We are moving offices in a few months. The great view of Mt. Fuji will be replaced by a different view.
Fortunately, Fuji-san finally came out and I happened to have my camera (Configuration: Canon 5D Mark III, 50mm f/1.2, shot handheld HDR).
The rest of the view. At the bottom is a huge cemetery. I need to get there.
If you look into the background, you will notice that Tokyo is ringed by mountains.
I will miss the sunsets ……
The sun is here.
A few strong climbing roses.
On a different tangent, they have the oddest names for hair salons in Tokyo. I have yet to figure out how these two words relate to cutting hair (smile).
The Tokyo baseball pre-game workout in Minato-ku.
I cannot imagine standing in a circle, holding hands and bouncing up and down to the cadence of a random teammate with people on my hockey team … ever.
Once the cherry and plum blossoms are gone, the Japanese cities explode with Azaleas. They are everywhere. 5 shots from around town via my Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 50mm f/1.2.
High on an embassy wall.
After the rain.
Sure, you can find “different” things in those out of the way shops in North America. What we would consider “different” in Canada is the mundane in Japan, even common.
At Tokyu Hands (best described as a big craft, DYI and everything in between store), you wander from the mundane to unique in moments.
On a Sunday we had to get craft supplies for my son’s science project. Here are a few things that caught my eye (I had my 5D with me as we were heading over to Yoyogi afterwards).
The street outside the store. Busy, busy.
This diorama of a kitchen is valued at …. wait for it … $3500. You can almost smell the rice. Who would buy it? Not sure. Remarkable detail.
This one made me laugh out loud. After all, how can marketing “Girl und Panzer” not be a winner? Right? (far right side of box in English)
Who feels it necessary to buy these for the house? Not sure. But they are “Home Sign’(s).
Japanese people LOVE their dogs. I mean LOVE. So much so, that they dress them up non-stop. For that special pooch in your life, look not farther than Tokyu Hands my friends.
Check out http://doggiespotting.org for some great Tokyo dog shots and their crazy outfits.
I am not sure why you would buy these coloured specimens, but there is lots of choice .. although they are not cheap. Our boys were looking at the bottom shelf, which had the $400 specimens.
This is from the popular mobile game Touch Detective Mushroom Garden. I found it disturbing.
Always an adventure.
Through the gate lies tradition. This little outpost has a group of people living the “old way”. I do not know the difference from others as we did not have an opportunity to see how contemporary Balinese live, but here are a few shots. (Canon 5D Mark III, armed with my 28-70mm f/2.8).
Through every gate lies a new visual experience.
Of course, a family temple. Decorated and ready for a festival.
A simple shot. A Balinese home.
He smiled as he carved.
In the middle of the country, in a little town with a name I did not know. Just another town along the road and another breathtaking temple, built by locals over hundreds of years. Famous? No. Breathtaking? Yes.
A lot of the gates had lions. I wonder why?
The owner of this scooter was no where to be seen. Because it was about to rain again … hard.
This shot gives you a sense of this rural Balinese village temple. It is huge and multi-sectioned .. and yes, about to rain.
Deity carvings were everywhere.
And many of the carvings were decorated.
The intricacies of this door are remarkable.
It was the entrance on this kori agung gate (roofed) with a candi bentar gate beside it (right).
And the detail across the temple caught the eye at every turn.
They had not gotten out all of the decorations yet, but were starting.
Truly amazing. So much care and beauty .. in a remote location. One of a thousand temples, that will never be famous.
Glad we stopped. And thanks for stopping by.
As mentioned, Bali is filled with temples. It is a Hindu province in a predominantly Muslim Indonesia. The notion of the Balinese temple is very different than the traditional Christian North American or European geography, where there is a church in a small village. In Bali, temples are every few meters.
There are large temples, small temples, village temples, temples near bridges, temples in the middle of the jungle, temples in homes. They are everywhere. We had selected Gunung Kawi as the temple we would visit.
It was getting later in the day and as we approached it started to rain. Hope was high that it would pass. Our driver explained what to do; you must acquire a sarong which can be rented at the temple for a dollar or buy one. We made our way to the entrance and were accosted by some very motivated sellers. $15 later we had 4 very nice sarongs. There are very strict on this cultural tradition. Configuration: Canon 5D Mark III and 28-70mm f/2.8.
Alas, the weather was not cooperating. It rained harder.
We made our way down to the temple (275 steps) … and then after a wait, headed back. It was not lifting. We were at the end of the day and began our trek home. After 30 minutes the rain lifted and we stopped as a “temple” was on the to-do list. This time the bathing temple, 9th century Goa Gajah:
At the façade of the cave is a relief of various menacing creatures and demons carved right into the rock at the cave entrance. The primary figure was once thought to be an elephant, hence the nickname Elephant Cave. The site is mentioned in the Javanese poem Desawarnana written in 1365. An extensive bathing place on the site was not excavated until the 1950s.[2] These appear to have been built to ward off evil spirits.
The weather cooperated.
As a Canadian I always marvel at the age of things. This temple is very old.
A step down to the water.
The mouth to the elephant cave, a sanctuary.
We did not linger. The storm had caught up …….
As I mentioned in a previous post, driving in Bali is different than in South American countries. In Bali every meter has some form of life jammed into it. I don’t know how to describe the press of humanity, at every corner and every meter. We just stared out the window and watched as scene after scene passed by. A few observations ….
You would see bottles of Vodka or other large glass alcohol containers at the front of many stores. It is not Vodka, it is petrol. I saw very few gas stations except in the more modern towns. Correction, these are the gas stations.
As in most 3rd world countries, their use of the scooter was impressive.
And helmets were discretionary, as were the number of passengers.
Surprised to see a little bit of Canada, on a remote road. Life insurance anyone?
The shops are visually fascinating with ornate carvings, huge pieces of wood for tables and the most amazing doors.
We were feeling extra safe at our hotel (Westin Nusa Dua) as there was a big conference going on. There were military and police everywhere.
I understand that a few different Presidents were in town, with impressive motorcades.
One morning we took a walk outside of the tourist campus (As you can see above, very clean and well manicured). The economic collapse has hit Bali also.
I stopped at this abandoned shopping complex to take a few shots.
Things are tough all over.
As we drove through the countryside of Bali we watched the people preparing for the Hindu festival of Galungan. Our driver explained that this festival is as important to the Hindu’s as Christmas is to Christians.
Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremonies. The spirits of deceased relatives who have died and been cremated return to visit their former homes, and the current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebrations are the penjor – bamboo poles weighed down by offerings suspended at the end. These can be seen by the side of roads. A number of days around the Kuningan day itself have special names, with particular activities being organized.[2]
Driving through Bali is very different than in South/Central America. It seems like every meter along the road was filled with homes, villages and shops; all preparing for the big festival.
All along the roads were these ornate decorations, lining the way while hundreds of people laboured in front of their homes to make them.
This temple was across from the coffee plantation.
When I looked at this temple I thought “wow, it must be a special place”. But my perception was wrong, it was no more special than thousands of other Hindu temples that are scattered everywhere.
The Balinese take their temples seriously, spending copious amounts on building temples everywhere; on roads, attached to villages, in the centre of villages, randomly located in a remote jungle location or in their homes, as the quality of the temple in your home is a statement of wealth.
This spectacular and ornate temple was no different than the others.
And it was unlocked, welcoming any visitors. Too bad it was raining or I would have gone in.
A few weeks ago we were notified of a fire drill that would happen in our apartment building. In Canada (or anywhere else), a fire drill involves a bell ringing, walking outside and then back in.
Not in Tokyo. In Tokyo it is a major event. The fire department arrives with a fire truck and what looked like half of the fire department. They walk us through what to do during a fire or earthquake and then walk us through how to use the fire extinguishers. The little kids in the building JUMPED at the chance to try them out.
When it comes to process and preparation, no one matches the Japanese. After marvelling at their preparation, I could not help but feel better prepared. Although, I was disappointed that they didn’t bring the earthquake simulation truck.
A few days before we had arrived at the Elephant Safari Park, a baby was born. She was shy.
I had to wait around for 5 minutes before she finally sneaked out for a few minutes from her mother’s protective care. She walked with a wobble (smile).
Took one look and trotted back to her mom.
The elephant has the most beautiful eyes.
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There is a soul piercing intelligence peering back, as you stare deep into their eyes.
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Beautiful.
There are two types of parks in Bali, the larger zoo-like park and the more remote Elephant Safari Park.
We chose the second. The notion of elephants in captivity is a tough one, but the facility covers their conservation focus throughout their brochures and website. For animals that would love to be free but are facing extinction and an ever shrinking habitat, this becomes a second best choice.
The facility is beautiful, clean and they clearly take good care of the elephants.
As with everything in this country, the North American notions of “behind the glass” and “at a safe distance” are not in play. At the restaurant you stand behind a waist high fence and get the opportunity to greet the elephants.
It was a moving experience to stand at the foot of such a huge, and majestic animal.
This shot pretty much say it all. I was in awe.
What a truly unique place. To stand beside such a beautiful creature is a true privilege.
This fellow had it all going on. He was driving barefoot, had things dangling everywhere in the taxi, 2 CB radios and no less than 10 cell phones; not a single one manufactured after 2007 or 2008.
I had gotten into quite an eclectic taxi.
I smiled when I looked over the seat. He had a lot of things plugged in.
Is it the best coffee?
The prices would indicate that it needs to be. At the plantation 200g of coffee is $100USD. In town, 50g of beans is $150USD.
It is a great experience on the farm, starting with a full tasting of their coffees, tea and cocoa. There is a pineapple coffee, and a host of others topped off with amazing cocoa.
They then ask if you would like to buy a cup of Civet coffee for $5USD a glass. It struck me as humorous that people pay $5 multi-times a day for a simple Starbucks. We ordered 3. They bring out a “made in Japan” coffee brewing system, that looks intriguing to me.
The water slowly moves up into the container above and then filters back down.
The pour.
I normally drink my coffee with a little cream and honey.
In this case, it seemed heresy to try it with something in it, so I drank the Civet coffee straight up. It was smooth, bold and surprisingly, without any bitter aftertaste.
Is it the best coffee in the world? It might just be.
I am curious what others think .. have you had it? Do you consider it the world’s best coffee bean? If not .. what is?
Thanks for dropping in.
One of our stops in Bali was a coffee plantation that serves Civet coffee, or Kopi Luwak coffee.
The coffee is made from coffee berries that have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet, excreted and processed.
Producers of the coffee beans argue that the process may improve coffee through two mechanisms, selection and digestion. Selection occurs if the civets choose to eat coffee cherries containing better beans. Digestive mechanisms may improve the flavour profile of the coffee beans that have been eaten. The civet eats the berries for the beans’ fleshy pulp, then in the digestive tract, fermentation occurs. The civet’s proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids.[2] Passing through a civet’s intestines the beans are then defecated with other fecal matter and collected.
I love coffee. I am on my 2nd Jura and I start each day by making cappuccinos for myself and Narda. On Saturday and Sundays I usually follow that up with an espresso.
We arrived at Luwak Civet Coffee Farm in the rain. It really isn’t a farm, it is retail establishment with a tour, coffee tasting and the opportunity to buy Civet coffee. I had my Canon 5D Mark III with the 28-70mm for the tour.
The grounds are beautiful. Coffee berries enjoying the rain.
Oh durian, you sweet smelling fruit … and acquired taste. They clearly enjoy it on the plantation.
There were a couple of these around the farm; they are bee hives made of animal hair.
Looking out on the jungle, I was amazed at how thick it is. My son hypothesized that the lack of farmable land was a key contributor to the economic differentiation between Europe/NA and countries such as Bali … The AP history class is going well.
The plantation had displays of the coffee as it progresses through the processing stages. I did not see the Civet excrement separation stage.
Is it the world’s best coffee? Next post …. And thanks for dropping by!
The Bali Bird Park is also filled with flowers and a few very interesting animals. The only Komodo Dragon I have ever seen is through a very, very thick glass at a zoo.
This fellow was a few meters away. Amazing that they are so fast that they can catch and eat a deer.
Everyone else had moved on so I was the only one standing there. He just slowly turned his head and stared at me … not blinking. I wonder what he was thinking?
Scattered through the park are beautiful bushes and flowers. Sharing a few photos of a beautiful, sunny day.
In Canada it is so hard to grow flowers like this. They are often cut and only stay beautiful for a few days. In the jungle, they are everywhere.
The commonly beautiful.
We had to see the birds in Bali, therefore the Bali Bird Park was on our “to-do” list.
Like the other wildlife, you get to interact with the birds and they are very close. A few shots to enjoy. This outings configuration was the Canon 5D Mark III with the 70-200mm f/2.8.
I love the colors of tropical birds, like these Wreathed Hornbills.
This Australian fellow is a bit homely. Sorry buddy.
Lots of water birds.
Vibrant.
This bird can kill you. Dead. Meet the Cassowary.
He/she (I cannot tell) was unimpressed by my camera.
I found the red .. intestine looking markings on the back of their necks rather disturbing.
At the entrance to the park are a few parrots. I was watching this fellow and it is almost like he looked at me and decided to show off. He slowly maneuvered upside down and then flipped his legs into this position. This is not a natural parrot position.
And of course, a tourist experience isn’t complete without a “birds hanging on me” photo. The bright red parrot pooped on my shoulder (smile).
Worth visiting. Thanks for dropping by.
Meet one of the most highly debated fruits. Is it good? Is it awful? Does it smell? (no contest).
For those outside of Asia … Durian:
Regarded by many people in southeast Asia as the “king of fruits”, the durian is distinctive for its large size, strong odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow as large as 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.
The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour that is strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as pleasantly fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and revolting. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine, raw sewage, and gym socks. The persistence of its odour has led to the fruit’s banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia.
Before we started our rice field hike we stopped at a little restaurant at the top. They cracked a few fresh coconuts, cut up some pineapple and offered durian. We had to try it.
This fruit is so smelly that in Singapore they have signs on public transit that say “No hazardous chemicals, explosives, food or durian”. I have been told that if you bring a durian into a government building there is a $5,000 fine.
I have also been told that the “pungency” varies highly between countries and that if left to ferment, it makes a strong alcohol drink. We had to try it.
Verdict: I didn’t spit it up.
It tasted keroseney to me (is that a word?). Not a favourite, but I can mark it off the list .. tried. I do think that it is one of the coolest looking fruits, and it may even look like “the King of the fruits”.
Bali is a lush and beautiful country and one of the “must do’s” is to stop at a small town with the rice fields new Ubud. You look out on the river flowing through the terraced fields .. and all you see is green. As viewed through a Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 28-70mm f/2.8, mostly shot in handheld HDR.
You hike down one side, cross a bridge and hike back up to the other side. Along the way there are a few farmers collecting “donations” .. donation 1 was at the bridge.
It is quite steep.
Row upon row of rice, with carefully crafted ledges around each terrace to keep the water in.
And a simple mode of getting the water from level A to level B.
What is at the top of the hill?
Nothing but a great view of this spider, who is almost impossible to spot .. even after I edited the photo to bring out highlights and confirm that she/he was the focus point.
A great hike.
We stopped at an Art shop while touring in Bali. We bought a piece (a rice field), and I am sure that we overpaid. You always leave wondering how much should I have paid? But we loved the piece so such is life. The price of art is all relative.
The good thing is that we were first in and their culture is all about making sure that the first people buy as they believe that it influences the day. If you buy, they will have a good day. If you don’t buy, it will be a bad day.
As I bought, he let me take a few photos of the shop. As Galungan was quickly approaching, they we decorating everything.
A distinctly Balinese form of art (that we did not buy, but was interesting to look at) below. Reminds me of a “where is Waldo?”
In Bali, temples are everywhere and people who have the wealth, invest in family temples within their homes. At the art shop, they were decorating their temple for the festival.
Parasols are a common decoration.
The Balinese go all out.
A wonderful time of the year.
For the Mt. Batur part of our Bali trip we did not hike the volcano (another time), but we had lunch at the base. It is a beautiful sight.
The view from the restaurant.
Glad we didn’t hike it. We would have gotten soaked. A storm was on the way in.
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The rain hit just was we stopped for fruit at this stand.
The colors were spectacular, even under a very grey and growing black sky.
If you are in Bali, make sure that you try all of the different fruits. Some will surprise you and you probably won’t see them again.
It is hard to plan a trip to a country that you have never been to when you live in a country where no one speaks English. We asked questions, read reviews and researched through Tripadvisor and Lonely Planet .. with a final itinerary as follows …
We booked a car with Sila Tours (Highly recommended. They are not tour guides, but $55 a day for a new van and a driver is fantastic) and set out a rough goal of seeing these things:
This is more than we normally do as we definitely do not subscribe to the “as much as you can” philosophy. We like to do less, but really enjoy where we are. As most of these were nature trips, the learning/history element (which is time consuming) was not as big a factor.
Many people stay in Ubud, we stayed in Nusa Dua which meant driving through the traffic laden streets. In other countries that would be an issue, but not in Bali as the countryside is fascinating. I was enthralled looking out the window as we went from town to town. The people, the shops, the never ending temples on every street corner and at every house. Fascinating. I would have loved to spend more time wandering through small village streets.
My only mistake was that I should not have relied on the driver to help us order the trip over the 2 days that we toured as their sense of time and directions is a little deceiving. When I would ask “how far to the next place” I always got the answer “30 minutes”. 30 minutes later I would ask for an update and get “20 more minutes”.
If you are heading there, enjoy. Great place.
This has been an odd winter. A couple weeks of warm weather meant that the trees began to blossom 2 weeks early. With our family heading to Bali for March break, we were essentially missing the season.
Plus the temperature has dropped again. But we did get out on Sunday to Yoyogi park in an attempt to see the blossoms before they are gone. Sure enough, the park was filled with young revellers enjoying a picnic and drink below the blossoms. A lot of revellers. A lot of drink. Shooting Canon 5D Mark III with my 28-70mm f/2.8.
They all looked cold. 
I found the lighting difficult to shoot – it was so grey and gloomy.
Many were in unique outfits, which candidly, is not that unique in Tokyo .. and no longer very surprising. I liked the zombie theme.
This is much more traditional Japanese.
OK, this fellow was a little surprising.
These folks actually had a sign up that said “No photographs” in English. Sure, go out in public dressed like that at Yoyogi Park and demand no photographs .. isn’t going to happen. People were lined up.
Oh, almost forgot, the blossoms ….
As it is the end of the season, they fall and make a beautiful pink carpet.
I wish they were around a little longer. It was grey, overcast and 9C.
Beautiful. Thanks for dropping by.
The Sacred Monkey Forest in Bali is a truly amazing place, one of the most interesting that we have ever been at:
The Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal is owned by the village of Padangtegal. Village members serve on the Sacred Monkey Forest’s governing council (The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation). The Padangtegal Wenara Wana Foundation has historically strived to develop and implement management objectives that will both maintain the sacred integrity of the monkey forest and promote the monkey forest as a sacred site that is open to visitors from around the world.
The Sacred Monkey Forest is a series of paths that cut through the jungle, encompassing 3 temples and hundreds of macaques with staff spread on the paths selling bananas. A tourist mecca. There are many different reviews of this place, but my TripAdvisor review will give it 5 stars and call it out as one of the most unique places I have ever been. Yes, the monkeys can be ill-mannered – as this is the wild, with no control.
I loved shooting here, interacting with the long tail macaques. This little fellow kept my attention, when we first arrived. Same configuration, Canon 5D Mark III, and luckily I had my 70-200mm f/2.8.
He was just looking around … enjoying a banana.
And look at how white his teeth are. Really enjoying that banana.
Those eyes ….
I could have watched him all day. As you walk the path there are monkeys everywhere.
This fellow made me smile. He found a remote place to enjoy his banana, away from the rabble … away from prying hands.
If you looked closely, you would see mothers and their children.
There was a group of mothers sitting above us, on a log.
I wonder what this fellow was thinking?
It is a beautiful place with temples scattered across the grounds.
A special place.
We pretty much missed the cherry blossoms in Tokyo as they are early this year and we were out of the country.
But it is worth it. A few photos from the Monkey Forest in Bali. Glad I put the 70-200m f/2.8 on the Canon 5D Mark III for this walking adventure.
A few close-ups. I was very close.
Just hanging out.
Very close.
They are cheeky little fellows.
I won’t be blogging this week .. But left a few shots of things that caught my attention in Tokyo. Sorry, iPhone configuration as the 5D was not with me.
This is how you fill 5 pots with herbs on your terrace when you own a mini in Tokyo. My SUV is back in Canada ….
This is a 3 colour bush beside an embassy in Tokyo. Some quality grafting.
I love the flower stalls in Tokyo. Spring has sprung, the streets are alive with colour.
Not sure why they wrote this in English on this Tokyo window, but I agree … “Peace”.
A bus parked outside an office building in Tokyo .. I don’t know why it is in English? (smile) It was a very “Japanese” neighbourhood. Traveling stomach x-rays anyone?
I was at a meeting at Canon and WISH I would have had my 5D to take some shots. Loved their old camera display .. Great cameras.
Last shot. No one in Japan wears bike helmets. The most amazing thing? Gaijin (like the guy in the middle) have adopted a “if you can’t beat them join ‘em” attitude abandoning the helmet.
Just amazing that you see everyone wearing helmets in North America and then they come here and stop. (Insert shaking head in bewilderment). The irony? He had a face mask on.
Thanks for stopping by. Posts resume Monday.
There are shrines everywhere in Tokyo. What I didn’t know is that many of them are family run, generations and generations.
Near us is a shrine with a wall around it. I have not gone in yet, and when I walked by on Equinox day it seemed closed (which is odd). I did hear drumming. I had to get going, and will return, but I snapped a few photos (usual configuration shooting handheld HDR). It looks like an interesting place for future exploration.
Love the flowering bushes in Tokyo.
The not yet “awoken” contrasted by the blooming.
The view over the fence.
In contrast to a hazy white sky.
Warrants more exploration.
It was Vernal Equinox Day on Wednesday this week.
Vernal Equinox Day (春分の日 Shunbun no Hi?) is a public holiday in Japan that occurs on the date of the Northward equinox in Japan Standard Time (the vernal equinox can occur on different dates in different timezones), usually March 20 or 21. The date of the holiday is not officially declared until February of the previous year, due to the need for recent astronomical measurements.
Vernal Equinox Day became a public holiday in 1948. Prior to that it was the date of Shunki kōreisai ( 春季皇霊祭?), an event relating to Shintoism. Like other Japanese holidays, this holiday was repackaged as a non-religious holiday for the sake of separation of religion and state in Japan’s postwar constitution.
Even though it is a non-religious holiday, many people visit their ancestor’s graves. I walked past a cemetery near our apartment that I wanted to visit .. and clicked off a few photos using my Canon 5D Mark III and my go-to lens: Canon 28-70mm f/2.8.
Pink peeking out behind the red.
The bell at the cemetery. People would walk up randomly and hit the bell, followed by a bow of respect.
A mix of very old, and very new graves.
Of course, people leave behind flowers.
The grave stones are all grey and covered in moss. Intermingled with shots of color from the fresh flowers.
A beautiful place.
Mount Fuji continues to elude me. Bring my camera, clouds role in. Don’t bring my camera .. clear as a bell. On this day I thought that Tokyo could double for Gotham city.
Shooting with my Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 28-70mm f/2.8. A mix of handheld HDRs and RAW.
The weather has been odd in Tokyo. I am told it was an extra cold winter, but that it is also warm earlier. This means the trees are blooming weeks earlier. As I walked home with the wind blowing, I clicked off a few pictures.
A school yard.
Walking a dark path. Not scary in Tokyo.
Trees in bloom.
Beautiful time in Tokyo.
In Japan, no one has a Social Insurance number. Somehow, the government tracks you based on your name and birth location. But with no number.
Now it has become a political issue, as people do not want to become a number in the system. There are 130M people in Japan … all known by their first and last name.
So far ahead, so far behind. Amazing.
The spring is here. It does not matter where I live (big house or small), I feel compelled to tinker. We have 5 pots on our deck that we will fill with herbs. So this weekend I put together an automatic sprinkler system for the pots. This way when the 45C Tokyo weather hits, I do not have to remember to water them.
A Tokyo hardware store is a journey. Imagine going into a place where you can read nothing …. a place filled with toy lawnmowers.
I had to figure everything out by sight. “This looks like a sprinkler head”
And of course, you have to park.
Always an adventure.
Last week I was at a meeting at the Happoen Garden. The conference center and gardens are beautiful. All of the trees are not in bloom yet, but they are started. Definitely on my Fall visit list.
Today’s configuration: Canon 5D Mark III, handheld HDRs, Canon EF 28-70mm f/2.8.
A beautiful open space right in the middle of Tokyo.
The cherry blossoms are beautiful.
I stood outside at lunch and took a conference call, snapping off a few shots as I listened.
Of course, a beautiful little shrine is tucked into the garden.
I am going to have to take the family back there.
I had to get up in the middle of the night to attend a call after the sandstorm. The sky was an eerie yellow. Supposedly the sand did come from China.
Unfortunately it has led to our learning about PM 2.5 and how Chinese pollution is effecting the region:
Atmospheric particulate matter – also known as particulates or particulate matter (PM) – are tiny pieces of solid or liquid matter associated with the Earth’s atmosphere. They are suspended in the atmosphere as atmospheric aerosol, a term which refers to the particulate/air mixture, as opposed to the particulate matter alone. However, it is common to use the term aerosol to refer to the particulate component alone.[1] Sources of particulate matter can be man made or natural. They can adversely affect human health and also have impacts on climate and precipitation. Subtypes of atmospheric particle matter include suspended particulate matter (SPM), respirable suspended particle (RSP;particles with diameter of 10 micrometres or less), fine particles, and soot.
In speaking with a colleague today he mentioned that when he was a child Tokyo was very polluted due to rapid industrial expansion. Over the years Japan has spent a huge amount of money to clean the air. I was surprised, as smog is not something that I have seen in Tokyo.
The weather has been up and down this week, cold and hot. On this hot day I happened to bring my camera and get a few shots off of Fuji-san and the Tokyo skyline.
A gorgeous sunset.
No smog ….
According to my language instructor as early as 20 years ago there was no word in Japan for accountability. In fact, the notion of accountability was one that the Japanese could not understand culturally. This was a difficult one for him to explain as I could not understand how the concept of the word was not present in the society, how do you trust someone? His explanation was that there was no need for this word as it was part of their societal norms, it was not required.
Fascinated, I kept questioning until he shared this story: When he was in the US, he was hired to teach Japanese at a school and was brought in front of the parents to explain how Japanese would help their children. The notion of having to explain to the parents was a very foreign experience for him, but required as the local taxpayers paid for the school’s programs. A parent stood up and said that he must be accountable for the money they are investing in him, to his bewilderment. He did not understand the word “accountable” and went home and looked it up in the dictionary. Even after reading it, he struggled with understanding the concept of individual accountability as it was not present in their culture.
In Japan it is all about about the group. That group pays taxes, contributes to society, lets the government lead (recently to their detriment) and think about the group over the individual. It is a homogeneous society (98.5% of the population is Japanese) where they all work together and the concept of rewarding the individual over the group remains foreign.
The downside to this thinking is that it may breed mediocrity, where the lower performers are protected by the group and higher performers are not individually rewarded as the society trends to a the middle. It also makes societal change such as women’s rights much harder to progress as it breeds a resistance to change.
The upside is that this notion is the epitome of the “golden rule”, where people take care of each other (Don’t get me started on the rich white “Christian” republican “cut taxes to line my own pocket” hypocrisy). It is the reason why I could leave my laptop on the train with a realistic expectation that I will get it back and walk around in Tokyo at 2am with almost no risk.
With the notion of the individual so strong in North America and the notion of group so strong in Japan, it is easy to see how misunderstanding can flourish if not carefully managed.
Fascinating for this Canadian socialist who is fine paying 45% taxes due to a sense of obligation to the group’s welfare.
In Japan, Valentines Day is not the same. Instead the day is called Giri choco day, roughly translated to “Obligation Chocolate day”. Women must give chocolate to their bosses and important men (husband, boyfriend) in their lives to thank them. Then today (March 14th), we have White Day where men must give back gifts to anyone who gave them chocolate. The key to this ritual is the small print:
sanbai gaeshi (三倍返し?, literally, “triple the return”) is used to describe the generally recited rule that the return gift should be two to three times the cost of the Valentine’s gift.
Crazy. I have elected to not participate.
Spent last week in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. A whirlwind of a tour with very little free time but I did snap off a few shots.
Canon 5D Mark III with a 50mm Sigma f/1.4 – my only non-Canon lens, most handheld HDR.
On the redeye.
Off the redeye.
A war monument in Brisbane.
I do like the way that Australia has preserved their buildings. So much character.
The clock outside the Westin in Sydney.
A few shots around the Westin.
No time …. just 18,453 km.
On Sunday afternoon the wind picked up and the sky went light brown .. sandy coloured actually. I was grabbing sushi when I saw it moving in.
It was amazing to watch. The sky went from beautiful blue and 21C to cold and blowing.
You could barely see Tokyo Tower.
Turns out it was just a cold front hitting a warm front, not the Chinese.
I had a session with my language instructor the other day where I learned a few interesting insights into the language and culture that go well beyond speaking the language (I am awful at it as I travel in and out of Japan too often).
If you wonder about the Japanese accent when they speak English it is not because of their ability to say a word, it is because of how the Japanese approach language. In their culture, there are a fixed number of language sounds (a little over 100). If you learn those sounds, you can speak any word in Japanese, which technically makes the language simpler to learn. This is very different than English which has an infinite and always changing range of sounds. These are the only “sounds” in Japanese:
Therefore the Japanese take new words and attempt to fit them into the above patterns. For example: Australia fit into Japanese sounds becomes “Osutoraria” as those are sounds that match up to the above. The interesting thing about this is that when Japanese are speaking English (they learn it in Junior high), it also accentuates or exaggerates their accent as they attempt to “fit” the new word into their known language sounds.
It also explains why you will hear English words littered through a conversation as there is simply no way to fit the Japanese language sounds into certain words, so they remain English.
Forget about trying to read the language, it is a combination of 3 languages (Hiragana, Katakana and Chinese) which takes children 10+ years to learn and has 10’s of thousands of characters. Not going to happen for this westerner.
A store in Tokyo is filled with unique finds .. most in Japanese and indecipherable to the gaijin.
Condensed milk in a tube. Purchased to make a Vietnamese coffee at home.
An individually wrapped prune goes well with your Cream Collon (tube cookies with a creamy center). You can’t make this stuff up.
I was speaking with someone about how healthy Japan is. But a fellow in pharmaceuticals said that the cholesterol and diabetes drug markets are growing rapidly in Tokyo. This is why; the only thing I will eat in McDonalds is an egg mcmuffin but I won’t eat that. Obesity on a bun. Hey McDonalds, “Big Canadian” could go there too (unfortunately).
In Tokyo there are safety men everywhere. I mean everywhere, with their hands waving to ensure you don’t crash into a truck or workmen or any of 1,000 other things going on near the roads.
But automation is on the way …. A bit hard to see, but the LED safety patrolman.
A butcher skinning something on the street. What is it? No idea, but he had a big crowd.
You never know what you will see next.
Update: adding one more. Sitting in the doctors office I saw an add for this brand of baby diapers.
As I left Seika Dormitory I noticed this …
Those are brand new skis (3 sets) sitting on the front porch of a house .. not locked up.
I was speaking with a friend the other day and he was asking what it was like to live in Tokyo and I said the things that stand out are the cleanliness, how friendly people are (mostly) and how incredibly safe it is.
There are police everywhere, but I have no idea what they do? No guns. Low crime (unless you seek it in a seedy bar in Roppongi) and safe. The stories of people leaving a laptop or iPhone on the train and getting it back abound, children ride the subway alone and people leave their skis on the front porch and no one takes them.
A city of 40M+ .. and safe as a town of 500. A truly unique city.
I continued my Haikyo, ready to explore the insides of the building. It was getting dark quickly so I shot a mix of handheld HDRs and RAW depending on light conditions. I was also worried about stepping on a few floors, the hallways were concrete but the rooms?
The first room I looked in. It is like the fire happened and everyone just ran, never to return. So odd.
OS/2?
I would have left the Beethoven behind too. But Tchaikovsky? Heresy.
It must have gotten quite hot to melt whatever that is on the shelf …
I was fascinated by the piano.
I would have left it behind too.
A fully stocked kitchen.
Proof that the CD is dead. Why else would leave behind such a fantastic boombox?
And this is where my camera died. When I finally figured out where to go I parked quickly and decided to leave my camera bag and all of the piece parts behind. I was in a hurry. The only problem is that I didn’t look at my battery status.
It went dead. If I hurried I could run back to the car, move it to the closer parking spot, and then hustle back onto the site before all of the light disappeared.
Urban exploration can be a lot of work when you wing it.
Coming home for dinner.
Would love to know what is on those tapes. Some Magnum P.I. perhaps?
Student dormitory kegger …
I should have grabbed the worlds worst tie.
Cool afternoon out.
I run from the car to the “potential location” and there it is. Awesome.
I duck under what must be a “Do not enter” sign on a rope and slip into the lot before anyone sees. It is like the other sites have described, this overgrown building in the middle of Tokyo. Odd .. interesting.
There is a brand new mini-van parked in a portable canvas garage out front. Odd.
There is debris everywhere. Garbage seems so out of place in uber-clean Tokyo. Why are there so many abandoned bikes?
A history of the dormitory via. (great shots also)
Near the campus of Takushoku University (literally the University of Colonial Expansion) in Tokyo is an abandoned student dormitory built in 1927 by the Japanese colonial government in Taiwan. The university was particularly established to train Taiwanese students to serve the empire and to “develop” Taiwan.
Since the end of war, both Taiwan and China have claimed ownership of the building, citing that it was built using Taiwanese taxpayers’ money. Although the legal status of the building remains unresolved even today, Taiwanese and Chinese students were encouraged by their respective governments to occupy and live in the building, creating essentially an “one building, two systems” situation. The dormitory, also known as Seika Dormitory, has been abandoned since 2007 when a fire killed two of its residents.
A pot balances on a balcony over the entrance.
Who in their right mind would leave behind a purple bike? Purple awesomeness.
I stepped inside and was greeted with a “konichiwa” as two fellow explorers made their way around the site. They looked nervous. Don’t worry fellows, I am clearly not the Tokyo police.
There are lots of pictures of the building’s central area, broken roof overhead.
Had to hustle, sun was going down.
I am surprised there isn’t more graffiti.
Looking up wasn’t that interesting. Looking down was much more interesting. I wonder how many people have stepped on this record?
Odd that someone would leave behind a toy gun.
This umbrella had seen better days.
The yellow ball behind the umbrella caught my eye. That is a nice 5 wood.
I decided to start from the top. Up to the roof I went.
It offers a great view of the floors below.
Or the doors below.
Time to go open some doors and peak inside.
Odd weekend as the family was in Saipan and I was home alone on Saturday. This is a very rare occurrence as weekends are family time and if the boys are with friends, Narda and I are usually out doing something. Saturday had not even started and I was already bored (it had been a brutal long week at work).
What to do? Read a book. Hit the gym. Watch a few shows. I contemplated heading to the office to shoot the sunset against Mt Fuji (great view) with my new 2X extender and 70-200mm. Then I remembered a few sites I had come across around urban exploring … and Tokyo.
Haikyo.org, Michael John Grist and Tomboy Urbex are a few sites dedicated to haikyo (Japanese for urban exploration). I have never done this before other than at tourist sites such as Normandy and figured this could be a nice Saturday afternoon diversion.
First, select a target. I set my sights on Seika Dormitory, a burned out building in the heart of Tokyo.
Second, the address. The problem is that finding these locations is tough – where is the address? And for some reason no one posts it, perhaps to add to the sense of adventure as you hunt for the place?. Our concierge set my GPS for the approximate location as he could not find the exact address. Makes sense. I will get to 1 Kohinata, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo and have a look around. What could go wrong?
And so my adventure started. I arrived, found a spot to park the car and proceeded to randomly approach people and show them my iPhone with the name of the location (精華寮) prominently displayed.
There was a lot of smiling (I was out of the expat area, English was nowhere to be found). Two police officers pulled over thanks to a super friendly elderly woman who flagged them down to help me while asking me “Kanada?”.
After much debate they sent me off by pointing to the map on my iPhone, giving me a sense of confidence that this was the general area where I would find the site.
Off I went. A few shots along the way. February and lemons on the trees. It was 8C and brisk, I had forgotten .. semi-tropical Tokyo.
Someone’s door.
As I searched around I was on this back street and could not believe that I had come across a donut shop. A fancy one, but still, a donut shop with English. Made me wonder about their clientele .. were these donuts so good that gaijin’s made the trip?
I don’t know why I stopped for this other than the kettle and hose interested me. Why buy a watering can?
I don’t know what this says, but I hope it is pro-cat. You get a distinct feeling that Japan likes dogs more than cats.
This door headed to a temple. It was locked.
Maybe it wasn’t a temple and I almost walked into someone’s backyard. We will never know.
And here is a map of my wandering around in circles. This is from Lightroom (I love the GPS on my Canon 5D Mark III). Wherever there is a bubble is where I took a photo. I started in the bottom left, made my way over to the Suido area where the elderly woman and policemen sent me NE toward Kasuga convinced that if I headed over to the Meidai Jr school that I would find it.
At the school I happened upon a nice man who promptly walked me over to the Koban (police box) where I engaged with the incredibly friendly and “sorta speak English” woman officer (near the Koishikawa Post Office)
This turned into a group project as more offers arrived, huddling around trying to figure out how to get this gaijin from “Kanada” to a burned out building.
As everyone spoke I got into a conversation that went like this:
“Kanada?” … “Yes, I am Canadian. Arigato” .. “me go yellowknife one time” .. “Wow. Yellowknife? Very cold up there.” .. (he smiles) “Big lights”
“Yes. Northern Lights. They are very pretty. I had a trip scheduled there once but had to cancel”
“F#c!ing cold” (I burst out laughing) “Yes. It is very cold there. Kanada is cold”. My English interpreter smiled, gave me a “Sayonara” and left smiling.
We are now at 7 officers, with maps on the table, several officers looking through different map books, one reading the website on my iPhone and one on the phone with headquarters (seriously). Finally they reach an agreement that it must be in the area directly south of the school over the tracks. OK, I think I am making progress. Using Google maps I head to the area. I circle, go into back yards, read two more website on the frigging place. Nada.
This blog gives me hope and really ticks me off because I think that she has a geocaching reference in her blog post (GXR A16) and I have NO idea how to utilize it. I go to this geocaching website and they have a location reference, but I need to become a member to get the LOC file .. which I would have no idea how to use while sitting on some random side street with a bag full of camera gear, an iPhone and tripod.
I am hungry. I head to the only restaurant that I have seen but they have just closed.
I need to go to the washroom.
Hang in there old chap.
I see a cemetery on top of the hill (where the 3 is on the above map). I walk down the hill to the entrance. I head into the cemetery and to the top to see if I can figure out where I am.
Maybe I will spot it.
I like cemeteries, what people leave behind interests me and there is always beauty to be found.
Even plastic beauty.
OK. Focus. Stop looking at the headstones. The sun is going to go down. You are walking in circle.
New buildings .. one burned out building. Where the heck is it?
Wow. It is February, the Japanese are talking as it if already spring and the cherry blossoms are starting to come out.
Aaarrrgggghhhh. Where is it? I laugh and start to figure out if I can make it to the office to shoot a Mt. Fuji sunset in time.
Around another corner. Another temple. Beautiful.
Alright. I am not going to get frustrated.
I started to walk through it in my mind. It could have been torn down. There is lots of construction and a whole bunch of areas where they recently cleared buildings.
It was a good wander .. several hours wandering around. Some fresh air, a good walk.
I resign myself to the fact that this is no longer an urban exploration but just a good walk. I jump in the car, time to go home.
A couple kilometers out I stop at a light and check my email. Jimmy-san, our concierge had followed up shortly after I left with some more information, the exact address of Seika Dormitory:
I found exact address of the building, 1-23-31 Kohinata, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo.
The location is nearby Takushiyoku University.
You are awesome Jimmy-san. I whip the car around.
It was 3:30pm, if I hurried there would still be enough light … because .. of course .. when I packed my camera bag I had grabbed my flash and then put it back – why would I need a flash?
Hurry.
I am far from an expert on Japan, but I have heard a few different opinions that I thought I would share as the Japanese “teach” me their ways. These folks know sushi:
A block-shaped piece formed using a wooden mold, called an oshibako. The chef lines the bottom of the oshibako with the toppings, covers them with sushi rice, and then presses the lid of the mold down to create a compact, rectilinear block. The block is removed from the mold and then cut into bite-sized pieces. Particularly famous is バッテラ (battera, pressed mackerel sushi) or 鯖寿司 (saba zushi).[24]
My 2 Yen on sushi (smile).
One other sushi comment. I don’t buy patches or little gadgets when traveling as reminders. For me it is a magnet. Always try to find a magnet which we then add to our very large magnetic world map. Narda found me a sushi magnet the other day.
As an aside, I also like the fact that half the time I have no idea what I am eating (smile).
There was a holiday on Monday and when I asked a few colleagues they didn’t know anything about it .. other than it being a holiday. National Foundation Day:
The origin of National Foundation Day is New Year’s Day in the traditional lunisolar calendar. On that day, the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu was celebrated based on Nihonshoki (日本書紀), which states that Emperor Jimmu ascended to the throne on the first day of the first month.
In the Meiji period, the Japanese government designated the day as a national holiday. This coincided with the switch from the lunisolar calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1873. In 1872, when the holiday was originally proclaimed,[2] it was January 29 of the Gregorian calendar, which corresponded to Lunar New Year of 1873. Contrary to the government’s expectation, this led people to see the day as just Lunar New Year, instead of National Foundation Day. In response, the government moved the holiday to February 11 of the Gregorian calendar in 1873. The government stated that it corresponded to Emperor Jimmu’s regnal day but did not publish the exact method of computation.
In its original form, the holiday was named Empire Day (紀元節, Kigensetsu?)[citation needed].[3] It is thought that the Meiji Emperor may have wanted to establish this holiday to bolster the legitimacy of the imperial family following the abolition of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The national holiday was supported by those who believed that focusing national attention on the emperor would serve a unifying purpose.[4] Publicly linking his rule with the mythical first emperor, Jimmu, and thus Amaterasu, the Meiji Emperor declared himself the one, true ruler of Japan.[5]
With large parades and festivals, in its time, Kigensetsu was considered one of the four major holidays of Japan.[6]
Given its reliance on Shintoism and its reinforcement of the Japanese nobility, Kigensetsu was abolished following World War II. Ironically, February 11 was also the day when General MacArthur approved the draft version of the model Constitution in 1946.[7]
The commemorative holiday was re-established as National Foundation Day in 1966.[8] Though stripped of most of its overt references to the Emperor, National Foundation Day was still a day for expressing patriotism and love of the nation in the 1950s.[9]
What did not happen this National Foundation Day is the “muted” Japanese nationalism that was suggested in this note:
In contrast with the events associated with earlier Kigensetsu, celebrations for National Foundation Day are relatively muted. Customs include the raising of Japanese flags and reflection on the meaning of Japanese citizenship. The holiday is still relatively controversial however, and very overt expressions of nationalism or even patriotism are rare.[10]
The nationalists were out in full force due to the Chinese and Russian tensions around territories, and the growing support for greater Japanese national defense forces. We live near the Chinese embassy, there were police everywhere and they were dressed for trouble.
The trouble that they were monitoring were these trucks that seemed to be everywhere. Their loudspeakers were blaring some form of rhetoric, which a bystander explained to me were calls for the Japanese people to unite around the themes previously mentioned.
Big loudspeakers.
I guess they need big loudspeakers in the Shibuya area to compete with the trucks that drive around blaring pop music to advertise their video game, pop music group or product.
I can handle the video game trucks .. the pop group trucks with their bubble-gum music blaring set your teeth on edge.
We spent a few hours in Shibuya as I needed to hit the Apple store. There are cool buildings in the area. This one looks like it came out of Battlestar Galactica.
This one does a good job of optimizing their 3m x 200m property.
A little Japanese restaurant for a quick lunch.
And probably Tower Records last store ….
Thanks for dropping by …
At first it can be daunting. The signs are not in English in most places and hard to understand. Based on my experience, I have now concluded 4 things:
1. Don’t bother on the street as most locations only allow 60 minutes.
2. The price is Y300 per 30 minutes everywhere. (Roughly $6.50 and hour)
3. There is a lot more parking in Tokyo than I would have thought. The GPS is awesome at helping you find a parking lot. Without the GPS? Good luck.
4. There are two types of parking; the traditional parking lot where you pull into a spot and a little flap pops up and locks your tire into place until you pay. The other type is the robot/tower parking.
This usually involves a circle (which flips your car around) and some form of stackable parking.
This is what a parking “tower” looks like. It is filled with cars.
You pull into the parking garage (note the circle, it flips your car around).
And here is where it is stored. I have been wondering what it looks like inside one of these parking machines. It was the first time I could ever take a shot. Now I know …
A vertical parking lot. Cool.
After the Ghibli Museum we stopped at a random Tokyo intersection to grab lunch. Here are a few shots; a mix of handheld HDR and others via my Canon 5D Mark III.
A busy Tokyo street.
What is a pepper lunch? Have I mentioned how I find it odd that even in the outlying areas of Tokyo there is so much random English?
For example, English advertising signs. I am not quite sure that this sign would go over well in Canada or the US? Made me smile.
We decided on “Japanese BBQ” which they call Yakiniku. The front of the restaurant was a huge open kitchen with open BBQ grills.
It was very smoky. A combination of people smoking and the BBQ fumes. On a Saturday afternoon, people enjoying a beer and some BBQ.
I didn’t get a shot of what we ate, it disappeared too fast.
Definitely a “true” Japanese exploration for the family.
One last shot from the street; we came across another Japan first for us – a bicycle parking lot. There must have been 500+ bikes.
Here is where you pay.
A good wander.
A colourful sunrise, via my Canon 5D Mark III shot using the internal HDR, handheld. I recently replaced my tripod, but grabbing it early in the morning is so much harder than simply shooting away. Canon has done a great job with the technology. Zero post processing.
Through the bushes.
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