07 March, 2007

tel booth in a mountain area

Yokohama is a relatively new city in Japan, 'cause it had a full-dress development for the first time in about 150 years ago, when Americans came across the Pacific Ocean. Until then, the city was just a small village and almost all the villagers seemed to be engaged in fishery.
Walking around the city, I hardly find any clues of its village era, but often see modern buildings represented as redeveloped business area, or huge tankers and ships anchored to piers typified one of biggest international harbors. But in case of looking for heritages related to the beginning of its post-village era, around the mountain area, I easily find several architectures called " Yo-kan", which means "western-style mansion". Yo-kans are actually heritages that originally were made for Americans or other Westerners coming to Japan as merchants, diplomats or technicians, I guess.
But I don't know whether the telephone booth in the pic is really the heritage that is the same as Yo-kan. The classic style is so nice and I guess the tel itself in the booth may be a real one.
By the way, this mountain area is just now regarded as a residential area for wealthy people.
Here is Yokohama, Japan.

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