Don't leave home without it

On Sunday we headed to an ice skating rink, about a 45 minute train ride from here. One of the things I've quickly learned since arriving in Japan is never, ever leave home without your camera. If you don't have it with you, you will surely see something you want to take a picture of.

Space here is a premium, the Japanese seem to manage to carve out green space where ever they can. The road we were walking on towards the ice skating rink was right next to the train tracks. In a space no wider than 3 feet, for nearly then entire length of the road, residents have managed to create small gardens along the way.

The guy to the right caught my eye and while I stopped to take a picture of it an Oba-san (Japanese Grandmother) walked by and started to chuckle. I guess she thought it funny that I would take a picture of this character ... is it a Japanese scarecrow? A spirit to bring forth a garden of wealth? Maybe it's the god of inspiration - I'm not sure, but I came away with an appreciation for these gardeners who have made the most of an otherwise small ugly space that they have transformed into beauty. Now that's inspiring.