the assisted tree

Matsushima , 2008.04

In my travels in Japan, I've occasionally come across trees that are propped up by sticks and slings.

This one is more stick than tree!

collections

Great photo but... As far as "Tokyo's a motorcyclist's city" there has been a huge change in the past couple of years that makes "o-gata" motorcycles a real pain---Illegally parked motorcycles (over 50cc) are ticketed and hauled off in most central locations (in the past you could park on sidewalks and behind utility poles for free). Now you have to pay for parking or chance getting a 30,000yen ticket/impound. Problem: There are relatively no motorcycle parking lots in Tokyo so you have to pay the 200yen($2USD) per 20 minute stay of an regular automobile parking lot. Ouch.

Wow, so they're moving in the same direction as Toronto, where every scooter needs a full-size parking spot. Of course, anyone who wants to ride a scooter also needs a motorcyclist's license.

Thanks for the update.