A treasure house and a dead tree

 This white building is typical of those that were found in traditional homesteads of wealthy families. They were very strongly built and had a large lock on the door, making them very difficult to rob. There are TV programs where they go around the country with antique specialists who open these buildings, sometimes for first time in generations, and evaluate the contents. They find some really worthwhile art in many of them. Also historic items.

Next to the building is a little garden. The large tree has mostly died but it has been left as part of the landscape. One the left the trunk has been capped with a metal protector which keeps the rain from rotting the wood. You can see the shimenawa, the straw rope, around it. This part is still alive and does send out small branches but each fall these are trimmed back to keep the tree from growing and spoiling the garden.