Japan based Photoblog http://www.sushicam.com This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. Sometimes life is just too funny. Weve all had one of those days when nothing goes your way. When it would have been much more productive to just stay in bed with a 14 pound bag of Oreos, a haunch of beef jerky, and a couple of quarts of eggnog and spend the day increasing your body fat index while watching back to back re-runs of Threes Company. Luckily these types of days, when the entire deck seems to be stacked against us, do not happen to often. But the next time it does I want you to think about the next few examples of irony, and maybe it will help you get through your rough time. http://www.sushicam.com/2006/January/060121/060121.php Despite waking up yesterday with what felt like the beginnings of a cold, I went to Enoshima anyway to see the Annual Mikoshi Festival that takes place each January. I provided all the gory details in my previous writeup on this subject, so Ill not go into too many of the specifics here. The waves were a lot larger this year, so they did not carry the Mikoshi too far into the ocean. But, I was able to grab some video of the event this time. Check out the clip here http://www.sushicam.com/2006/January/060115/060115.php In my last update I wrote briefly about finding a new direction for Sushicam. This is not to say that what I have been doing with Sushicam is going to end, but after nearly 6 years I think I am starting to run out of steam. Maybe its that I am not living out in town anymore, or I have just been there, and done that. But for whatever reason, there are times when I feel like I have to make an update rather than wanting to do it. I find no difficulty with posting fresh photos, but the writing seems to be a little bit harder to generate than it used to be. So, to remedy this situation where the quality and quantity of my writing seems to be fading I have decided to take the next logical step in the evolution of Sushicam. http://www.sushicam.com/2006/January/060109/060109.php Like most Holiday Season revelers one of my favorite New Years Eve pass times is to watch people knock each others teeth out. Let me back up bit. http://www.sushicam.com/2006/January/060104/060104.php I'm planning a trip up to Akita, Iwate, and Miyagi prefectures this coming February. It seems there are a whole bunch of winter festivals taking place all in the same week so it is a great chance for me to cover a lot of ground in a very short time as I start to explore Northern Japan. I'm really looking forward to it. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/December/051229/051229.php Besides all the good times with family and friends, another great thing about the holiday season is the fact that the office is much more quiet than normal. This will allow me to get a lot of filing work done this coming week and catch up on all the things I have had to put on the back burner. Im sure most of you are just as busy as I am at this time of year. So instead of boring you with some senseless drivel I will instead cut this post short so we can all get back to enjoying this Holiday season with our friends and families. Merry Christmas everyone. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/December/051226/051226.php I once heard an elderly man get asked how he felt about getting another year older. Without missing a beat he replied, It sure beats the alternative now doesn't it? Quite a good way to look at it if you think about it. After all, what is a year other than some unit of time arbitrarily assinged to mark how much time it takes for the Earth to once revolve around the sun. I guess thats how I feel about aging. You see, I turn 35 tomorrow, and to tell the truth, I don't feel a DAY over 34. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/December/051219/051219.php Last night I went to see the film Memoirs of a Geisha, or Sayuri as it is titled in Japan. Prior to seeing the movie I read a review in The Japan times that stated, Director Rob Marshall called it a fable in an effort to pre-empt possible criticism that he wouldnt know a geisha if she hit him in the face with her shamisen. I could not have summed it up any better. (Without even taking into account the fact that in Kyoto geisha are more accurately referred to as geiko) http://www.sushicam.com/2005/December/051216/051216.php Attention Jeff, the Captain has turned off the Holy crap your busy sign so feel free to get back to your normal blogging schedule. Yes, I do have to say that I have been inordinately busy for the past few weeks, attested to by the pathetic amount of updates I have posted over the past month. But things are starting to slow down again so I should be able to slip back into my normal pace of an update every three days or so. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/December/051211/051211.php Its hard to believe that another year has almost come and gone already. 2006 will be here before I know it and I would swear that someone removed a few months from my calendar this year if it were not for the fact that I can go through my own archive of posts here at Sushicam to see that indeed that time has passed. I think time really does speed up once you get a little older. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/December/051204/051204.php The wheel of the seasons continues to turn here in Japan and we are just about to the time of year where it has become necessary to wear a jacket in the evenings. A far cry from my winter experiences growing up on the planet Hoth (also referred to as the Upper Penninsula of Michigan). Yes, I think all these years of living in relatively warm climates (meaning standing water outdoors is normally not in solid form) has effectively made me a whimp when it comes to colder weather. So be it. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/November/051126/051126.php Due to Js excellent comment in the previous update about wondering what one of my photos would look like before I do my post processing I have provided for each of the ten images today an original version, straight out of the camera, with only a resizing done. Directly after this original version, you will find a photoshoped version of the same image. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/November/051122/051122.php You all might be interested to know that Mike, a new co-worker of mine that just moved to Japan, has started his own blog. Check it out to get another gaijins fresh perspective on things Japanese. Japan Years (Mikes Blog) -- The new Casio digital camera worked out well on my trip to Takayama. I didn't end up taking nearly as much video as originally planned, but from what I did take I have assembled a 5 minute 16 second movie. The file is 13.7 MB, so please be kind to my monthly bandwidth cap and download it to your hard drive if you plan on viewing it more than once. Takayama video 5:16, 13.7 MB -- I can't believe how many good photos I was able to take in Takayama and Shirakawa. My percentage of keepers is quite a bit higher than usual. I'm not sure how much of this is due to my new camera, or the fact that I was exploring somewhere totally new to me, or just that Takayama is a really beautiful place. Very similar to Kyoto in how photogenic it is. Similar yes, but a little bit different as well. Takayama feels a lot more... authentic. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/November/051117/051117.php Gifu Prefecture Rocks. Takayama was awesome. It was a very last-minute, totally unplanned trip for me, but it ended up that I chose a very good time to go there. The leaves (maples in particular) were in their full autumn glory. I'm not sure why, but my photo excursions usually are last-minute decisions on my part. I guss sometimes I just need to get away for a little while. And I am so glad I decided to go explore somewhere new instead of just deciding to go to Kyoto again. As much as I love Kyoto (It is still me favorite pace in Japan) Takayama and Shirakawa were just what I needed. I didn't have any time to do research before I left so the trip was mostly a seat-of-my-pants go-with-the-flow affair with a VERY lose schedule. And this approach seems to be the perfect vacation plan for me. Think about it. If you have no plan, then it is really hard to fall behind schedule... :) http://www.sushicam.com/2005/November/051114/051114.php The issue of who will ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan was brought to the forefront recently when the current Emperors cousin (Prince Tomohito) issued a statement stressing the importance of maintaining an all-male line of emperors. He was quoted as saying that instead of allowing a woman to assume the post it would be better if 1.) the practice of using concubines be brought back, or 2.) bring back a male from one of the family lines that were stripped of their nobility after the second world war. Is this guy smoking crack or what? http://www.sushicam.com/2005/November/051106/051106.php I currently have a couple of e-mail inquiries out to some Ryokan in Takeyama to see if I can snag a room for a few nights next week. If I get no response soon I'll just start calling, or beg my wife to do the calling for me, to secure a room for a few nights. Originally I was planning to go there this coming winter to get some shots of the snow covering the old buildings, but the changing of the leaves and the crisp autumn air has lit a fire under me to go out and take some pictures. I'll just get to go there twice. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/November/051101/051101.php Yes, you heard it here first. I'm not sure if these were made specifically to cater to Americans living on military bases in Japan, but I have yet to run into one of these things off base, so I think this may be the case. See the video clip As amusing as the English sounds, it really is an effective strategy to make you come back and buy more drinks in the future. It puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it, and what better way to improve your day than to get a shot of caffeine for your stomach and a smile on your face. I've got a ticket for a Queen concert this coming Saturday in Yokohama. 4th row, and I'm pretty excited about it. Too bad Freddy Mercury is not still with us, but even so, it looks to be a great show. I saw a TV add for the concert last week and right after that I zipped over to my local Lawson convenience store to get a ticket. While at Lawson I also noticed that Oasis will be coming to Tokyo in late November so I snagged a ticket for that show as well. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/October/051025/051025.php I spent this past weekend at Yokota air base doing another photo sale. (Seems like lately I have spent more time selling photos than taking them...) I drove up on Friday morning in order to get there for my appointed setup time of noon. It took me 2 leisurely hours to get everything ready for the next morning, after which I headed over to Burger King to grab some lunch. As much as I love BK, I am kind of glad they don't have one on the base where I work, otherwise I would be tempted to eat there a little too often. While in college I would always try to hit BK on Whopper Wednesdays when they were only 99 cents. I would usually grab two of them, drive home, plop myself down in front of the TV and devour both of them. Afterwhich, with a big smaile on my face, I would slip into a 3-4 hour coma as my stomach battled to process to bomb I had just sent its way. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/October/051018/051018.php It was a restful, yet productive, three day weekend. Sunday and Monday were spent installing some extra hard drives in my computer I now have 1.4 Terabytes of backup storage capacity! Mwaaaa! ...Mwaaaa!!... Mwaaaa!!!...., changing the water in the fish tank, cleaning the house, and last but not least, resting. On Saturday I spent the morning in Kamakura, making the rounds of the temples and shrines within easy walking distance of the station. Saturday evening was spent in Yokohama, getting some night shots. For photo gear I took the following with me: 5D, 17-40mm, 50mm, 70-300mm IS, and a 6 gigabyte microdrive. This turns out to be quite a versatile and compact setup that covers a very wide range. I am even impressed enough with the 70-300mm DO IS lens that I am thinking about selling my brand new 70-200mm f2.8 L IS as the 70-300 is a whole lot lighter and smaller than the 70-200. The longer I take pictures the more I have come to realize that having or using the absolute best or sharpest lenses doesn't really matter that much. The equipment itself really is secondary to what you do with it. Having said that, I do love my 5D. Full frame is an absolute joy to use, and it seems to bring out the best in all the lenses I have http://www.sushicam.com/2005/October/051011/051011.php It must be about time for Autumn to roll into Japan again. How can I tell you may ask. Is it the earthy scent of decaying leaves? Are the maple trees draped in their annual dazzling eruption of yellow and red before falling dormant for yet another long cold winter? Is it the sad wail of the yaki imo vendor as he makes his way through the neighborhoods each evening? The merry and sparkling song of the diminutive kerosene delivery trucks winding their way through the narrow streets? No. Rather, it is the blistering hot cans of beverages you now get from vending machines. There is a Dydo drink vending machine right outside of my office building and periodically I take a break to grab a can of hot green tea. But I guess come October 1 they cranked the thing into Winter-mode as the cans are now just shy of being the temperature that would melt aluminum. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/October/051007/051007.php The photo sale I had this past weekend went just about the same as the one I recently had at Atsugi. Needless to say I am pleased. I now get a two week break before my next sale which will take place at Yokota air base on the weekend of October 15th and 16th. But the really cool thing about this past weekend was that I got to get together with ConansOtosan, one of your fellow Sushicam readers/viewers. We met in Shinjuku on Friday afternoon and spent the rest of the day there taking a few photos, grabbing some sushi and putting away a fair number of beers. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/October/051003/051003.php My wait is now over. Not that any of you knew I was waiting for something, but believe me, the anticipation has been killing me. Almost 5 weeks ago I put myself on the waiting list to receive one of Canons new 5D digital SLRs. Well, Yodobashi Camera called yesterday to let me know that my 5D was ready to be picked up. The timing was almost perfect, and I was able to wrap up a couple of thing before I zipped up to Kamkiooka during lunch and wrapped my hot little hands around my new toy. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/September/050929/050929.php Japanese TV is quite a bit different from American TV. First of all, its done almost entirely in Japanese... (tries to keep a straight face...fails..) But that is not the real difference I am talking about. Compared to American TV shows, a lot of Japanese TV shows are done on a very low budget. But this does nothing to take away from their appeal. And in some ways, I think it even adds to it. Let me explain. As serious as the Japanese can seem to an outsider, they REALLY like to have a good time, and have a quite a sense of humor. And in particular, they really enjoy practical jokes. A show I am watching right now goes like this: A group of TV personalities, maybe 6 or 7 in total are in a TV studio with an audience. They have set up a practical joke targetting up and coming comedians. These guys are just famous enough to be easily recognized, but still have not hit it big and they all seem to be enjoying their new-found celebrity status. Being comedians, they are not famous because of their looks, and for the most part they are average looking, or maybe just a little below average. Heres the joke: http://www.sushicam.com/2005/September/050924/050924.php Were all the star of our own reality TV show. Let's just hope there are not too many re-runs. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/September/050920/050920.php It seems I struck a nerve with my last post about cell phones. Its funny how almost everyone feels the exact same way about them, yet we, as a society, are unable to curb our bad habits. -- I havent gone out and recorded any more environmental sounds recently, so as a cheap substitute here are a few minutes I recorded from the radio today. (FM Yokohama) Not very original, or interesting, but I have the bandwidth to burn now so I figured, what the hell. -- This weekend I have a photo sale at Naval Air Facility Atsugi. This will be my first time to have a photo sale at Atsugi so I hope it all goes well. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/September/050915/050915.php Talk about a busy week. Work piled up so badly on me that in addition to working late last night (Friday) I also had to go in and work all day today as well. Ill have to do some more work on Sunday but it cant be helped, deadlines are deadlines. I'm just glad this only happens a few times a year, otherwise it could really cut into my photography time. Part of the reason things got so busy was because I took some time off last week, but it is also getting close to the end of the fiscal and this is always a busy time for me. (In addition to the regular environmental engineering and management stuff I do I am also the resident bean counter for my office) http://www.sushicam.com/2005/September/050910/050910.php Kyoto was good. I always leave that place with a smile on my face, a beer in my hand, and a whole new set of memories. It is always a nice trip, but after going there so frequeently I am now starting to have a more difficult time finding new places to explore. I hate to keep going to the same places over and over, so I have pretty much covered Kyoto. (AS far as I know anyway...I hope I am wrong) One new thing I did this time was to see the "Ukai" (Cormorant Fishing). Very cool indeed. I got plenty of pictures, but the lighting was really poor so it will take a little bit of work on my part to get some of the shots ready for posting. Definitely something worth taking the time to see though. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/September/050905/050905.php If you ever get a chance to go to the Awa Odori Matsuri in Koenji, by all means go. It is one of the better Matsuri I have seen and is absolutely loaded with colorful dress, music, dancing, food, beer, and people having a really good time. (No doubt with a little help from all that free-flowing beer...) Sound Clip But if you plan on getting some pictures, make sure you show up early. It gets extremely crowded during the actual parade. So unless your 7 foot 4, and don't mind stepping on some people, you will likely not be able to see very much. But all hope is not lost for you photographers out there. The dance teams practice their steps on the side streets for a few hours leading up to the main event and it is those side street performances that provide the best photo ops. http://www.sushicam.com/2005/August/050828/050828.php http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=JPsushicam