I took a few long walks around Narita and saw some beautifully designed small gardens. The care and effort put into these little plots is amazing. One local I spoke to said it took him 20 years to get the pine shown below to take its current form.

It is still a work in progress as you can see with the bamboo wired up to direct its shape.

A follow up to the carp article posted earlier…..

Have just had a very pleasant - but hot stay in Narita, Japan. Took time out to explore the grounds of Narita Temple. In the midst of the gardens I came across a few large ponds with some very hungry carp. The size of some of these carp were truly impressive.
carp-feeding