Japan is colourful country. Literally everywhere you go, there are flowers, some planted, in any case well kept! Of course, the season was right, but it’s not only flowers that are used to decorate their country: fences, man-hole covers, paving stones, wind-flags... But sometimes even grotesque ‘figures’. So we weren’t the only strange apparitions in Japan.
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Flowers
Flowers everywhere, especially on the verge of the road or along the railway line:
Fences
Standing in front of them, you see only coloured stakes, but cycling past produces a cheerful result:
Windcatchers (Koinobori-flags)
May 5th is Children’s Day in Japan, a national holiday. Many Japanese families hang the carp-shaped koinobori-flags out on Children’s Day to show the neighbours that there are boys in the family. A carp means strength because it swims upstream. Indoors, dolls dressed in Samurai costumes and kabuto (Samurai helmets) are set up to wish that the sons grow up to be fearless men. (Source: Wikipedia)
Man-hole covers and paving stones
Lucky racoons
They come from Shigaraki - famous for its ceramics. Many Japanese have them in their gardens.The seven lessons from a racoon:
- A straw hat (always be careful and don’t become bankrupt)
- A friendly face (friendliness is important for a merchant)
- A big paunch (be quick in deciding)
- A bottle of ‘sake’ (it is a virtue to be satisfied with a simple meal)
- An account book (trust comes first)
- Testicles ( money will come and multiply by wise use)
- A large tail ( the crown on everything)
Strange apparitions
Gardens
Houses with gardens are rare in Japan. But given the space, flowers and trees are planted:
Other 'decorations'
