JAPAN 2004/09 archtrltopic from Kyoto and Tokyo  
     
     
things we don't understand (part 2145)    
     
 
     
 
     
 
so, did you guess what those are for?
the solution is: they protect the walls from pee
     
     
" two-legged dogs don't pee here (the four-legged still may, though) "    
     
 
another tactic: no human being, if sober or drunk, will sully the holy shinto-gate. No one will pee here. (Except dogs..)
 
     
     
"against cat pee"??..???    
     
 

strange explanation for those water-bottles that you see in every town (mostly in residential areas)

don't really believe it.
more coherent would be a context with the danger of eartquakes and fires

- but we don't know...