damian 0 Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 I have a very small and totally not very appealing outdoors area at my back door. It is my Tokyo 'backyard'. It wasn't much, but it had some value. There were bushy shrubs and small trees and some flowers. Two trees where high enough so that from my upstairs room (where I sit now) I could look out and see green. Butterflies and birds would come to the trees and my view of the ugly grey out next to me was somewhat blocked. I had privacy and a little respite from the ugliness of Tokyo suburbia. No longer. Today the owner had them trimmed, sorry, almost hacked to the ground. I now look directly into the upstairs rooms of the house opposite, and they into mine. The birds are gone. My backyard wasn't much, but (whinge time) I find Tokyo so ugly that any little pocket of green that I can see outside my window is appreciated. Now I am forced to appreciate the greyness of cement and a total lack of privacy . I concede the fact that a lot of Tokyo residents have a far worse set up than I, but that still doesn't make it any easier knowing that my greenery and privacy is now gone. Who am I trying to kid, greenery, birds, bees, butterflies and a smidgin of privacy have no place in a concrete ant colony. Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 Yeh, they're pretty damn severe with their pruning here. That happened to me in a place I used to live, it was devastating. But the interesting thing is that they do usually come back quite strongly the following year. Not that's that any consolation of course. Link to post Share on other sites
amandanism 0 Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 the only greenery i see from my window are the potplants on the balcony of the apartment my room looks out on. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 But you are going to move soon, aren't you? I bought plants for the balcony and view from my room is better now. Link to post Share on other sites
amandanism 0 Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 im here (toronto) for the next four years...i live really downtown so there is next to no greenery. i can however see the cn tower from my window. and i get my very own neighborhood ghetto and peeping tom across the street. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 oops, sorry amandanism... I asked to db. But why you live in such a place, amandanism? Your place doesn't sound very good to live... Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 Yeah I once caught my landlady at my old place advancing with menacing flatfooted gait and shears at the ready towards one of my favourite bushes. I told her quite emphatically to cease and desist. Which she did, but when we went on holiday, she pruned it so savagely that it died. Not that there wasn't any other greenery around of course, but it was a characterful bush. I just wonder why these people don't have anything better to do than all this pointless and ugly cutting back. Why don't they just go wheelboarding or something more fun? Link to post Share on other sites
sexer 0 Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 I like well kept bushes Link to post Share on other sites
dale#1 1 Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 There used to be a lovely sakura tree near my house. It got chopped down earlier this year to make way for an advertising billboard, which now kindly tells me about the miso ramen at the new ramen shop in the town that I can have for 700 yen. Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 Don't you just hate that. We have a neighbour back home in the UK that seems intent on pruning trees and bushes until they look like little sticks in the ground. Cue strained neighbourly relations. I don't have any trees, or garden for that matter, to be cut down or destroyed in the first place. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 Lost one of the many trees (not bad for downtown) outside our balcony this spring, but that was the one that provided a ladder for the chap who burgled our apartment! Osaka currently has the 'greening of Osaka' project underway. I have to say, the city is looking a lot greener now than for all the years i've been here. I'm sure the huge rainfall this summer has had a dramatic impact on that, though! Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 well bd 2 and a half years ago my backyard bush fence was hacked down I had know idea why. At the time i was building a rather large bbq out the back. after about 6 monthes of wondering what would happen to the empty land a construction company built 30 houses. now when I bbq the neighbours have to pull in the wash. also do to the extra amount of shading out the backyard the mosquitoes are a menace. Link to post Share on other sites
merryJim 1 Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 It must be catching on, there have been lots of trees cut down or servery pruned off around my area too. Link to post Share on other sites
viv&kev 0 Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Well our neighbourhood is going the other way. We had about 100 new trees planted over the last few months and the park area has been given a once over. It looks really good, and the views have become much better from our rooms. Link to post Share on other sites
OnTheTin 0 Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 Same here, neighbourhood Machizukuri heremeans planting lots of new trees. Link to post Share on other sites
nekobi 0 Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 my friend had a lovely backyard garden with tons of basil and flowers growing. but her school came and chopped it all away til only dirt was left. by backyard is becoming a jungle- i dont have anything to cut the grass with and the mint is spreading like crazy! Link to post Share on other sites
cal 6 Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 Hey get some of that mint in vinegar, bottle it and sell it. Hmmm, lamb and mint sauce Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 A little sugar in that mint sauce and its a winner. Otherwise mash it up in a glass with sugar, add lime juice, white rum, ice and top up the glass with soda. Et voila! the mojito, the real taste of Cuba. Link to post Share on other sites
miteyak 0 Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 You could send me some of that mint... I currently have to pay around 800 yen for enough mint to make 200 ml of mint sauce, that's when I can find the stuff at all. (no problems finding the lamb though, whole freezer full of the stuff ) Link to post Share on other sites
sachiko 0 Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 Mint sauce? It sounds interesting, I did not try it. Is it sweet? Link to post Share on other sites
Thunderbird2 0 Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 I thought all sakura were protected or something? Or was that just a silly made up story to show me how special they were? Link to post Share on other sites
egglesby 1 Posted September 14, 2003 Share Posted September 14, 2003 Just a silly story I think - a few have been taken down round my area to make way for new aparto buildings Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted September 15, 2003 Share Posted September 15, 2003 Things of natural charm and beauty being protected in Japan? You have GOT TO BE JOKING!! BUWAHAHAHAHA! Link to post Share on other sites
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