Toy Camera Kouyou

One final shot from The Kobe Municipal Arboretum, which is also known as the Kobe City Forest Botanical Garden. Used the LX3 Toy Camera Setting.

Sunflower ひまわり

Sunflower, Himawari ひまわり, on the side of the street near my home. The days have become noticeably shorter and winter is close at hand, the last of these bright yellow flowers are fading and bow heavy with seed.

Suma Rikyu Park 須磨離宮公園

Last weekend was the end of the Kōbe tourist week, where many local sites offered discounted or free admission. One of the last places I got to check out was the Suma Rikyu Park, a botanical garden and park created in 1967 on the general model of the Palace of Versailles park. It includes about 230 types of trees, substantial gardens of iris, rose, and camellia. Photograph is from the goose and lotus pond across from the iris garden.

Kazaridaru

These sake barrels or Kazaridaru, decoration barrels, are a common site near Shinto shrines. While the barrels are physically empty, they are full of ritual significance; in part because sake is an important symbol for bridging the distances between gods and people. In ancient texts "sake" is written as miki, composed of the characters for "god" and "wine". Nowadays, the word miki (or o-miki when given its honorific prefix) is reserved for rice wine used in Shinto rites and festivals and drinking it is still a symbolic act of unification with the gods. Consequently, Shinto shrines and sake manufacturers maintain a symbiotic relationship, in which the shrines conduct rites to ask the gods for the prosperity of the brewers, and the brewers donate the wine (and the symbolic barrels) that shrines need for ceremonies and festivals.

Ever-present Cables

One site you can count on in Japan, almost anywhere you travel, are the power lines spread web-like across allies, streets, buildings, and almost every urban landscape.

Ultraman ウルトラマン

Ultraman is a character featured in tokusatsu (special effects) television programs in Japan. Ultraman's creator was Eiji Tsuburaya, a pioneer in special effects who was responsible for bringing Godzilla to life in 1954. The first Ultraman series, that aired in 1967, begins when Shin Hayata is struck by a red sphere of light. The sphere turns out to be the transport for a red-and-silver giant being called Ultraman. Feeling remorse for killing the human, the being merges with Hayata to revive him. In return, Hayata serves as the human form for this being, and when danger threatens, he activates the "beta capsule" and transforms to Ultraman to save the day. The storyline begins in the near future, as referenced from the mid-1960's, 1993 to be exact. If only the future could be so dramatically different, the way science fiction shows envision. Photograph is of an arcade ride.

Back At The Beach

Beachside furniture, photographed using the toy camera setting on the LX3.

Local Landscape

Continuing to play with the toy camera setting. This is an image taken on my way home from a class in Sannomiya, a small restaurant situated under the raised train tracks of the JR line with central Shin-Nagata in the background.

Saru 猿 Monkey

Caged monkey at the Kōbe Oji Zoo. Kinda a creepy atmosphere to the photo that is not truly representative of the zoo, but fun all the same.

The Saru goes: キー キー (ki-i ki-i)

Oji Zoo 王子動物園

Sunday was a free admission day at the Oji Zoo in Kōbe, braving the heavy rain I went to check it out. I often have mixed feelings about visiting the zoo and after a few minutes of seeing the caged animals pacing in their small enclosures, I become vaguely depressed. Yet I still go every once in a while, especially if it is in a new city. Oji is a small zoo but does offer some interesting animals in picturesque surroundings. In late March or April I have been told that Oji Zoo is one of the best places for sakura in Kōbe, especially at night. Still playing with the toy camera setting, guess I will make it the theme this week.

Creepy Shinto 神道 Shrine

Continuing to play with the toy camera setting, this time at a local shrine. I liked the creepy feeling of this one, like a giant face. I was inspired by the Halloween decorations that are going up in retail stores and restaurants. Even though the holiday is not really celebrated in Japan, I am very happy to see the jack-o-lanters and skeletons; I am a huge fan of Halloween.

Day At The Beach

School is back in session and the young masses have retreated from the sandy coasts of Suma beach, leaving in their wake plenty of rubbish. However, as the beaches are slowly cleaned and returned to the small numbers of beach combers, romantic couples, and fishermen that frequent them in the off-season, calm and quiet has again settled. For me personally, my photography has been feeling a bit stale of late. In an attempt to rediscover my local landscapes I have employed the "toy camera" setting of my LX3 and turned off the LCD, so the colors are all wonky, light leaks are simulated, and I am shooting without really seeing exactly what the camera is seeing. I miss my Holga, but this is the next best thing and loads cheaper, having no processing and film costs. Here are some results, I wait until I get back home to my computer before I see any shots and they are often a surprise. This method allows me to "let go" and just shoot whatever catches my fancy in a stream-of-consciousness like manner. If you want to have some playful and unexpected snapshots, this is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Try using an expired disposable camera, lomography camera such as the Holga, or a digital toy camera such as the super cute but expensive digital Harinezumi.

Shadow Motomachi

The heavenly contrasts with the earthly.

The brightness of the moon emphasizes the crisp darkness of the pine tree’s shadow.

The shadow gently moves,

compared with the stillness of the tatami mats.

- Takarai Kikaku

Contrasts are often found at the heart of the traditional sense of Japanese beauty, the stark contrasts of stillness and movement, darkness and light. Photograph is a shadow of a lamp in Motomachi.

Sakura 桜

The Sakura or flowering cherry trees have started to blossom and this is one of my first attempts this season to capture their beauty, though many are sure to follow. Taken by how these trees, located in the middle of downtown Sannomiya, are contrasted against the concrete and brick inspired me to use the 'toy camera' setting on my LX3 to emulate the atmosphere.

Kobe Fashion Museum has Landed

Kobe Fashion Museum, located on Rokkō Island, is Japan’s first public museum dedicated to fashion. This photograph doesn't provide a clear perspective of the whole building, for that you will have to google or take me on my word, but it looks a little like the bridge of the starship Enterprise. Unfortunately the building is a fail - it could have been fantastic but much like a crayon drawing done by a young child who doesn't know when to stop, this building is over embellished, cluttered and generally lacks focus. Photograph done in-camera on the Panasonic LX3 'toy camera' setting - I think the ominous mood makes this feel like a close view of the bridge of the doomed Discovery One from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.