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I mentioned yesterday that I had taken a short late-afternoon stroll to photograph some old Machiya houses nearby. They overlook the little river that runs by my place, a short walk downstream.

Here's the first...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
With Mini Balconies Jutting Over the River

This is right across the river from where “Rare Shinto Shrine-Closing Ceremony” was photographed (two years ago to the day, now that I think about it).

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 110 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Reverse Angle

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/4, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
Close Up

I look at the overall design and suspect that they were originally meant for stepping out to enjoy the cool river air, but in looking at their construction, I can't imagine how they could support the weight of a person, so their intent remains a mystery. Maybe they're just architectural styling.

Pulling back a bit for a wider view, you can see the mishmash of old construction and modern patches that make up what look to be the neighboring houses, though I'm hard pressed to identify exactly where one house ends and the next begins...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mishmash

I'd love to visit these with a Japanese Architectural version of Stewart Ainsworth, for the story these buildings could tell. (In a way, it reminds me of my “History Written in Brick” post from a couple of years ago.)

I love these kind of old dilapidated houses, but unlike those I've posted before (“Abandoned House Returning To Nature” and “Abandoned House in Hokkaido”), these are still occupied. I do suspect that they all have the same owner, due to the similar nature of their gutters (such as the “quality” of the installation).

Oh, and as you can tell, the red berries that mark Kyoto's colder seasons are out in force.

Moving a bit further downstream there's another old, long machiya house that I suspect holds multiple units....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/1600 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos

The first one has a set of doors that are often open, at which I often see someone sitting quietly with a cup of tea....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Peaceful
simple table with a small vase, in front of the open window by the stream

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/4, ISO 1000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Self Portrait Across the River

Further down the same building, a reed mats covering a second-floor window were blowing briskly in the breeze...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos

Under the windows was an area missing its wood veneer, showing the mud, bamboo, and twine wall underneath...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/2.8, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Mud & Bamboo Wall

I imagine that the interior looks similar to the Old House of Bamboo and Mud that I wrote about once. This kind of construction (heavy mud walls and heavy tile roof, supported by a timber frame) is extremely dangerous in an earthquake. Kyoto doesn't get many big ones, though.

By the way, these pictures are all a bit fuzzy because I'm an idiot, and forgot to reset my D700's auto-ISO feature when switching to the big zoom lens I used on this photo stroll. The “auto ISO” feature is wonderful in the D700, but I can't for the life of me figure out why they didn't take the one small extra step to make it really useful: allow a focal-length-multiplier mode, one when VR is on and another when off. This would be trivial from an engineering and UI-design point of view, and would make it vastly more useful, so it's baffling that it hasn't been done.

Anyway, the river then crosses under a small street; here's the view from the bridge back upstream....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking Upstream

Looking downstream from the same position yields an entirely different view...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/80 sec, f/4, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Looking Downstream

You're on a street with buildings all around (a museum, a doctor's office, a tall apartment building, etc.), and less than 70 meters away in the center of the frame passes a major four-lane thoroughfare with a subway line under it. But it's all hidden in this view, and I sort of like that. 🙂