The pedals have fallen in Nishinomiya

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Originally uploaded by sleepytako.

The hanami season is over and the sakura (cherry blossoms) have begun to fall into the rivers turning them pink. I enjoy this time even more than the hight hanami season because it's more symbolic of the sakura's fleeting life. Their beauty in death is more beautiful than it was when they were in their prime. I posted a set of photos taken last week along the Shukugawa river in Nishinomiya to my flickr. Please enjoy them.

It's election time!

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Originally uploaded by sleepytako.

How elections work in Japan... loudspeaker cars, and poster walls.

Here we have a speech given from the roof of a campaign bus in front of Akashi station. Below we see a wall in a residential area with designated spaces for the various candidates.

No Parking! YAY!

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Originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Here the coach for the Hanshin Tigers, along with the wife of the "new foreign pitcher" remind everyone that there is no parking at Koshien Stadium. I'll be sure to remember that now that she's informed me.

Click on the image for a larger version.

Don't move the freeway, put a hole the building

This might be my favorite building in Osaka. I wonder how it was built. Was the freeway ramp active while they built the building? I've never seen anyone go in or out of this building and it looks under used... I'm not surprised.

恵美寿湯の散歩

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Originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Even more photos. These from a few weeks ago when I went to Akashi to get my being the process of getting my Japanese drivers license. Well, I was denied because I didn’t have the correct paper work, opps. Still working on that. Anyhow, I used the opportunity to hit up another onsen down in that part of Hyogo as going there on a whim is prohibitively expensive. The place I found was Ebisu onsen in a neighborhood of factories, old housing projects, and new single family houses. There were many things about the Japanese landscape that stood out to me on this walk. I’ll point out a few. The onsen was one of the most amazing I’ve been to. The outdoor bath was mineral rich and completely amazing. The owner even gave me a free bathtowel when I told her about my hobby of going to onsen and collecting the towels. I’ll be going back there eventually.

恵美寿湯　湧昇の湯

兵庫県明石市貴崎４−６−１２
www.geocities.jp/syoujinobuo/ebisuyu.html
www.ne.jp/asahi/world/hopper/onsen/hyogo/ebisu/ebisu.htm


The houses next to the factory place laundry poles and potted plants next to the wall making use of the space and breaking up the monotony of a solid wall.


Many houses have a few potted plants out front, this family has one of the largest, if not the largest, collection of plants I've seen in front of one house.


The garbage behind some sort of machinist workshop.

What is, never could be, and will be.

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Originally uploaded by sleepytako.

The existing landscape is blocked by a construction barrier depicting an idealized landscape that never could never exist there, and the plans to turn it into a new constructed landscape devoid of those trees.

Gualariva's Hanami Party

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Originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Hanami season is here! And like last year I plan on enjoying it as much as possible so why not start it off with a bang? I joined the Gualariva regulars and a few new people for an adult hanami, we had catered French food, a selection of fine wine, and a portable classic record player... Plus a little rain. I’ve posted a set of photos on my Flickr which you can check out here. Besides the food, which was to die for, it was great when all the old grandmothers came buy to check out the record player.

The record player


After the eating and drinking was done