Hirosaki 1

My property is situated at the end of a quiet, residential street. The concrete wall which encases my property is ringed with 15 foot high shrubs that act as a wall to add privacy to my property and home. This photo shows the driveway and rock garden which features a traditional Japanese stone lantern. As well, a small stone pond is featured among the trees. According to Feng Shui, it is desirable to combine the elements in a balanced way to allow the ki (Universal Life Force Energy) to flow and move easily. The configuration of my property allows the energy to enter the driveway, circle about the area, before flowing into the front entryway. The trees--tall and majestic--act as a barrier of sorts, keeping the ki from going straight ahead and into my neighbor's home without stopping first to energize my home.

Moving on around the right side of the house, we go through another latticed gate to enter the back patio area. My property sits up high which allows for a nice view from the very back portion. The same trees that ring the front, continue down the right side and corner of the property to allow for maximum privacy. I had the patio covered with stone to allow for get-togethers with friends and colleagues. Since I don't have a neighbor directly behind my home, and because there is a public walk-way to the right of my property (on the other side of the trees lining the wall), I can have cookouts and parties without worrying about disturbing those around me.

Welcome to my home and a personal tour...

The tour begins in the front of my home. The outside is treated with a bright yellow stucco-like paint mixture, trimmed in white, with a hunter green roof. The door immediately to the right of the main entrance is a storage closet (a common feature of Japanese-style homes). Every summer, I plant a variety of flowers in planters, as well as placing a seasonal door wreath on the front door; also, I hang banners according to the holiday or season to add color and panache to the front entryway.

All throughout the tour, you may notice a color scheme that is deliberate and thoughtful. As I renovated the structure and redecorated the rooms, I followed as best I could the principles found in the ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui.

The previous owner had the foresight to plant a variety of trees and flowering shrubs. Luckily for me, I have a beautiful lilac bush that greets all of the people that visit me. Under the lilac, I have planted daisies to add an air of cheerfulness to the front. The bench is intended to be used by visitors who need to wait on a taxi to ferry them home. It doesn't get much use because taxi's in Japan arrive in a matter of a few minutes. The brick work was done by me; and the latticed door is used to hide the tank holding my heating oil. This door also leads to another small storage shed I have behind my home.

A view from another angle shows a flower bed I had made into the design of the patio area. This bench is often used by a tom-cat who likes to sun himself in the seclusion of my backyard. The odd, triangular shape of the property is strange at best (in Japan, one's home and property fits the neighborhood like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle). I chose flowers which complimented the other items I have in this area. The bright red contrasts nicely with the yellow, green and white. Again, the ki can move around effortlessly and round the corner onto the deck area after coming around the front of the house. Shall we move on to the wooden deck?

Since I couldn't have a wooden porch in the front of the house, I settled for the next best thing--a wooden deck in the back. The concept of having a deck to sit outside in the coolness of the summer evenings is a foreign concept to the Japanese. Most of my neighbors look at me askance when they see me kicking back with friends, enjoying the quiet that is so typical of summer.

This deck has a variety of functions: 1) It is a great place for me to drink a cup of Starbucks decaffeinated coffee while reading my morning paper; 2) it is exquisite in the evenings to sit with friends over wine and a cheese plate; 3) when raining, it is very nice to sit under the roof to listen to the pitter-patter of rain against the tin roof...and to reflect on the day's events; 4) if bugs are a nuisance, no problem--the screened area keeps all creepy-crawlies away.

This was my gift to myself when refinishing the house--totally frivolous and unnecessary, but am I ever glad I did it! I believe that one should treat oneself to the things which make one's quality of life higher and more refined.

A view of the back gives you some idea as to the size of the house. It is small by US standards, perhaps, but large by Japanese standards. Houses are built very close together, usually, which makes my house somewhat unusual. I have a bit of space on three of the four sides.

Each room is cooled separately (no central air-conditioning is used in this part of the country because it is considered to be wasteful to cool a room that is not being used). The left side of the house shows my air-conditioners mounted on the wall. This is not the best situation regarding Feng Shui, but it could not be helped. I tried to include some remedies to insure that they did not generate any negative ki. Luckily, guests never notice them because they don't think to look up when entering the backyard area.