This one was taken from SkyWalk underneath Yokohama Baybridge, overlooking part of Tsurumi.

More from Kawagichi-ko.... This was just about all of the vendor booths at this Matsuri. Small yet nice!

The colors were beautiful! Especially the sign under this tree, reading "Asahi Super Dry".



Houtou must be a local treat. It's a udon type dish only with flat wide noodles and a lot of veggies. Very delicious I must say!
Houtou was sold everywhere. At every booth at this matsuri, all local restaurants and even this clothing store.

This is not what I would normally post but it was too good not to mention. On the 15th of this month, got to see the World Premiere of "Letters from Iwo Jima". Knew that Clint Eastwood, Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, etc. would be there. Well, having semi-VIP tickets meant that I would get in the red carpet area and see them up close, maybe even shake thier hands or talk to them...so I thought. Time went and went and they, the movie stars, were running late. So I stayed on the red carpet and not one person asked if I had the VIP pass or anything...not even the security guys that passed me over and over and over (they thought I was with a newspaper or magazine with my camera hanging off my neck).

Finally, some old Japanese guy comes up to me and asks "Are you with Asahi Shinbun (Asahi newspaper)?". "NO!" I say. "Are you with....who are you?" he asked. I didn't know how to answer the guy...was I supposed to tell him my name? Maybe, tell him where I'm from? I felt like saying "I'm David! Who the f**k are you?" It was at that time that this less rude American guy (I think he was a main figure in production or something) said "Yeah, you're not supposed to be here unless you have one of these, as he shows me his "Letter's of Iwo Jima" backstage-pass looking deal.

So, I had to move off the red carpet. Instead I got to see the stars come in....from the other side of their vehicles and I got a great view of the back of their heads. I think Clint Eastwood's wife should've fixed his hair before they got out of the van though (personal opinion). Anyway, after thinking about it, if the stars were on time, I would've had the best seat in the house, standing front-row on the red carpet.

Oh, the movie was great by the way!

Here's what we went to Lake Kawaguchi to see...The light-up of the fall leaves. It was a blast! Not only were the photos ops everywhere but there was a small festival going on too. Hot food and drinks! 河口湖

The other week, went on a trip with a friend to Lake Kawaguchi at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Sure enough, all day it was too cloudy to see Mt. Fuji! But the main reason was to see the colors of fall at night. We made a pit stop to see Shiraito Falls. This one is of the real-calm water that leads to the waterfall.
Shiraito Falls...notice the small rainbow? 白糸の滝

These were taken at a river in Gunma. I took these with colored gels over my flash. I didn't know what effect I was going to get...especially since I didn't have my tripod. I thought they turned out "alright" enough to post....

Taketomijima, Okinawa. 竹富島　沖縄

Ruins in Gunma. A smashed, rusted van out back of the building in the next pic.
Looked like this place was a bathhouse. Not as run down as other ruins I've seen but I'm sure this place will get there soon.

11/24/06: My mistake. Apparently this place is still in use. I couldn't tell looking up close but seems to get the most usage during the spring time...

Shuri Castle, Okinawa. 首里城

Just another photo of the monorail at Ofuna.

Going back a few blogs, I mentioned Doai station in Gunma prefecture. The platforms being seperated and one way being underground..... Well, here's the staircase that lead to the other side. Finished in September 1967.


Here's the actual platform. With no one else there and no sound but dripping water and the echo of my footsteps was creepy! And looking down into the tunnels was even creepier~

I got over that creepy feeling right away when realizing that I had to climb back up the 460+ steps to get back up. CREEPY suddenly became "Oh sh*t!" 群馬県　土合駅

Another series from Okinawa. Also, my best friend and his family are going to Okinawa this week! So, just another good reason to post these now and hoping that he may see these. These are of Kondoi Beach at Taketomi-jima. The prettiest beach I saw in Okinawa when I visited. If I didn't know better I probably would've tried to drink the water...it was so clear. More from Okinawa to come. 沖縄の竹富島にあるコンドイビーチです。

Night view of the Hiroshima A-Bomb Dome.　広島原爆ドームの夜の夜景。

Tried going to Tokyo Disneyland about 2 weeks ago on a Saturday. BIG mistake! Packed! In fact, too packed they didn't let anyone in that did not have a ticket with that days date on it. They started rejecting people to enter, at 1030. Well, it really sucked getting there at 1040.... Ikspiari shopping mall next to Disneyland (a few blogs down) was the closest I'd get to Disneyland that day. Will be trying again tomorrow......keep your fingers crossed for me.

横浜みなとみらい２１。Yokohama MM21 and Yamashita area, taken from Daikoku-futo in Tsurumi.

Yummy! Pig face. How the Okinawa people eat this, I have no idea! And I don't think I'd try it even if I knew - Makishikousetsu-ichiba in Okinawa.

The Water Buffalo (?!?) ride that takes you to Yubushima from Iriomote-jima, Okinawa. Kind of felt sorry for these animals. Being forced to taxi us humans around, I'm sure, was not their choice. BTW: The water was about 10" deep.....we could've walked!

I've had this urge to go back through my archive and post more Okinawa photos (in case you haven't noticed). I think that means that it's about time to back there.

Ikspiari shopping mall next to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. The Halloween decor was too cool!

Just off Kabirawan, Ishigaki-jima.
Kabirawan, Ishigaki-jima

Walking around North Pier, Yokohama is real interesting. Since it's an industrial area there are real old warehouses, sunken boats in the canal, abandoned cars, unused train tracks, etc. This is an unused door of an old warehouse. The padlocks and crud in the front makes you wonder, since when was this door last used....

Hiroshiima: This little boy was so cute trying to catch the chain of a peace bell.
Hiroshima: I don't think these two got very far on Miyajima dressed like this. It's s norm here....you'll see people on a mountain-scenic tour dressed in their best with Chanel or Gucci.