Kyoto: No Parking (except for plants)

Only plants may park on this driveway, on a small street of souvenir shops and lunch spots on Kyoto’s famous Philosopher’s Walk, leading to Ginkakuji, the silver temple. The Philosopher’s Walk is full of cherry blossoms in the spring, they say; in winter, there are other plants to be seen.

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Kyoto: Very organized plants

For lack of yards, many Kyoto houses and apartment buildings feature jury-rigged container gardens instead. These usually consist of rows of motley pots and crates lined up along the building walls, adjoining the sidewalk. This container garden had a different feel.

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Kyoto: Ice cream tree, Japanese variety

Ice cream tree at the Kyoto zoo.

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Kyoto: Trees wear New Year’s fortunes

Happy New Year! These trees at Heian shrine are carrying the fortunes and hopes of hundreds of prayerful visitors.

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Kyoto: Houseplants congregating on sidewalks and streets

Fitting nicely with the topic “plants on the ground,” here are more plant photos from Japan recently posted on Flickr by regular UPR contributor Marko. We already posted one picture that he sent from the road, showing a driveway lined with window boxes of houseplants. The new pictures confirm that the ground, sidewalk and streets in front of houses is a common habitat for potted plants in Kyoto. Above, seedlings multiply in repurposed ramen cups, while street-art giraffes look on. Read on for more pictures…

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