some history, gingko trees

Yesterday Satoshi had the day off, so we went to our favorite cafe, Hiro, for breakfast. The weather is FREEZING!! You could actually see snow on the Minoo mountain tops. The weatherman says we can expect the mid-winter conditions to continue (didn't winter just start??)

Anyway, after breakfast, I wanted to show Satoshi the gingko trees. They were a very bright yellow and it looked like a truck that had yellow paint in it, exploded. (I think I may have used that description a while back...) Anyway, in the sun, they looked a lot brighter.

We have some interesting history in Minoo, for one thing, in an area called Sakuragaoka, the Japan Architect Association sponsored a house remodeling exhibition in Taisho 11 (1922) which featured Western style houses. A total of 25 houses were built. After the exhibition, all of the homes were sold. Today, 8 homes have kept its shape and 4 of them have been registered as a National Treasure of Japan. This one was unique for its time because the contrast of the red roof tile and white walls. I was surprised because most of these houses are HUGE!!

When we go check out the other historical spots, I'll post my findings.

Keep warm if you're in areas like ours, and for those in warm areas, try to keep cool!!