The contemporary Japan aesthetic travesty has been addressed by many a foreign observer. I don't like criticising what is essentially a very civilized and dignified culture -- Japan's people are great...but. Somewhere in the last several decades, Japan has lost its refined sense of beauty. This photo is a stunning example of what I speak of and, be assured, there are many examples to be found everywhere here.
Someone thought it would be nice to plant some flowers at a local train station. Fair enough. Flowers are nice, but someone should clue in the idiots that thought that barbed wire and faded brick would look nice with a flower bed. What exactly are they not seeing here?
I love the abstract aesthetic one can often find with a camera. Weather worn surfaces and aging can be impressive tableaus of color and texture but, A FLOWER BED AND BARBED WIRE?! -- Pleeeeaze...
Update: The horrid aesthetic travesty shown has been improved considerably. Since having posted this a few years ago, the context in question has been painted - reasonable earth tones - and a false brick facade has been places along the underpass walkway. Even the ugly industrial electrical box (not visible in the origional photo) has been painted. Some barbed wire remains, rather ridiculous in view of the fact that a short distance from it there are long stretches of shorter fences with no barbed wire at all.
Someone definitely gets points for at least trying to address the eyesore that was present - and having reasonably done so - of course the flowers are now missing. Grass and weeds, even on the side of highways, is virtually never cut. This is a classic result of a corpratist society where the state and large institutions dictate everything and leave a sterile bureaucratic stain everywhere while tax money is funneled into yearly bonuses for the minions of state.
I truly hope that most of Japan will one day get a clue and recognize that a beautiful environment is easily attained and that barbed wire, rusty metal, electrical towers, and concrete are not the way to go for a civilized society.
The new and improved eye for beauty below:
