March 3, 2005

• 2005/3 More Minkaen

   Here are pictures of the same place, Minkaen in Kawasaki a couple of years later, this time in the spring.

  

  Spring is in the air!

  

  

  One house seen from another

  

  I wonder what's for lunch?

  

  The straw weaving fellows are still at it.

  

  

  This is a less properous house.  Notice the mats are not tatami (finely woven mat over a thick, heavy base mat), but simpler single layered mats spread out on the floor.

  

  

  The inside of another country house, quite spacious compared to typical Japanese houses of today.

  

  

  No, no one is preparing for fireside surgery.  These ladies are probably all suffering from pollen allergies, and sometimes a mask seems to help.  You can see these ALL OVER in the spring.

   

  No mats this time.

  

  A country house

  

  

  See?  Hubby has a mask, too.  His allergies were helped immensely by drinking cedar tea to immunized him fromt he effects of the tons of pollen in the air. 

  And now back to the topic of plumbing...  Above are "modern" facilities, and below are facilities of times gone by.

  

  This is a squat pot outside the house with a tasteful enclosure that affords privacy from three directions.  Call me fussy, but I would have preferred a set of four.

  

  Here is another large squatter in an open shed.  You can stand on the planks as you straddle the facility.  Looks like a balancing act to me...

  

  Now here is a real open-air job, but at least it is not tippy.

  • 01:47
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