Mixed Neighborhood Fujisawa

One of the nice things about living in Japan is that no matter where I go, I am able to see something new that I have never seen before. This continues to be true even though I have been in Japan for more than 30 years.

Maybe it is only me, but the small things in Japan often catch my eye. While walking home from the office to the train station, I noticed a few things and took pictures of them to share with you.

 Flower blossoming in parking lot. [Pentax K-50] 1/640 sec., f/7.1, ISO 100

This flower, which was blossoming all alone in a parking lot, caught my attention by the soft velvety surface of its petals. Most of the parking space consisted of cement blocks and black asphalt. Yet, somehow, this single flower had been able to grow and endure long enough to reach a stage of blossoming. 

Parking lot [Pentax K-50] 1/250 sec., f/4, ISO 100

There was a very small house, among many in this neighborhood, that had a more utilitarian design in order to take advantage of every last inch of available space, of which was quite limited to begin with. Under such conditions, it's nice to see a home owner use what empty space was left for the parking space to add a nice, artistic, at-home mood to the overall residence by simply using round stones with colored square stones in a simple pattern with patches of grass growing in-between.

Parking lot [Pentax K-50] 1/320 sec., f/11, ISO 200

Some places in Japan have zoning laws, as do many other modern countries. In Japan, however, for whatever reason, there sometimes appears to be no zoning laws whatsoever. The shot of this Buddhist temple roof was taken from behind a wall of lush greenery that was surrounded by single family one-story and two-story houses. Additionally, there were some small shops, and multi-use apartment buildings that have businesses operating on the first floor with residential units on the second through the fifth or sixth floors. These neighborhoods often are lined with streets with just barely enough room for only one car to pass through. This is especially true in the urban areas surrounding Tokyo in  Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa Prefectures.

Old shop sign [Pentax K-50] 1/250 sec., f/8, ISO 200

I felt a little sorry for the owners of this shop. Based on the exterior of the building, I got the impression that they might be going out of business or maybe they already had gone bankrupt. Regardless, I loved the contrast of the red, rusty kanji and hiragana characters of the sign against the oxidized copper or tin signboard.

Many of our clients request nice apartments located close to train stations, their office, or their school. If and when you have a chance, please take the time to get away from the more common areas of your neighborhood and find a small narrow street to wander down. You can experience a different side of Japan that is often left out of the tourist guide books. A nice neighborhood doesn't have to be famous to enjoy its serenity and atmosphere.

If you are in the market for a new home, whether it be a single-family house, or comfortable apartment ranging from one-room studios to large 5LDK units, please give us a call at Rent Life. We have the resources and know-how to get you moved into a new residence that meets your needs and fits your budget!

  

---

Rent Life Co., Ltd.
Shin-Yokohama Branch
Kaede Bldg. No. 2, 6th Floor
2-5-10 Kohoku-ku, Yokohama
Kanagawa Prefecture 222-0033
JAPAN
Tel. 045-470-3214
Email: e-yokohama@r-life.co.jp
URL: http://www.rent-yokohama.com/english/
Copyright Ⓒ 2014 Rent Life Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.