Noticing More: TOTAN IN KYOTO

We really like the stripes on this photo. Deceptively simple, it’s very much a case of the more you look; the more you realise. The stripes and shadows from the textural folds of the corrugated iron sheeting, the shadows of the cables - the reflection in the window!

This photo was sent to us by @ihendersuk (Instagram) and was taken in Kyoto in 2015. in his own words”

“At first, it was the deep red colour that caught my attention; but the more I looked the more I saw lines – and stripes – cutting across each other in all directions.”

Thank you for sharing this memory with us, Ian.

Find Ian on Instagram: Instagram: @ihendersuk

Aside from the beautiful stripes, this also appeals to our love for corrugated iron. Or as Japanese call it; “totan”. If you are interested, wrote about it previously here.

Noticing More: Story Corner

We recently shared a collection of corners that have caught our attention on our Instagram Stories. The corners included all appealed to us for different reasons but it was only as we finished the series that we realised that our favourite corners were the ones that told a silent story about their neighbourhoods. We think that these unassuming details say a lot about the values and thinking of Tokyoite culture.

Tucked away in a back alley of residential Tokyo, we noticed these reflectors fixed onto a corner of someone’s wall. A quick glance around confirmed that whilst there are no street-lamps, we can imagine a glow of spill light during the evenings, from the neighbouring homes. Someone must have taken the time and thought to add these - just to help themselves and/or other people find their way through the winding alley safely.

This corner belongs to an abandoned and tumbledown house in western Tokyo. It’s an understandable one to dismiss and just march on past. We imagine loads of people consider it to be an eyesore - not us! Take a moment to observe the details and it tell you about how how this and many other traditional style Japanese houses were built. A wordless free lesson about materials, age, how the country is evolving and so much more.

This in an entrance to a doctor’s surgery, again, in Tokyo . One side is for adults and the other for children. Do people ever walk into each other? We wonder!

A corner of an izakaya in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. Vinyl curtains cut the corner of the entryway. The broken zipper has been secured with blue vinyl tape which is a very super ordinary item in Japan.

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PLEASE SHARE YOUR CORNER PICS WITH US:

We would love to add your pics and/or words to our future corner associated post. If you have anything that you would like to share, email your pictures and friendly words to : Yasumi @ superordinarylife (.) com