December 13, 2011

Walking through Kokubunji

Kokubunji, a city right smack in the middle of Tokyo. It's an interesting residential area, with its mix of old, grand-looking homes, seemingly uninhabited houses in gorgeous disrepair, and concessions to area revitalization. It's a mix of the past and the present, attempting to become harmonious.

The river above has been covered up with a series of bars that continue down the whole length of it.

Rudimentary bridges lead to individual homes. It's a shame to see so many unpicked persimmons this time of the year.

A house wrapped in ivy. The moisture needed for the ivy to grow supposedly weakens the walls of houses, but it looks quite lovely.

After this, the leaves will turn brown, leaving the house looking like a stringy mess.

Across the street from the house, the saddest, tiniest park ever. There is absolutely nothing more to this park.

Part of the city's revitalization project: a pond that was covered up in the 1960s is undergoing a process to bring back the area's natural ecosystem. The pond looked refreshingly clean, a rarity in Tokyo.

A man was playing his flute, which inexplicably drew the ducks near him.

The sparrows on guardrails aren't a Kokubunji thing; it has been popularized in other areas of Japan as well.

It brightens up an otherwise gloomy building.

No comments: