Visited friend, E, in her new boonies abode in Shibamata at the weekend. After getting over my initial “we ain’t in Kansas now Toto” reaction, I realized that there was a lot to be said for living so far away from the Yamanote line. A huge reduction in rent for one thing, and a considerable expansion of floor space for another. We checked out the ‘hood and found that it was a Tora-san mecca, note the statue outside the station.
Also, bizarrely, we found this little sketch gallery within a laundry mat. You can find all your favorite celebs, including of course, Tora-san carefully and quite lovingly sketched and displayed on the walls and ceiling. No idea who is behind it but it was really cool and of course, this being Japan, it was not even slightly vandalized or unappreciated. It's moments like these that remind me of all the great things I love about Japan – the slight weirdness, the respect for other people, the attention to detail, the appreciation of beauty even in the ugliest of surroundings and, of course the general cleanliness.
Click on the photos to get a better look.
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