday being able to build one of our own...will probably have to live far away from any home owners association to get the color I want. No, it won't be lime green, but would probably be able to used as a landmark!
