Category: photography
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Sights from traveling northern Japan
In writing my newsletter I gathered up all the photos I posted this month from our summer break trip in Tohoku. I thought I should just post the photo round up here, and I can give a little a bit of context for the images. This trip was my first this far north. I had…
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Saturday morning walks in Kyoto
In recent weeks, as the kids sleep in on the weekend, my wife and I have been taking early morning walks around the city, hitting temples and shrines before the tourists. We chitchat while strolling along, poking around areas of the city that we have not taken the time to explore. Sometimes we talk about…
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Such a glorious day today in #kyoto 😁 Hope you all had a lovely Tanabata 🎋
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Greeting the sun and moon for 2021
We turned in at about 1AM after watching 紅白 and ゆく年くる年 I roused the kids out of bed at 6am so we could drive to a spot for a view of the first sunrise of 2021. Shivering in the car we ended up at the cliffs by Sakyōbana, the crumbling heavenly pillar and well-known “power…
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Sakyōbana, crumbling pillar of Heaven
In my last post I explained about the “Pillars of Heaven”, the eight objects sent down by the gods to prevent Iki island from floating around the Sea of Japan at its own free will. Other than Saruiwa the Monkey Rock, most have crumbled into the sea. Of the remaining pillars, my favourite is Sakyōbana,…
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Monkey Rock, a pillar of heaven
On the eastern side of Iki, jutting 45 meters out of the ocean is a giant rock formation, somewhat covered in moss-like greenery. From a certain angle the rocks look uncannily like a massive gorilla, solemnly looking out over a nearby cliff. This is the treasure of Ikijima: Saruiwa 猿岩 or “Monkey Rock.” The Kojiki,…
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The National Mall, Washington DC
I am travelling in the capital region of the United States right now on business. I took a day to walk the National Mall in Washington, DC. It was a gorgeous day, sunny but not hot. The wind made it deceptively cool, and I got a terrible sunburn. I walked the 5km from Union Station…
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New camera: Canon G7X
Before going to Japan in March, I sold my Canon 60D and all my lenses. My intention was to buy a Sony RX100iii or a Canon G7X. I agonized over the differences. I like the Sony’s eye piece and fully flexible screen, but I don’t like their video formats. Also, that screen looks pretty delicate.…
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Shinran and the Buddhist Evangelical movement of Japan
A fifth of Japanese — about 25 million people — identify as practitioners of Jōdo Shinshū, the largest denomination of Buddhism in Japan. My family in Japan are all Jōdo Shinshū, also known as “Shin” Buddhism. I am currently here in Japan, and this weekend we will be performing the 13th memorial service for my…
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Random pages of Coupland
Previously I praised Douglas Coupland’s typography, and explained that: Often when reading Coupland’s books, I use my smartphone camera to capture the unique layouts I have collected a number of those photos and gathered them together with some commentary in the galleries below. Have a click through, and enjoy some pithy quotes, equally insightful and…