Category - Japan

July 14, 2007

Photo of the Month - July 2007

This is a photo of two Miko or Shrine Girls at Yawata Jinjya (Shinto Shrine) in Shizuoka City. This photo was shot in color on slide, then edited with Photoshop. I had a homestay in Shizuoka and my host family were members of this Shrine, so I was fortunate MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 12:55 AM on July 14, 2007 | | Comments (0)

1985 Suzuki Katana GSX750

My 1985 Suzuki Kata GSX750 in front of the Yokohama Bay Bridge. This was my second bike in Japan. I picked this bike up off a friend for JY 30,000 or about $250 at the time, not bad for a 7 year old bike. It only had about 15,000 MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 12:42 AM on July 14, 2007 | | Comments (2)

January 4, 2007

Photograph of the Week from www.JohnSeaman.com

Fall leaves on a stone temple stairway, Kyoto Japan. Clickhere to see the entire series Fall Leaves in Kyotoon www.JohnSeaman.com . MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 11:00 PM on January 4, 2007 | | Comments (0)

Dangerous food, part 1 - Glutinous rice cakes (mochi)

A bummer of a way to start the new year... 4 die choking on mochi rice cakes in Japan Mochi (rice cake) is made from pounding cooked glutinous rice into a dense solid that dries as hard as a rock. It's usually served re-heated, so it becomes a super MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 2:12 PM on January 4, 2007 | | Comments (1)

August 23, 2006

Artsy Ken, AKA Ken Lee's Photography

Ken Lee is another long term resident of Tokyo and a great photographer. We started going "shooting" together right around the time Ken got back into photography. He always called me Sensei (Teacher), but I didn't figure I was really teaching him anything, he's a natural (and far surpassed MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:12 AM on August 23, 2006 | | Comments (0)

August 19, 2006

www.JohnSeaman.com - Fine Art Photography of Japan and Asia

I started my own stock photography site back in late 2000, perfect timing just at the end of the .com dot bust. I ended up ripping out the shopping cart and leaving the shell up to display the photos. Along comes a big project at work, then my daughter MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 4:19 PM on August 19, 2006 | | Comments (0)

August 17, 2006

New Photo Gallery - Fall Leaves at Night

A new photo gallery is up. This is a small collection of photogrpahs of the beautiful Autumn leaves at night. Most of the pictures were taken at Kiyomizu Temple (Kiyomizu Dera) in Kyoto Japan. For a short month during the fall, Kiyomizu Temple is open at night with absolutely brilliant MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 2:09 PM on August 17, 2006 | | Comments (0)

August 9, 2006

New Photo Gallery - Tokyo Station at Night

More new photos - Tokyo Station at night. The Tokyo Station building is another iconic pre-war structure. It was heavily damaged in the fire bombings of Tokyo during the war, and after the war the top 3 floors were too heavily damaged to restore, so they were lopped off. MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:00 PM on August 9, 2006 | | Comments (0)

New Photo Gallery - The Atomic Dome (Genbaku Dome) in Hiroshima, Japan

I've finally posted my photographs of the Atomic Dome (Genbaku Dome in Japanese) in Hiroshima, Japan. Click here to veiw the entire Photo Gallery. The building was originally designed by the Czech architect Jan Letzel and was completed in 1915 as the Prefectural Products Exhibition Hall, a kind of building MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 8:53 PM on August 9, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 21, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 14 - Sincerely, The Toilet

Yup, that's what it says. Translated: Thank you for keeping me clean. Sincerely, The Toilet. For those of you who don't read Japanese, here's the Romanization. "Seiketsu ni tsukatte itadaki, arigato. Toire yori". Whomever wrote this sign had a sense of humor. You'll usually find something like this in MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 11:42 PM on February 21, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 20, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 13 - Big Lay...?

Not actually sure what the Big Lay is, it's above Kato's Taylor Shop and near the Karaoke joint. Probably one of those teeeny 6 seat bars that catches the overflow (or should we say runoff?) from the Karaoke place. Location: Tokyo MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 11:29 PM on February 20, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 16, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 12 - Rude bus signs...

"This area is only for passengers getting off". Sorry about the picture quality, took this one with my very first digital camera... Location: Narita Airport. MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 11:54 PM on February 16, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 15, 2006

O-Matsuri 101, aka Your Guide to Octopus Balls...

OK class, take out your notebooks and get ready for a quick lesson in how to have fun. We're coming up on festival season in Japan, and wherever you go, there's a PARTY! Usually the consumption of large quantities of sake or beer is optional, but it helps. You will MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:03 PM on February 15, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 8, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 10 - No cats on my car !

Well, if you want to keep them off your car, try something like this. ** Starting in the late 90's people took to setting out such plastic bottles full of water everywhere in Tokyo to keep cats away. Probably because in the hot and steamy summer months cat piss MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 12:00 AM on February 8, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 6, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 9 - The Nitty Gritty Chop Shop...

Strange name for a hair salon... Location: Read the little green sign... OrigPubDate: 2001 MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:42 PM on February 6, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 5, 2006

Room for sick and invalid person...?

Well, there you go. This picture is the "First Aid Room" or Kyugo-shitsu at Narita International Airport outside Tokyo. Obviously whomever got the translation job was having trouble with that... :-) MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 11:40 PM on February 5, 2006 | | Comments (0)

Where is the Rest Room...?

It's always funny to walk around Tokyo and see the slightly mangled English, such as "Rest Room" in this picture. What is really funny is the Japanese on this sign. "Benjyo" is about as polite as "shitcan"... MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 11:31 PM on February 5, 2006 | | Comments (0)

This is Tokyo! Part 8 - Anything in a vending machine

The population of Tokyo is 11 million, and there is probably one vending machine per person. You can find anything in a vending machine, the one pictured below sells bags of rice. 2.5 kg (aprox. 5 pounds) for about US $30. Location: Toshima Ward, Tokyo OrigPubDate: 2001 MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:40 PM on February 5, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 4, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 7 - Zen and Golf

The high price of land means you never know what strange place a golf course might show up in. This Shrine was obviously run by a Monk who liked the greens. No water trap, but watch the headstones on the 4th hole! I was very surprised to find a MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:36 PM on February 4, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 3, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 6 - Vertical Double Parking

This brings a whole new meaning to the term "double parking". The scarcity of parking in Tokyo forces people to take extreme measures. This small trading company in Ikebukuro put hydraulic lifts in their garage, and can now fit a total of four cars. The average rate for one MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:33 PM on February 3, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 2, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 5 - Men with Microphones...

No country would be complete without a few right wing wackos. Japan has more that it's fair share. These guys can be found driving around Tokyo, or in front of major train stations playing loud military marching music while blasting political schlock at extremely high volumes. The line between MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:28 PM on February 2, 2006 | | Comments (0)

February 1, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 3 - Where is the Lava Tory?

Must be right next door to the Bar Ber shop! Location: Chiyada Ward, Tokyo OrigPubDate: 2001 MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:20 PM on February 1, 2006 | | Comments (0)

January 30, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 2 - Advertising out of control...

In Tokyo, as everywhere else, advertising is important. Even when you own a VD clinic. Imagine the potential for TV commercials... Got V.D. ? Location: Toshima Ward, Tokyo OrigPubDate: 2001 MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:16 PM on January 30, 2006 | | Comments (0)

January 29, 2006

This is Tokyo! Part 1 - Wedge Buildings

Ah yes, Japan, the land of astronomical real estate prices. This photo is of two separate "wedge" buildings.* Each of these buildings is about 15 feet wide. The white car parked inside is a small Suzuki econo-box (660cc engine). In fact, this car is so small it's not even MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:04 PM on January 29, 2006 | | Comments (0)

January 23, 2005

Yabusame - Horseback Archery

Yabusame or Japanese horseback archery is part of the bushido or "way of the warrier". Traditionaly a method of archery practice, in modern Japan it is difficult to find outside of a handful of Shinto Shrine annual festivals. The pictures below were taken at Hakusan-jinjya in Itabashi ward, Tokyo. MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 12:08 AM on January 23, 2005 | | Comments (0)

January 18, 2005

Festivals in Japan (O-Matsuri)

Festivals and Fried Octopus Balls OK class, take out your notebooks and get ready for a quick lesson in how to have fun. July and August are festival season in Japan, andwherever you go, there's a PARTY! MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 11:14 PM on January 18, 2005 | | Comments (0)

January 29, 2001

This is Tokyo! Part 4 - X-rated street adverts

Sex Club advertisements on the street. What is surprising is that while the larger number of Japanese do take offense to these signs, but no one does anything... including the police. Typically these signs are attached to telephone poles and walls. Technically the police regulate the placement of these MORE...

Posted by John Seaman at 10:23 PM on January 29, 2001 | | Comments (0)