japanese maple in the wrong position

This was in the garden when I moved in last spring. It wasn't well placed under a corkscrew willow and although it did provide some nice colour last year it doesn't bear a lot of leaves.

This year the branches could be a foot longer and my wife can't get to the washing line. I've looked at pruning but It looks like the pruning needed would leave it even sadder

I've put in a last spring photo and a today picture. This has driven me bonkers as they wouldn't upload at all and now I can't remove the "every images" with no cancel button. So there are just the two photos the rest duplicateing them selves

 

It actually looks ok to me in the first picture.
Of the two I'd get rid of the willow, but that is just my choice.

Maybe move the washing line.

 

Could you crown-lift the willow to give the Japanese maple more light and allow better access to the washing line? Are the trees in a north-facing position?

 

Thank you. well my wife (and I also) loves the willow, the birds use it as cover for the feeders and we have had tits nesting both years we have been here. I'm not sure what crown lifting is.

We had it pruned back in the autumn last year.

They are south facing , but the garden is screened by trees at the bottom which doesn't let a lot of light through. It is therefore more of a woodland garden

 

A woodland garden for nature is a lovely thing, @berarde. I am trying to have a similar garden. I was wondering if you could prune off strategic boughs from the willow (any lower ones that are potentially causing too much shade on the j.maple, or that are a bit in the way of the washing line).

Oh I see, so the garden as a whole is east-facing then, if I have understood correctly.

 

I think you just have to prioritise - what's the most important thing to you in the space you have.
If you can relocate the washing, as @pete suggests [maybe get a whirly instead of a line] then the shrub and tree can just stay there.
If they're south facing, that can be less ideal for the acer than the willow, as acers benefit from a little shade, especially with the new foliage in spring and summer which can get frozen, then fried, although the reds cope better in general with both of those. However, if they're happy as they are, then that's fine, and the only problem would be if the trees at the far end aren't yours, as you'd have no control over what happens with them.
Raising the willow crown - which just means removing the lower branches to allow more light in, may not work well as it could look odd.

 

The acer certainly looks miserable. I think it is starved of moisture and nutrients by the willow. If you are not too attached to the acer, dig a circle around it as big as possible, lift the root ball with as little disturbance as possible and give it to a friend or family member. They are fairly shallow rooting so it shouldn't be too difficult. Acers need semi shade, moist soil and acidic to neutral soil.