Blue-tiled roofs of Japan

Photo: Carol Tulpar

When I first came to Vancouver many years ago, tiled roofs were a rarity. Now there are many: mostly red and gray.

Red tiled roofs on white buildings against blue sky evoke the Mediterranean countries. Blue roof tiles are relatively rare.

The first time I saw blue tiled roofs was from the rain-dappled windows the the Shinkansen, the bullet train between Tokyo and Kyoto.

Along with the view of Mt. Fuji at sunset from outside Yokohama, the memory of those blue roofs passing by the train window is one of the lushest images I carry of the Japanese countryside.

When I saw this blue-tiled roof in White Rock, I had to photograph it, for the sake of the memories it called up.