Sunflowers in Nagano
Nagano Prefecture is well-known for its winter sports, and of course the 1998 Winter Olympics. But summer offers pleasant reprieve from the sultry summer heat in the major city areas. In addition to simply getting away nature offers a wonderful bounty.
Driving in the highlands takes you past many places begging for a visit, like this lovely “rest stop” near Iida, Nagano Prefecture. The field was ablaze with tall, robust sunflowers in their prime. And after a brief stretch, one can pick up a few fresh vegetables, some worth eating on the spot!
I must say, for Japan’s rather extreme industry in the city centers, I really appreciate how pleasant the interior can be.
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Pillow Talk app
I won’t get into how difficult it is for Japanese men to find girlfriends, especially non-Japanese girlfriends. But IF one had the opportunity to reach home-plate, there is an iPhone application to the rescue (or not). Read more here.
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Walking to the shrine
A local summer festival culminates in a large precession from the river to the shrine. Despite the extreme summer heat after the rainy season, these festival revelers still kept good cheer. The young boy is being carried as a spiritual totem to the shrine for the final prayer which will wrap up this two-day celebration.
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Shadows and Signs
The position of the shadows on the (ubiquitous) corrugated metal caught my eye.
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Google+
Google+ is where it’s at. Here’s my recent 500px blog post.
If you’re not there yet, you might be soon!
It’s been a huge success for photographers, but hopefully a better system for photos is on its way. Picasa works all right, but the folder system and UI for photo sharing still needs work.
If you want to jump on board, let me know ☺
Smoking in Japan
Lighting up
It’s an all-too familiar sight in Japan: smokers in clearly marked non-smoking areas.
Since coming to Asia, it has been interesting to see how well the tobacco industry is actually doing. After seeing a series of litigative defeats in my own country, I thought surely the industry was hurt. Perhaps so, but upon seeing vending machines along streets, and staggering reports that more than 50% of Japanese men smoke (or had smoked) made me realize that Asia is still in the 1950s.
Gotta light?
Generally, local ordinances are in place around train stations and schools. Many visitors to Japan will notice increased signage for many things, so plenty of signs are printed, taped, mounted on poles, and even cemented into sidewalks and stairs. Fines can be 2,000 Japanese Yen on the spot, but I have never spotted anyone being stopped …except by my camera.
Apparently nothing stopped this old timer from enjoying a mid-afternoon puff.
Rolling and smoking
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