Wednesday, April 23, 2014

花 Flowers

A home that we pass in the evening.

Being a megacity, Tokyo has a reputation for being a hyper-built environment. This is definitely true in some parts of the city- there are office complexes that seem like something out of the Jetsons, all concrete, glass, and steel, with no soil in sight- and likely it is more true for the touristed parts of the urban core (places like Shibuya or Shinjuku, for example). However, in a regular neighborhood such as the one I live in, the amount of things in bloom on a weekly basis is astounding. Sometimes it seems that every one of the hundreds of houses and business we pass are growing a multitude of potted plants on their steps. All through the winter there were pansies and camellias, and now that spring is in full bloom the flowers on my daily commute are ever more lovely. All of these photos are from the 10 minute walk that I take to get little man to school and myself to the train station. It's probably less than a half mile total, and this is just a sampling of the many botanicals that we see.
 
Business steps loaded with flora.
 
On the way to little dude's school.
 
All the wisteria! This house smells amazing.
 
A restaurant down the street from our apartment.
 
In front of a random house. I love that the plants are allowed to grow. Isn't a living thing better than chemical weedkiller? I think so.
 
Azaleas along the major street near our apartment.
 
Neighborhood coffee shop.
 
Even the bus stop has a small garden.
 
A home on the way to the train station.
 
Bushes near the train tracks.
 
This amazing thing!
 
This is about 1/4 of the pots in front of one of the houses we pass on the way to little man's school. Seriously amazing. 

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