This is the view from our 3rd level. We have a big ol' driveway in front that is partly ours, but notice our main mode of transportation. Heh.
Other Navy families with houses like ours refer to them as 'vertical trailers.' Though they are three stories, they shoot straight up, and each level is 'semai' - small, not spacious. Our house is perfect for a young couple; we fit quite nicely. And the higher you are, the better you can see. Now, our view isn't the greatest thing, but it's a good look at a typical Japanese residential area. Lots of haphazard colors and things jutting out to the sky. Things aren't very pretty or coordinated here. They're spontaneous and unorganized.
BUT the character of Japan is unmatched. It's homey and comfortable. It isn't posh (except Ginza, that is), but it's clean. It may not be organized and orderly, but it's distinctive. And it works. The urban areas of Japan are like giant games of Tetris; every bit of space is filled with a small house, a shop, a restaurant. Underground, built on top, shoved in right there. I haven't seen a yard in months. But what we have in place of a yard is a makeshift patio and great people watching.
Score.
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