3 in 30 - 2001.11.04 Sunday
Cosmos in the tatami room
Fall is a wonderful time of year and with it comes all the colors, including the flowers which appear at this time. These cosmos (I believe) are nearly a week old in the jar and they still bring a spot of brightness to our house.
I've included some stereotypes in this snapshot. One is the muted colors that people associate with the simple life in Japan, the rustic life, the Norman Rockwell stereotype of Japan. Here you see the woven straw mats (tatami) that cover several of our rooms. There is also bare, unfinished wood and the white paper of the screens. What a natural setting.
The bright intense colors of the flowers is also natural and these are also colors that are used and found particularly these days in the bright neon lights of downtown Tokyo.
After having lived in Colorado for nearly twenty years, and in Japan for ten, I am still intrigued at the tenacity of growing things. In Colorado, it was difficult to get anything to grow. In Japan, it seems like it is impossible to keep things from growing. These vines were cut down completely a year ago, but this year they have completely covered our 3 by 2 meter outbuilding and are creeping along the wall between us and our neighbors.
The colors of the leaves are starting to turn. Some are maroon, which contrasts interestingly with the orange of the kerosene tank on the left.
When the leaves dry up, once again I'll rip out the vines. They collect dust and moisture which then seeps through the roof of the building and causes the concrete to crumble. Besides making a mess inside, I would rather that the roof not come crashing in.
View of Fuji in the fall
The other wonderful thing about fall is that the air starts to clear. The haze evaporates and it becomes drier and we are rewarded with occasional glimpses of Fuji-san, the most famous of Japanese mountains. From March through October, it is often raining or too hazy to see this mountain that is only 60 kilometers away.
The previous pictures were snapped before leaving for the drive to the Mount Takao area. The last turn in our neighborhood is this street which seems to be in a direct line to Fuji-san. From here, it is downhill to the Tama River and then through mountains and valleys to Takao. This is about the only place on the journey where Fuji can be seen.
Of course you can see that we are driving on the left hand side of the road. It seems so natural now. We'll have difficulty when we return to the States. Cars are parked at the side of the street, straddling any walking area, a bicycle lane and part of the traffic lane. A big white and turquoise bus just passed through the intersection. An over-sized van is approaching my intersection. Japanese seem to becoming so Americanized.
Oh, oh. The light is green. I've gotta get going.