We'd seen the late Edo diamond-shaped tiles set in white all over Japan from Kyoto to Hagi, but we wanted to check out Matsuzaki were there are over 200 of these buildings preserved in a whole district...
This traditional style is called Namako-kabe - it's just square tiles of basalt or slate set diagonally in plaster. Very dramatic.
The Big Persimmon.
It was a grey day and with the monochrome buildings fruit and flower colours were enhanced without need of Photoshop!
The better houses have stucco plaster details called kote-e.
We made our way to the Izu Chohachi Art Museum...
Irie Chohachi (1815 - 99) executed fresco and stucco plaster-work of unimaginable detail. Every hair on the girl or horse, every fibre in the rope was rendered in plaster coloured with rock minerals. The only way to appreciate it fully was to use the provided magnifying glass!
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