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Living Out Of A Suitcase
宮城 Miyagi Prefecture
Cherry Blossoms (Sakura,さくら)
Sep 1st, 2010
Cherry blossoms in late full bloom on the banks of the Shiroishi River near Funaoka.
Hitome Senbon Zakura (一目千本桜)
Aug 15th, 2010
Between Ogawara and Shibata towns, a thousand cherry blossom trees line the Shiroishi River. Thousands upon thousands of tourists visit the area in May to enjoy ‘Hanami’, cherry blossom viewing.
Construction (Kouji,工事)
Aug 3rd, 2010
Construction of a new train platform at Tagajo Station, Miyagi Prefecture.
Cherry Blossom Petals (Sakura Hanabira, さくら花びら)
Aug 1st, 2010
Senbon Zakura (1000 Cherry Blossom Trees) line the Shiroishi River in Ogawara town.
Life’s A Beach
Jul 12th, 2010
Took the scooter out to the coastal town of Shichigahama last Monday to check out Shobuta Beach, as we slowly make our way out of the rainy season and into summer. The Pacific Ocean water doesn’t look too bad, but the beach itself could use some cleaning up. Nevertheless, this will probably be our best option to enjoy some surf and sand this summer.
Sunset (Nichibotsu,日没)
Jun 15th, 2010
Sunset falls on the Sunaoshi River near Tagajo Station in Miyagi Prefecture.
Flower (Hana, 花)
May 25th, 2010
Along the banks of the Shiroishi River, between Ogawara and Funaoka.
Smalltown Life
Nov 4th, 2009
Every Wednesday evening I have to work outside the city in a small town called Tagajo. Basically it’s a suburb of Sendai, but it’s also home to many factories for big companies like Mitsubishi and Sony. I walk through the main entertainment area on my way to work, so I thought I’d keep trying out the prime lens and take some low-light photos.
Like most countryside towns in Japan, there’s only one main strip where most of the bars and tiny restaurants reside. Easy to go bar hopping and grab some eats afterwards. Of course, afterwards can be 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7am…
Dinner in Furukawa
Nov 3rd, 2009
Took a Shinkansen north up to Furukawa to visit some friends and co-workers from my days there, and made a couple new friends as well. 120 minute “nomihodai” (all you can drink!) ensures getting the night off to a fun start. The food at this particular “izakaya” (Japanese restaurant) however was pretty crappy, in particular the grilled squid was dry and bland. Afterwards a few of us made our way up the street to a darts bar, but packed it in pretty early. I crashed on my friend’s couch at around 3:30. I’ve never actually closed that darts bar down actually… and probably never will!
Photo of the Indeterminate Time Period #2
Jun 16th, 2009
Near the outskirts of Sendai, where the city slowly reverts back to farmland, you’ll find lots of interesting old vending machines. Here’s one of them.
Local farmers sell eggs and vegetables out of these bad boys. Interesting side note, these eggs, along with the ones you’ll buy at a supermarket, are unrefrigerated.
Riding the Mangatrain
Jun 2nd, 2009
On mornings I go running, I take the train to work. The station is right next to my place, and the station I get off at is like 50 feet from my office entrance. The train I take is on the Senseki Line, which goes from Sendai all the way out to Ishinomaki out on the Pacific Coast. Sometimes I get to ride what I call the Mangatrain. I don’t read comics anymore so I wasn’t sure what characters these were, but it always made me a little happier when I saw it rolling down the tracks.
Upon doing some research, I found that the actual name of this train is the “Mangattan Liner”. Since Ishinomaki is home to the Ishinomori Manga Museum this train is undoubtedly an homage/advertisement to Shotaro Ishinomori and his famous work.
The train has four cars, which you can see in the illustration below. First is the “Cyborg 009″ car, featuring characters from this famous manga/anime. Next is the “____-jidai (____-period)” car (I can’t quite make that last kanji out), featuring characters from various manga, including Sandarabocchi さんだらぼっち. After that is the “Comedy” car with various silly characters. Finally there’s the “Hero” car, featuring the famous Kamen Rider!
Many thanks to Chimihen for the illustration and the additional info (Japanese website). When I first rode the train, the interior was plastered with comic book pages, not regular train advertisements. I guess however that the economics of it all won out; the next time I got to ride the Mangattan Liner all the comics were replaced with the usual ads.
Check out the brief slideshow below to see the Mangattan Liner up close and personal, and also check out this post over at Pink Tentacle to see some other beautifully painted manga-themed trains throughout Japan.
A Trip To Wakuya Castle
Mar 21st, 2009
Friday was a national holiday in Japan, Shunbun no hi (春分の日), also known as Spring Equinox. I needed to buy some duct tape, and tools to dismantle my home gym as the packing slowly rounds into form. I figured I’d also make it out to Wakuya and check out the remains of its castle since the weather was so nice.
From the JNTO Website:
Watari Shigemune, a military commander, became the governor of Wakuya Castle (Wakuya-jo) in 1591, and for 277 years from that time the castle remained in the possession of the Sendai Clan, which governed this region. Backed by a hill and guarded at the front by the river, Wakuya Castle was a natural fortress. It had no castle tower but instead a row of buildings resembling manors. It was completely destroyed by accidental fire in 1689, then rebuilt over a period of several years. When political power shifted from the Edo Shogunate to the Meiji Government in the mid-19th century, many castles, symbols of the samurai’s political power, were destroyed, including most of the buildings of Wakuya Castle. Only the stone walls and the taikodo turret now remain. A three-storied tower-like building stands adjacent to the castle, exhibiting related materials.
The small park where the castle resides looks like it would be really nice in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom. I will be somewhere else during Hanami however. Shiroishi or Kakunodate are on the short list this year.