Flowers Make the Home

In Tsukishima, in the narrow streets running parallel to the famous Monja Street. Although the nearby Kachidoki and Toyosu are considered new, posh areas, Tsukishima still has a shitamachi feel, clearly reflected in the architecture.

The narrow streets running vertical to the famous Monja Street are lined with nagaya (row houses.) In the photo above, diners enjoy their food outside of the restaurant -- the cramped Tokyo's equivalent of dining out in a terrace. 

Though the houses are old, and some seemingly run-down, the inhabitants put a lot of effort into making their spaces beautiful in manageable ways. Many houses have so many potted plants out front, you'd think they were running a gardening shop.

 

Columbines seemed to be particularly popular.

Turtles are a popular choice of pet.

Two sets of two turtles stacked on top of each other.

Surreptitiously-kept goldfish also seemed to be popular.

Was there once a shrine here?

I'm guessing the initial idea was to prevent cats from walking through, but somewhere along the way it simply became a repository for garbage.