Walk around the Block

Here is a little walk I took around my Neighborhood in Sasebo. I thought it would be nice to include some everyday things on the website that I have come to think is normal. But Japanese normal is not exactly US normal...
















Yes, this is a street sign in Kanji, this is how Sasebo is spelled. I remember the signs as "Tree next to House, "Chemistry beaker", and "Man holding sword". That is about my extent thus far of Kanji though.





















We live just on the outskirt of town so plenty of rice, soybean, and cabbage fields next to our house. Since it is winter time, here are some covered fields of cabbage. Look closer and you can see the dead crow hanging to deter others birds. No scarecrows here!




















Nice day so I looked up and thought this looked kinda artistic!




















This is a very skinny road along the rice patties. Part of my running route every day.

Japanese roads are NEVER straight so they have all these mirrors set up around every corner that you are supposed to look in to see before turning on the road. Do you see the car coming?!




















These are the 3 gates leading up to a local shrine near our house. Every neighborhood (Cho) has its own shrine as a gateway for spirits and bring luck to the people of the area. The straw rope hanging on the first gate (and below on the rock shrines) is called a Shinenawa. This normally marks the boundary of something considered to be sacred in the Shintoist tradition. As the Japanese say, you are born in the temple (Buddhist) and die in the Shrine (Shintoism). Basically, most Japanese follow both beliefs.



































This is a makeshift "temple" where people may give thanks and respect to their ancestors. This is especially popular during the Obon festival where ones ancestors come back for 3 days of partying.

















This is a normal street in Sasebo. All houses are surrounded by a small concrete or brick wall. Not exactly for privacy but just to define your borders I guess.




















These are gardens for the residents of my Cho to use. Each person has a small little plot to grow vegetables and herbs in.
















Japanese dryers are awful so everyone hangs their clothes out to dry. Snowing in the middle of winter, and they would still have clothes outside! On the roof are the tatami mat covers, which they air out once a week.





















Here is a typical Japanese garden with the bonsai - style trees. Very immaculate!















My new camera is so AWESOME! I took this picture from about 300 yards away. I'm not sure what kind of bird/crane this is, but I'm sure Ken would know!