• I got married and went to the French Polynesian for my honeymoon
• started my own photography business
• become addicted to Twitter
• fell into koiwai milk coffee depression
• started preparing to giving photography tours of Japan
• caught up with friends and family
• tried ton katsu in just about every Japanese restaurant in my area and was disappointed every time.
• as much as I miss teaching, traveling, living in Japan, I never want to live there again
• as much as I never want to live in Japan again, I want to visit as much as I can afford (strange huh?)

Those are the main highlights that I can think of. I still have a lot of images from Japan to post on this site, but recently all my time and energy has gone to my wife, family and my photography business. Hopefully I will update again… within a year!

3rd Prize:
Geo Peter

2nd Prize:
Risparmiainrete

Grand Prize:
gLf

Congratulations to the winners and please contact me about how to get your prize!

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Edited on February 25th.
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Here is the latest forecast from Tenki.jp! Looks like things will be a little early this year with Tokyo and Kyoto around March 25th.

If you are just visiting Japan for a limited amount of time, Kawasaki should probably not make your shortlist of places to see in Tokyo/Japan, but if you are living in Japan, there are two reasons why you might wanna check out Kawasaki: Kawasaki Daishi and something that is probably not safe for work, Kanamara Matsuri (The Steel Phallus Festival 金まら祭り).

Occurring once a year in April, Kanamara Matsuri, commonly referred to by foreigners as “The Penis Festival,” is the other reason why you might be persuaded to head over to Kawasaki. Like I mentioned already and you can probably guess by the name, this isn’t exactly something you should be searching the internet for at work! In any case, I have a detailed report of Kanamara Matsuri if you are interested in it (not x-rated and no real nudity, just a lot of phallic stuff and some implied gestures).

For more information about Kawasaki, take a look at the Official Kawasaki City site for more information.

Prizes:
There will be 3 prizes. Grand Prize is $209 by way of PalPay. 2nd Prize will get two 8×10″ photos of your choice from my gallery and 3rd Prize will get one 5×7″ photo of your choice from my gallery.

Rules/Requirements:
The contest will last until Saturday, March 28th 2009, 11:59pm EST (I will check the time of the comments), unless I do not have at least 200 entries and if that happens I will extend the contest until I get 250 entries (don’t think this will be a problem though). Most importantly….

You have to leave a comment so I know how you entered. No comment = no entries, no exceptions. Also, if you win the Grand Prize, you must have/sign up for a PalPay account (it’s free). PayPal is the only way I can pay the winner.

There is no maximum for number of entries and the winner will be selected using Random.org If you entered my last contest by adding links, you are still eligible for this one for adding the same links, as long as the links are still there AND you leave a comment on this post to let me know.

How to enter:
Get one entry for doing each/any of the following:

• Add the following link to your blogroll: Photography of Evan Pike
• Add the following link to your blogroll: Japan Daily Photo
• Subscribe by email to my feed using the following link: Subscribe to Japan Photo Guide by Email (make sure pop up blocker is off or it may not work)
• Digg, Stumble or use any other social sharing service to share a post from Japan Photo Guide. Up to two entries maximum for this one.

Get three entries for doing each/any of the following:

• Add the following link to your blogroll: Evan Pike Photography Blog
• Add the following link to your blogroll: Babibubebo Friends
• Add the following link to your blogroll: Japan Photo Guide

Get five entries for doing each/any of the following:

• Write a short blog entry about this contest and link back here.
• Write a short blog entry about any photo of mine from the gallery at Photography of Evan Pike. To get a copy of the photograph, click the “Share Photo” button which is above the photos in the galleries, then click on “get a link” for different size options.
• Write a short blog entry about any previous post on Japan Photo Guide and link back to the post you found it on. You can even write one disagreeing with me if you want.
• Write a short blog entry about any previous post on Evan Pike Photography Blog and link back to the post you found it on.
• Spend less than $10 at Photography of Evan Pike.

Get 10+ entries for doing each/any of the following:

• Spend more than $10 at Photography of Evan Pike for 15 entries. Buy any photograph, gift item (like a cup, magnet, puzzle, and so on) or combination of both and for every $10 you spend, you get 15 entries. Spend $20, you get 30 entries!
• Contribute to Japan Photo Guide for up to 20 entries! You can write about any place in Japan or about Japanese culture…even if I have already wrote about it. You get 10 entries for just submitting it to me by email (not submitting it by comment but you still have to post a comment on this post to make sure I received your submission) and another 10 bonus entries if your post is good and I decide it makes the cut. I may or may not use it before the contest is over, but if I accept it, whether I post it before or after the contest ends, you will still get the 20 entries. 150 word minimum, MUST BE YOUR OWN ORIGINAL WRITING, photographs not necessary and by submitting to me, you agree to let me use and post it here on Japan Photo Guide. You will be given credit and a link if you have something you want me to link to.

Good luck with the contest, check back for updates and let me know if you have any questions!

Shīsā (シーサー) (Okinawan: siisaa) (alternative spelling shishi or shisaa) is a traditional Ryukyuan decoration, often found in pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawa mythology. Many people put a pair of shisa on their rooftops or flanking the gates to their houses. Shisa are wards, believed to protect from various evils. When found in pairs, the shisa on the left traditionally has a closed mouth, and the one on the right an open mouth. The open mouth to ward off evil spirits, and the closed mouth to keep good spirits in.

Originally pairs like these were called “shisa and guardian dogs”: the right with its mouth opened is the guardian, the left with its mouth closed is the shisa. Some people believe that one is male and the other is female, and provide various justifications for which is which; for example, “the female has her mouth shut as she should” or “the male has his mouth shut to hold in all the family’s good fortune”. (Compare this to the distinction between male and female guardian lions in Chinese culture.)

The shisa, like the koma-inu (lion dogs), is a variation of the guardian lions (”fu dogs”) from China. The shisaa, or lion dog, is an Okinawan cultural artifact. In magic typology, they might be also be classified as gargoyle beasts. They are traditionally used to ward off evil spirits.

You will see these for sale just about everywhere you go in Okinawa and while there are a lot that seem to be mass produced, you can find some that are unique and made by local artists that put their personal touch on their work. My personal favorite are the shisa by Mitsuo, his gallery is called Shisa Mansion, or in Japanese シーサーマンション. Mitsuo’s Shisa Mansion gallery is in Japanese, but here is a link where you can see photos of his work. Below is the style I picked out.

Shisa Mansion

Of course Okinawa also has great snorkeling, scuba diving and seafood. Not to mention it has been heavily influenced by a few different cultures to make for an interesting and diverse atmosphere. Oh and they have this dish called taco rice, which after eating everything imaginable from the ocean during my stay in Japan, was more delicious than it probably really should have been. Even though I probably saw a few too many castles and didn’t go to the beach as much as I would have wanted to, I was really glad that Okinawa was the last place I visited before leaving Japan.

Here is some more general information about Okinawa, from Japan Guide.com:

Okinawa’s climate is subtropical, with temperatures barely falling below 15 degrees in winter. The seas surrounding Okinawa’s islands are considered among the world’s most beautiful with coral reefs and abundant marine wildlife. Consequently, snorkeling and scuba diving are among Okinawa’s top attractions.

The islands making up Okinawa Prefecture, are also known as the Ryukyu Islands, named after the native culture, which is distinctly different from that of the rest of Japan in terms of language, cuisine, arts, etc.

An independent kingdom and tributary state to China for several centuries, the Ryukyu Islands came under control of the Satsuma feudal fief (today’s Kagoshima Prefecture) in the 17th century, and were made a Japanese prefecture in 1879, accompanied by efforts to assimilate the native population. But despite these past efforts, the Ryukyuan culture survived and is now Okinawa’s other main attraction.

More of Okinawa coming soon!