2014-05-31

Japan, How It Is - Cat Park - Ikebukuro「池袋のねこパーク、東池袋中央公園」


The East Ikebukuro central park is a little patch of green amongst the concrete towers. It is also home to a rather large population of cats.



Bonus cat pics are bonus:

 tokyo-cats-4 tokyo-cats-2 tokyo-cats-9 tokyo-cats-8

Tunes I used:

Artist: The Living
tune1: Emelie Heard
tune2: Mr. Punch
tune3: Godsense
Album: M.I.V.1

Be sure to check out his Bandcamp page.
Download the tracks you like and if you can afford it, pay what you can.

2014-05-29

Random Japan Phone Snaps #01 ランダム携帯で撮った写真

Sometimes I snap things with my phone that I only ever use once or intend to use in the future but never do. They gradually build up till I drag them all off my phone into a dump folder, where would usually spend the rest of their digital eternities...

Untill now.


Enjoy these random images of random times in random Japan.  



random japan snapshots

random japan snapshots

random japan snapshotsrandom japan snapshots


random japan snapshotsrandom japan snapshots

random japan snapshotsrandom japan snapshots

random japan snapshots



Interviewing Keiko Ihara

I was called up for a Job for Highlighting Japan again to go to Nagoya yesterday and interview Keiko Ihara. Japanese World Endurance Championship driver. It was a lightning trip. I got the call and went to interview her the next day because she had to go to LeMans today.



Like just about everyone Ive interviewed for highlighting Japan, she was both an impressive and inspirational human being. It was great to meet her and have the chance to chat to her.

I'll post a link to the article here when it's published.

2014-05-28

7 Days 7 Minutes (2014-05-12) Casio EX100, Timelapse, Kabukicho and more...



Read the full Casio EX-100 Review on AkihabaraNews.com

00:00 MONDAY Casio EX100 <location>
01:00 TUESDAY Raincheck
02:00 WEDNESDAY Taking it in Their Stride <location>
03:00 THURSDAY New Rubber <location>
04:00 notFRIDAY Testing the Timelapse Modes
05:00 SATURDAY Weekday vs Weekend
06:00 notSUNDAY Image stabiliization tests <location>


Music:
"Wataru Lights" by morgantj
is licensed under a Creative Commons license


"Sayonara" by Manny Marx
off the album VAGABOND

Related: REVIEW: Casio EX-100 Compact Camera (AkihabaraNews.com)

2014-05-25

I Hate Cyclists

They're the evangelicals of the commuting world. They praise their lifestyle and transport as the greatest way to live and travel on the face of the earth yet they break every single rule and common courtesy of the road. They expect and often demand that all other road/sidewalk user give way to them, but they still whine, moan and complain that they are the ones being persecuted by society.



The woman in this photo is a prime example. She rode straight down a pedestrian walkway focussed completely on her phone. I wasn't in her path but 2 people had to dodge just before I snapped this shot. Yet she continued oblivious to the world.

About 2 years ago A cyclist ran herself into the back of my car in exactly the same manner. It was a small intersection in Shibukawa. I saw the cyclist approaching on the road perpendicular to me but thought nothing of it as her road had a stop sign and I had right of way. I kept going. I heard the sound, felt the impact and saw her going down in my side mirror. In truth, because I knew the rider I was worried that she may be injured but she was OK. Later on when filing the police report (as one needs to do) the cop didn't believe me till they saw the impact damage. Then he proceeded to grill the rider for being a moron.

Since moving to the city and becoming a pedestrian, cyclists have become even more dangerous as they use their speed to basically bully people on foot. Pick any reasonably busy intersection with traffic lights and I guarantee you you will see a cyclist skip red lights and cut across pedestrian streams as they cross the road. Arrogantly ringing their bells, forcing people to move out of their way even though they are in the wrong.

More times than I can remember, Ive been cut off by these scum and every time I have wished that I was walking a little faster or was just a little closer because while I will get hurt in the impact, they'd get hurt more and the legal hammer would come down on them too. (Thankfully?) The vast majority of cyclists on the roads do crap like this so It's only a matter of time before I get one.

They will still complain that there is nowhere for them to ride (because when there are cycling lanes, they ride on the pavements anyway). They whine about how cars don't respect them (while they don't respect anything on the roads and pavements they use) They talk about how everyone endangers them (while they ignore how they endanger themselves and everyone else on the road.)

If only we could persecute the bastards. They are dangerous, self righteous vermin. And the next time one of them tries to cut across me when I have the right of way, I'm going to give them the time to contemplate their the meaning of traffic lights as they pick their teeth up off the asphalt.

2014-05-23

Bringing the Pain: Pacific Racing's LOVE LIVE! Itasha GT300 Porsche 911 (AkihabaraNews.com)

This is a quick English creative regurgitation of a Japanese article that I did for Akihabara News. Pics aren't mine but they are nice so be sure click through to the article.




Ouch Vehicle? 
Itasha is a term made by combining the Japanese word for painful (itai) and car (jidosha), and it basically means just that: Painful Car. The term describe cars that are usually covered in pictures of anime or game characters.
Whether the name came about because it is painful to be seen driving one or because they are painful to look at, there is a small niche otaku sect that likes that kind of pain.

Read the rest of the article and drool over the pictures of the car and the sexy racequeens at AkihabaraNews.com.

2014-05-22

Japan How It Is - Desert Sand And Pollution (Unwanted gifts from China)



A quick look at the yellow sand and pollution that blows in from China around this time of the year. In short, me complaining about the weather.

Watch the Hong Kong, How It Is pollution video I referenced:

Happiness is Steel.

Pics entirely unrelated.


With the bike I FINALLY managed to find the local city gym. It's not the best stocked but in the 8 months Ive been sitting around Ive lost so much strength it's unreal. I'm not going to even tell you the numbers I'm working with. They're embarrassing. 


I'm training again. Between that and having transportation Ive actually been happy, excited and motivated for the first time since relocating to the land of fakes and money. The work sitruation is looking up as well. There seems to be promise of more of those epic interview trips like the Yuasa Shoyu one. The freebies i've been giving away will likely stop being free soon. And I'm teaching again 2 days a week at a Public Tokyo Highschool. 



While it's still not quite a regular enough income for me to guarantee a certain monthly commitment to the bills, if nothing else I can help the Cat more often in paying them. 



And when I am tired of the plastic empty shells that populate the steel and concrete monoliths I can work that stress out with Iron!




2014-05-21

Going Ape

I took a ride down to Enoshima yesterday, partially because I could partially because I wanted to get some longer distance experience on Matt's bike. While I was there I decided to take some photos of it.

HONDA APE 50 HONDA APE 50 HONDA APE 50 HONDA APE 50

It's a tiny bike too small for me both from a size and an engine capacity standpoint but considering I'm being lent it for the price of whatever parts are needed to keep it running, I am not complaining too much. That said, due to it's size compared to my wide ass, I'm gonna need to get a carrier rack of sorts cos any rides over an hour long are going to be hell on my lower back with a backpack (this ride was 3 and a half hours -__- )


HONDA APE 50 HONDA APE 50 HONDA APE 50
It was great weather for a ride though, not cold, but not too hot. And riding along the coast is always going to be awesome. These longer rides are not going to be a regular thing though. It just takes too damn long on the 50cc to get anywhere. I need to work toward having a steady monthly income so I can get my car back and use that for longer drives and eventually get my proper bigger bike license and get a 250cc for close commutes and city travel.

HONDA APE 50 HONDA APE 50 HONDA APE 50

Till then this will keep me going. Even with the fatiguing ride, having the freedom to go wherever the hell I want whenever I want, is EPIC. It took about as long as the train to get to the coast and it was more tiring, but there was so much less stress and I found some interesting things along the way that I'd never find on the steel tubes of misery. The bike was also way cheaper. This trip cost me about ¥400 as opposed to almost ¥1500 on the zombie line.

2014-05-20

The Sound of (almost) Silence - Reviewing King Jim's MM-1000 Digital Earplugs

My latest review:



Back on one of our Untitled Tokyo Two Man Tech Shows, we discussed a product that a Japanese stationery and gadget company, King Jim, had just released. At the time we called them noise cancelling earphones and wondered how they would perform being that King Jim isn’t really a known purveyor of quality audio equipment. We have since spent some time with their MM-1000 Digital Noise-Cancelling Earplugs and can tell you a little more about them...

Read my full review at AkihabaraNews.com

Ylvis - The Fox (What Does The Fox Say) Japanese Cover



It is not quite on the epic scale of the original but the fact that they went this far and did it this well impresses the hell out of me. This is a really well done cover. Worth a watch and doubly worth a share.

Now I wanna see Michan (the main man behind this cover) do some Original content that's this good.

2014-05-19

OmNomNomNomNom


Girls bars are basically bars for guys.

Yes. That makes sense. They are bars staffed by girls chosen for their looks. They pour drinks, they make small talk and they let the patrons hit on them and make them think they have a chance. They are not quite the same as hostess clubs but I  have never been to one of the latter so I cannot say how :p

Regardless This particular one in Kabukicho has a rather EPIC name.


I think I managed to snap one of the staff in the alley around the corner.

2014-05-18

Cute Akihabara Street performer - Finola



This is all the footage from that street performance that I somewhat butchered in my last 7 Days 7 Minutes video.

Follow Finola on twitter https://twitter.com/finola777

2014-05-17

Shots #118 Like a BOSS

http://bakadaruku.blogspot.com

7 Days 7 Minutes (2014-05-05) 60fps S L O W M O T I O N

00:00 MONDAY Shits and Giggles
01:00 TUESDAY Ridez <location>
02:00 notWEDNESDAY I'm so sorry for this <location>
03:00 THURSDAY Shibuya Subway Station <location>
04:00 notFRIDAY Keep Walking <location 1 Ikebukuro> <location2 Akihabara>
05:00 notSATURDAY Cat Park Again <location>
06:00 SUNDAY In The Kitchen

Like if you like it, share it with all who you reckon would appreciate it, and thanks for watching my stuff.

2014-05-16

I shot Ken Watanabe!


Darc Photography -  http://darc.jp

Okay so did every other press photographer at the NTT docomo summer launch... but I was there
 and I shot him! SO THERE! 

Darc Photography -  http://darc.jp

He was one of the celebrities who star in docomo's new commercials and he was there saying a bunch of positive stuff about docomo's phones that they payed him to say (as one does)


Darc Photography -  http://darc.jp

Though when he wasn't earning his paycheque, he didn't really seem like he wanted to be there.

Darc Photography -  http://darc.jp


Darc Photography -  http://darc.jp

Head over to Akihabaranews.com to find out more about the actual event, see all the other pics I took there and find out about docomo's phone and tablet lineup for 2014.

2014-05-14

6 pictures that weeaboos won't like - Ikebukuro, Tokyo










Taken at 東池袋中央公園 (Higashi Ikebukuro Chuo Koen)

All photos are mine. Share them as you like, but please don't remove my watermark. 
Also please link back to this post, this site or my photography site