Tokyo Ordinary : Hidden Temple Gardens

I LOVE it when I stumble into an enclave of Tokyo that makes me feel like; “WOAH! THIS IS A SECRET GARDEN!”. And just for a while, in that moment, surrounded by flickering sunlight and wrapped in near silence… I feel like maybe, just maybe…I might be the only person that knows about it. Of course reality kicks in and more often than not, the city breaks my bubble. Someone will inevitably stroll into my seized moment of ataraxia.

The last time this happened was just a couple of weeks ago. Walking our regular route to a park we regularly visit, we stopped at a temple so familiar to us. It had snowed the night before and the snow had settled in neat pools on the grassy areas rendering the paths, even the tiny ones, completely bare and revealing an unnoticed pathway that curved beyond our regular sightline.

Feet followed curiosity. A whispering breeze lifted ume blossoms into the stillness. The path wound on into a scene of dancing sunlight, receding snow, water and glimmering koi.

This ain’t no grand temple with an extensively laudable history. It’s local. It’s shunted up against a major road and tucked between houses on a residential and much loved walkway. Yet still, I encountered many fleeting and beautiful details here. Textures upon textures, layered with light, crisp shadows and subdued hues harkening the arrival of Spring.

One particular detail that has stayed with me since, is the hedge and the rock. I just can’t get over it!

A hedge trimmed so seamlessly that it appears smooth. Like a perfectly weathered pebble. The age old rock that emerges from within the hedge is rough and hewn with cracks and intrusions. A beautiful contrast of visual textures and human interaction.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO NOTICE…

I must have walked right past this walled garden hundreds of times not knowing it was there. It just goes to show, no matter how well we think we know a place, there is always, always, something we have not noticed before. There is always something ‘new’ to see.

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Location:

Enjōin

2 Chome-17-3 Daita,

Setagaya City,

Tokyo 1

55-0033

 

Noticing More: Hedge Hugs

I love it when I notice a good hedge hug.

You know what I mean, right?

It’s when a hedge appears to be extending an embrace to an object that just happens to be in its proximity. Like these:

Share your hedge hugs with us:

We’d love to share your hedge hugs here! Please email them to us and let us know where you saw them and where you would like us to credit and link the images to.

Actually, If you’re partial to any street objects that seem to be embracing. Not just hedges, it could be anything that caught your eye. please do get in touch. It’s always good to hear from you.

You might like:

Unnoticed conversations - Where we talk about the unspoken emotional mirrors humble street objects can be.

Golden Hour : in Taishidō, Tokyo.

One of my favourite everyday walks in Tokyo, is the stroll I take from Daizawa to Sangenjaya. The change of vibes and general streetscape is great to take in along the way. These photos were taken late afternoon on a side street parallel to the main thoroughfare. Behind a gym and a Family Mart.

The late afternoon light was just too beautiful to ignore. That’s a nice thing about Tokyo, a lot of people noticed the quiet phenomenon and nodded their admiration as they walked on by.

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Share your golden hour with us

We’d really like to see a golden hour moment in your neighbourhood that’s stopped you in your tracks recently. Please send your pics to us letting us know the general LOCATION and anything else that you’d like to you. It would be kinda cool to share more golden hours from across the globe here.

Email: Yasumi @ superordinarylife . com

Ordinary Tokyo - Blossom scene at yamashita Station

Picture this. A neighbourhood greengrocer pumping out hip hop beats filtered through angry cuss words. Grannies and mums picking their daily fruit and veg oblivious to the profanities. On the opposite side of the road is a tiny local train station with a patch of a platform that leads directly onto the street. No ticket gates required here.

A single blossom tree stands beside the station with its branches pressing blossoms against the frosted panel of the glass. The blossoms peering through become station art. Unlike any painting, it’s impermanent, fleeting, shifting with the weather and the sunlight. I revisited the station a couple of days later, the sun was out, many blossoms had shed their petals and that same panel looked quite luminous.

There are so many different species of cherry blossoms here in Japan. The one in the scenario above is Kawazu-zakura. It’s an early blooming variety. One of my favourites because it’s so radiant whilst the other sakura trees in my area are still dormant.

Ordinary Tokyo: Seeing Signs

October 2019. Kitazawa, Tokyo

February 2020, Kitazawa, Tokyo

The first time I walked past this little clinic, I was struck by it’s colours against those of the road signs. The second time, I noticed the reflection of the signs. Something as simple as walking on a different side of the same street, different light conditions or even a different mindset can affect the way we see everyday things.

Location: KItazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo