3 in 30 - 2000.06.10
This wall, constructed of concrete block is about five feet high which is then topped with a wall of corrugated plastic. On the wall are fresh political posters.
Japan will have elections in the next few weeks for filling some positions in the Diet (Japanese parliament). What we see of elections are posters on walls as well as designated poster boards. We don't ususally see election posters on the trains. Our English language papers carry only a minimum of news about the election rhetoric.
We don't listen to Japanese radio or watch Japanese TV, primarily because of our lack of understanding, so we don't know how much electioneering/advertising takes place there. What we do occasionally hear are the local politician's sound trucks. Sometimes a specially truck or larger van with speakers will drive around the neighborhood and the hopeful candidate will introduce themselves and ask for votes. Popular stopping places are parking lots in front of large apartment buildings. The parking lot of the apartment building shown on March 18 is one such stop.
This entrance gate and wall are about 100 meters from the wall above. Instead of concrete, these walls are made of stone, including the cutouts in the wall. Again, the wall is about five feet high and the gate is probably about the same width. Note the flagstones at the entry and the carefully trimmed tree partially overhanging the entrance.
The entrance to this house is just around the corner from our house. (Of course there are many corners near our house.) Here you see a double gate at the center through which the owner may drive a car. To the right is the pedestrian gate with a small box for an intercom system.
To the left is the mailbox, to the right, a small milkbox. Overhanging the whole gate area is a carefully sculpted and maintained umbrella shaped pine tree.
The neighbor has added to the fence at the right. In this snapshot, it looks like fresh bamboo, though it is made of plastic. Just on the other side of the fence, he is building an inside wall and gate of real bamboo.