Recollection of snow

Posted on May 19, 2003 by anatol

Snow, snow, snow
It usually happens no more then once during Tokyo winter. Snowfall instantly changes scaly face of Tokyo. It’s like geisha’s make-up hides old pores and wrinkles. Unfortunately it melts away in day or two. I like snow and usually try not to miss this photo opportunity. I’ve probably taken photos of every single Tokyo snowfall for last ten years.
Normally snow comes in January, but this year it arrived early, in the beginning of December. I walked from home to Azabu-Juban subway station and then from Todai-mae station to my office with Fuji FinePix F402 petty digital camera clicking non-stop left and right. Fuji is a good camera. Since then I sold it to get an ultra-thin Casio ExSlim toy, which certainly inferior in image quality. The point is that it can fit into slimmest pocket.
Summer is already around the corner and I feel it’s refreshing to pull some old winter photos out of closet.

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Roppongi rickshaws

Posted on May 13, 2003 by anatol

Those who lived in Big Mikan know: come to Roppongi after half-year and you won’t recognize the place. Your favorite midnight ramen joint turned into massage parlor, the hamburger pit was torn down and replaced by a trendy steel-and-glass boutique, and only the Tokyo Tower and old good Motown stand still as pinnacles of stability in eternally changing district.
I happened to pass through Roppongi in day light (rare event 🙂 this Saturday and bumped into something I haven’t seen before:
RoppongiRickshawsPedalHard
Suddenly these tricycle cabs resembling ladybugs crawl all over the place! Looks like fun, cost only 300 yen and certainly good for the ecology!

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ExSlim, Exif and Roppongi Hills

Posted on May 12, 2003 by anatol

Even if you live in a cave for past 5 years, by now you know that Roppongi Hills Eighth Wonder of the World has been opened.
I took these photos of the tower from the Nishi-Azabu crossing with my petty Casio ExSlim S2 digital camera. The 52-storey building opened last week with 24 hours Virgin Cinemas, large museum space, observatory and thousand of shops and restaurants. It’s amazing how lingering economic slump goes hand in hand with glittering night-life, always full restaurants and Mori’s skyscrapers mushrooming all over the place. There is a feature on Roppongi Hills in one of the latest Metropolis’s.
Roppongi Hills from Nishi AzabuRoppongi Hills from Nishi Azabu
However the Roppongi Hills is just an excuse for this entry. I am trying to figure out why two above images taken by the same digital camera with exactly same settings within one minute interval or so, are so different in color balance.

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Posted in Photography, Life in Japan | 1 Comment

I’ve got a body

Posted on May 6, 2003 by anatol


Since I am getting inquires on what equipment I use for my photography and for producing this site, I decided to blog it. I am not sure if it’s of any help or even interest to anybody, but at least I don’t have to answer same questions over and over again. For the start I list my cameras and my lens right here. Sometime later I will probably review my other gadgets and may even cover particular items in more depth. Provided there is an interest.
For mainstream photography I stick with Nikon 35 mm SLR cameras.

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Bicycle Doctor Hara

Posted on May 2, 2003 by anatol

Bicycle Doctor
There are different ways to live in Japan as a foreigner. You can go out, eat and drink to Roppongi, cut your hair at Australian hairdresser and ride your BMW to exclusive gym at the top of a skyscraper to jog on a jogging machine. You can shop for food in National Azabu supermarket in Hiroo. (For those who are not here National is the large expensive shopping center catering to gaijin 外人 = foreigner needs). And of course hire Philippino lady who will take care of laundry and clean your apartment while you spending your leisure time in American club.
Or you can live local.

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Posted in Life in Japan, Local connections | 5 Comments

Easter Eggs

Posted on April 27, 2003 by anatol

Easter Eggs
Easter was celebrated by Tokyo Orthodox community this Sunday. Lots of eggs were boiled, painted, blessed and eaten. Boiled and painted eggs along with baked Easter bread called kuliches (куличи) are used to break long fast. The colorful tradition dates back to pre-Christian pagan festives.
There are two major orthodox churches in Tokyo. Newly renovated Nikolai-do or Св. Николай cathedral in Ochanomizu is the more famous one. It’s certainly one of the most impressive historic constructions in Tokyo, which survived major catastrophes of 20 century: Great Kanto earthquake of 1923 (although roof collapsed) and 1945 American bombing and fires triggered by the bombing.

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Election Uproar

Posted on April 23, 2003 by anatol

It’s difficult to surprise those who spent in Japan couple of years. When you wake up to the sound of a loudspeaker chanting the same mantra thousand times while slowly approaching your house, you instantly know: election time has arrived. Damn! Where did I put my earplugs?
Election PostersMobile Loudspeaker

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Around Formosa with Fuji S1 Pro

Posted on April 21, 2003 by anatol

At the end of 2001 three former classmates descended onto Taipei and in about one week managed to make complete circle around the island.


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Going Macro

Posted on April 20, 2003 by anatol
Micro Nikkor 105 AF 1:2.8D

tulip
I badly wanted these lens for long-long time. It’s not that I couldn’t afford them before. I just never buy photo-equipment unless I feel that I absolutely need it. Usually passion for camera or lens develops slowly and naturally before you would go ahead and buy it. And yes, it’s not cheap and even on Yahoo actions you can hardly win it for less then 45.000-50.000 yen. I tried. I decided to go for brand-new one and I paid about 56.000yen (or ~460 USD) at the Yodobashi Camera chain store in Ueno.

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Posted in Photography, Photo of Day | 2 Comments

Under Deflation Umbrella

Posted on April 17, 2003 by anatol

I was passing through small station in Tokyo suburbs when I spoted this stall selling umbrellas.
umbrella
As you can see, single umbrella goes for 300 yen or roughly 2.5 US dollars, while for two umbrellas you pay as little as 500 yen.

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Invited to wedding? Don’t panic!

Posted on April 17, 2003 by anatol

I just went to a friend’s wedding. Since he is American and the bride is Japanese it wasn’t completely standard Japanese wedding ceremony. However it had most of elements of it. Here is the list of things you need to know before going to wedding.
1. You’ve probably received gorgeous invitation envelope that includes the reply card.

When you reply don’t forget to cross out the self-neglecting character 行 from after person name and replace it with respectful 様 -sama. The closest match in English would probably be Esq.

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Posted in Life in Japan | 4 Comments

Tax thieves

Posted on April 14, 2003 by anatol

There is an expression in Japanese　 税金泥棒 (Zeikin Dorobou) which literally means Tax Thief. Or there is more polite expression 税金無駄使い (Zeikin Mudatzukai) which means One Who Wastes Taxes. Each time I go hiking to Okutama I remember this expression when passing in proximity of this bridge.

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Getting smaller?

Posted on April 13, 2003 by anatol

One of all-time favs:

1. The sport of choice for unemployed or incarcerated people is: Basketball.
2. The sport of choice for maintenance level employees is: Bowling.
3. The sport of choice for front line workers is: Football.
4. The sport of choice for supervisors is: Baseball.
5. The sport of choice for middle management is: Tennis.
6. The sport of choice for corporate officers is: Golf.
Conclusion: The higher you are in the corporate structure,
the smaller your balls become.

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Merrill’s 1996 Bonenkai in Rock-n-Roll Diner

Posted on April 11, 2003 by anatol

I stumbled into this album while cleaning my old harddisk. It’s only of marginal interest for those who didn’t work for Merrill’s Tokyo at that time.
Merills Bonenkai
Bonenkai means Forget-the-year party in Japanese as oppose to Shinnenkai which is New Year party.

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Onsen Gnome

Posted on April 10, 2003 by anatol

onsen gnome
Nozawa onsen is famous for it’s small public baths scattered around the town. Onsen 温泉 means hot springs in Japanese. Usually it’s a small wooden building with two sections: for man and woman. I haven’t seen mixed baths (called konyoku) in Nozawa. There is usually small undressing area with cloths cells followed by the main washing room and pool with hot mineral water. The temperature varies from place to place and depends on season, but it’s VERY hot. It’s actually used to boil eggs called onsen tamago　温泉卵, so you can imagine how hot is it.
Usually entrance is free and baths are unattended. However everything is clean and tidy. I was always wondering who is that invisible creature that takes care of the baths. The mystery was explained when I once wondered into one of the bathes very late at night. It was empty, only this local man in traditional straw hat was finishing his daily cleaning routine.

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