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Living Out Of A Suitcase
Christmas Dinner
Dec 26th
Instead of doing the KFC thing (a strange Japanese Christmas traditional meal), or buying a pre-cooked glazed leg from the supermarket, I went on the hunt for a whole bird yesterday. I searched a couple places and finally found some 3-4 pound birds for sale under Sendai Station.
Get Fit Or Die Trying, Part 2
Dec 9th
As anyone that is on my Facebook can see, I’ve been running a lot lately. There’s a great park just minutes from our place so I don’t have to deal with traffic and exhaust and all that other crap. Anyways, here’s the playlist I run to. I don’t even know when I made it, but it’s been sitting on the iPod for a while. I gotta update it though… any suggestions?
Do This, Don’t Do That
Dec 7th
Took on a little photo assignment on my way home from work the other day: Signs. Japan, if nothing, is absolutely littered with signs, telling the huddled masses what to do and when to do it. Of course, nobody follows any of these rules. People park on the sidewalk, don’t pay for bicycle parking, and routinely run red lights. Ironic how the country that makes most of the cars doesn’t even know how to drive them properly. The stereotype, my dear friends, is true.
Miyagino Avenue
Dec 6th
The east (rear) side of Sendai Station was totally revitalized some years ago. The train lines were all moved underground, allowing the main boulevard, Miyagino-dori (宮城野通) to be widened. Today it’s a beautiful area. The sidewalks are wide and uncrowded, lined with trees, and there are all kinds of interesting sculptures and small shallow waterways that run along them. It’s a nice relaxing way to walk to work, before you enter the hustle and bustle of the west side of the station.
Barock
Dec 4th
Our epic Monday adventure around Sendai finally landed us at a new bar near Sendai Station. Primarily a whiskey bar, they’ve also got a little wine and one Japanese beer, Heartland, which isn’t as bad as the regular domestic swill. As you can see the atmosphere is very dark and cozy, with classic vinyl albums spinning on the turntable. Complimentary macadamia nuts and an industrial-looking nutcracker complete the experience.
Nishi Park
Nov 25th
Finally, we ended up at Nishi (West) Park. Lying along the Hirosei River, the park is home to lots of events and festivals throughout the year. The leaves were in full colour. We avoided the bum singing all alone in the bushes and rode around the park. Nishi Park serves as a natural western boundry of downtown Sendai; beyond this are bridges and highways leading to universities and suburbs.
Kamisugi 2-Chōme Park
Nov 21st
Leaving Nishikicho Park, we headed north along Atago-Kamisugi Avenue. Golden yellow trees line the streets in this area, and we eventually ended up at a small (perhaps) unnamed park in the Kamsugi District. We played in the playground, tried to pick persimmon high above us, and harassed some pigeons.
Nishikicho Park
Nov 20th
Our next stop on was at one of the numerous downtown parks, Nishikicho Koen. There are two large circular halves to the park, one grass and one dirt, which are divided by a row of trees. Lots of events are held here throughout the year, the most popular probably being the Oktoberfest festivals.
The Morning Market
Nov 19th
Took an epic, 12-hour jaunt around Sendai this past Monday. Our original plan was simply to visit Asaichi, the Morning Market, to pick up some fresh-off-the-boat seafood for dinner. It quickly mutated into an all out tour of the downtown area though. Here’s the first leg of our trip.
The Walk Home: Under The Tracks
Nov 11th
WARNING: The following may very well be the most boring paragraph I’ve ever said or written.
As part of an ongoing photography project I’ve been trying to take different routes home from work. They are getting progressively longer though, as I have to take increasingly indirect paths. Also hindering my return home are the bullet and local train tracks that I must either pass above or below as I snake my way away from Sendai Station, which is the most direct route. I guess I’ll have to start riding my bike to and from work, but I find that there are so many photo opportunities missed while on a bicycle. There are basically only four crossings through the tracks, so eventually I’ll have to find deviations both before and after I reach them.
The Ride Home
Nov 7th
Decided to take my bike into work for a change today. Downtown it’s illegal to park your bike on the sidewalk, although hundreds of people do. Once a week or so the city comes around though and impounds all the offending bicycles. It’s about $25 to get your bike back. The closest bicycle parking lot near my office is in a pedestrian underpass. It’s only 50 yen per day, but I guess it can add up if you ride your bike downtown everyday. Some department stores, like Mitsukoshi, have free bicycle parking but it’s too far away from where I work.
I chose to take a small detour to Kokubuncho on my way home tonight, but just did a quick drive-by. Some night I’ll go back and give it the full attention that it deserves. All photos taken with a Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 lens.