Category: Japan things!

These things are about Japan!

Nerdtour 2012 quickie: Kiyosumi Garden

Here’s a photo from the “star” of my upcoming book, Kiyosumi Garden! I went there on my first full day in Japan in 2012, and even though it was a mixture of sun and rain during the hours I was there, it still managed to be very beautiful, quiet and serene, even in the heart of Metropolitan Tokyo.

Enjoy!

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It’s a book thing!

So, I finally have a few tools to help me with the workflow, the process of making a photo book. I decided to work on a few books from my Nerdtour 2012 excursion, one each on a different place, topic, or a single day. I took so many photos that it was hard to work on them individually, selecting each one, adjusting lighting, selecting which to use and not use. Fortunately technology has kept advancing and getting more affordable, so now with Adobe Lightroom and Blurb BookSmart I think I can start creating the books I want to write! Of course, the hard part will now be writing up stuff in the books, the photo part was easy! By the way, the first book will be about the Kiyosumi Garden in Koto Ward, Tokyo, which just happened to be a couple of miles from my apartment, and one brief subway stop away!

Here’s a couple of screenshots of the “work” in progress:

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DC Sakura Matsuri 2013 – Matsuri!

Well, after walking and walking and walking, I made it to the end of the parade route, where I was able to finally cross Constitution Avenue to the side where the matsuri was taking place. Then it was another 4 block or so walk to get to the nearest entrance to the matsuri, where I stopped to rest for a few minutes. I decided to pace myself after looking in on the huge crowds of people milling about (or trying to!) inside the matsuri fence, because there would be no sitting inside! I managed to spend about 4 hours there, got to see some interesting booths, inflicted my Japanese on some poor folks, and basically had fun. I saw a very high-energy J-Pop band called “M’sh”, and watched some friends perform in a cosplay “fashion show”. After that was over I decided it was time to start the long walk back to my car in the Potomac Park, so I headed back to the Tidal Basin, taking a few more photos along the way. I did stop at the Jefferson Memorial to buy a soft drink and take another short rest, but since I was so close to the car I figured it would be better to keep going. Finally I got to my car at about 5 PM, after starting at 8:30, drove home, unloaded my SD card, and promptly went to sleep!

So, one week later I managed to upload some more photos here! As always, click to see the full-size photo!

Enjoy!

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There were a few people at the matsuri...
There were a few people at the matsuri…
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... just a few...
… just a few…
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... thousand...
… thousand…
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And you thought DC *traffic* gridlock was bad...
And you thought DC *traffic* gridlock was bad…
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Dancers performing a traditional Hokkaido fisherman's dance
Dancers performing a traditional Hokkaido fisherman’s dance
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DC Japan Model Railroad Club
DC Japan Model Railroad Club
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Some cosplay friends at the NHKWorld booth
Some cosplay friends at the NHKWorld booth
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A couple of Cherry Blossom Queen candidates
A couple of Cherry Blossom Queen candidates
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I have a bag, it's a pink bag, others may have other bags, but this one is mine. Any questions?
I have a bag, it’s a pink bag, others may have other bags, but this one is mine. Any questions?
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M'sh!
M’sh!
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Rock Guitarist Face #1
Rock Guitarist Face #1
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Rock Guitarist face #2
Rock Guitarist face #2
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ValNika vlogs!
ValNika vlogs!
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Chillin' at the Tidal Basin...
Chillin’ at the Tidal Basin…
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It was... a little crowded...
It was… a little crowded…
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DC Sakura Matsuri 2013: Tidal Basin Morning

So, the last of the cherry blossoms are dropping their petals, and the primary colors are turning from pink and white to green, after a seemingly endless Winter. Here are photos I took during my walk from the Tidal Basin to the DC Sakura Matsuri (street festival) on Saturday.
I’ll have photos from the matsuri itself in a later post.

Enjoy!

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As promised, more cherry blossoms…

Here we go, a batch from Tuesday evening (the only time I can get down there is around 5:30. Dang job!). I got some pretty neat pictures of the blossoms, and especially pictures of people enjoying them! I also got some eerie effects by photographing cherry trees at night, lit by streetlights!

So, here are some more, and even more to come later! Enjoy!

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Some more cherry blossoms, 2013

Here are a few more photos I took during a long (long) walk around East Potomac Park, to see the cherry blossoms. More to come!

Enjoy!

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All Nerdtour 2012, all in one place!

So, I reorganized my pages and posts somewhat, and gathered things together in a more coherent fashion! I grouped all the posts (so far) concerning the 2012 Nerdtour, and put them where they belong, under the “Things I’ve Done” link to “Nerdtour 2012“. I added sub-menus for “About“, “Preparations” and “Trip“, with posts relating specifically to each. Hopefully things make a bit more sense, or at least are easier to find!

Kenji Kawai concert: Ghost In The Shell Soundtrack

I don’t know how long this will stay up before the Copyright Commandos remove it, so watch while you can.
Continue reading “Kenji Kawai concert: Ghost In The Shell Soundtrack”