Saturday, March 05, 2011

[jules' pics] Niwaki

NNOOTT!....

End of year pruning

Year end pruning

The Japanese are famous for the careful aesthetics they employ in tree pruning.

Unfortunately, in March, much of Japan has money to burn. I have no trouble with the four men who spent three days up the handful of pine trees at a local cemetery using chopsticks to plucking out every third needle, but that act just make the contrast with the inability to control the violence of the chainsaw even more disturbing. A few years ago it was the islands in the ponds at Hachimangu that got this treatment. This year it is historical-y site of what was probably the seat of power in Kamakura (just down the road from our house) that is being...cleaned up. As well as the trees I feel sorry for all the birds, bugs and squirrels so cruelly displaced from home. Since the idea is to spend money I don't see why they don't employ 50 men with scissors instead of 10 with diggers and chainsaws. They could surely more expensively achieve a more pleasing result. 


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Posted By Blogger to jules' pics at 3/05/2011 03:15:00 PM

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, to be in England now that Dave and Nick are there ...

David B. Benson said...

What is the price of electricity in Japan these days?

Anonymous said...

Fully electric 2 bedroom, dining/ kitchen apartment in northern Japan (cold in winter, hot in summer):
Average about US$220 per month.

James Annan said...

We average ¥5500 = $70 per month for a 4-bed house. But we are hair-shirted skinflints :-) (and the winters are probably less severe).

I don't have a bill to hand but I think it's about ¥25 per kWh, $0.30 at current exchange rates.

David B. Benson said...

James Annan --- Pricy, thanks.

EliRabett said...

Seen that last picture before