General

The relatively short life-span of Japanese houses — twenty-five years is a figure often banded about — means that having a domicile of some description or other being built nearby is far from uncommon, especially in Tokyo. A situation that unfortunately means getting woken up at 8 a.m. every morning by a bevy of banging, baggy-panted builders.

Yet whilst the noise is unfortunately unavoidable, the new structure itself is. Well, sort of, as the clever concealing technology adopted by some construction companies makes it almost impossible to tell where the new home is being built. In fact, it took me the best part of two weeks to finally work out the whereabouts of the gradually growing erection pictured below. And then I only stumbled upon it by mistake — its camouflage capabilities almost military-like. A technology that could surely have a whole host of uses, with its cloaking qualities even more evident when placed next to the real thing.

So, whilst you may have to look long and hard, can you tell which is the cover and which are real clouds?

A:

B:

Take your time now, I know it’s tricky.

The answer, for those struggling a bit, can be found by clicking here.

Although the Japanese love of all things cute is nothing new, there’s surely a limit to what can get the almost compulsory and cloyingly cuddly conversion. And whilst something as unlikely as the Windows operating system has successfully had treatment, one would think that burly builders would pose a bigger problem — despite their rather fetching fashion.

Yet that doesn’t appear to be the case at all, as not only are builders considered as cute as a button, but they are also viewed that way when endearingly emptying the contents of their bladder.

(click image for wider-angled weeing workman)

Despite the relatively rapid rate that buildings go up (and down) in Tokyo, it’s somewhat surprising that there are still a good number of these aged and awful abodes about.

How cold they must be in winter doesn’t bear thinking about, although having ventured into one such home a while ago, the lack of insulation may not be the only worry for tentative tenants — a cesspit and a hole for a toilet arguably making a mere lack of warmth a minor concern. Even worse is that the rather cramped nature of such places means the pit’s pungent aroma pervades the whole house, with fresh waves of it wafting through each room every time the bathroom door is opened. A far cry indeed from the toilet technology Japan is often famed for.

Still, some of them do have rather more modern means of moving waste matter, and with the odd personal touch, they can look a little more welcoming — sort of.

And whilst the majority of Tokyo’s millions of apartment dwellers have to make do with a cramped balcony for drying laundry, many of these domiciles do have more in the way of outdoor space.

Even boasting room for parking too.

Although sadly that’s not always the case. In fact, far from it at times.

And anyway, whether any extra space makes up for some of the other, rather less attractive attributes, is debatable to say the least.

(click images for larger, less than lovely living spaces)

Land to live on may well be scarce in Japan, especially in Tokyo; however with a busy road out front, an elevated expressway on the left and a monorail overhead, this particular spot is definitely not ideal for that dream new domicile.

(click image for larger lousy location)