Slideshow

Galleries

Dance! : Nippon Domannaka Matsuri (Domatsuri for short) is the largest dance festival in central Japan (Chubu region). Held at the end of August, this year's festival featured 200 dance teams and 23,000 performers from all across Japan (as well as a few from abroad).

Dance!

Nippon Domannaka Matsuri (Domatsuri for short) is the largest dance fe ...

Updated: Sep 28, 2009 8:38pm PST

Minami Alps : These are shots from an 8-day trek across the southern range of the Japan Alps, which contains Kita-dake (Japan's second-highest mountain) several peaks over 3000m.

Minami Alps

These are shots from an 8-day trek across the southern range of the Ja ...

Updated: Sep 28, 2009 7:32pm PST

Cosplay! : Cosplay (short for "costume play") is a widely-documented Japanese pop-culture phenomenon wherein fans dress up as anime and manga characters, complete with makeup and accessories. Some treat it as a casual hobby; for many it's more of a lifestyle. The movement has been gaining popularity among young people outside of Japan as well, with the result that TV Aichi now sponsors an annual World Cosplay Summit with the idea of "promoting cultural exchange". The two day affair, held every August, culminates in a contest in which judges select a World Champion. The shots in this gallery were taken on the first day, during and around the cosplay parade held in Nagoya's Osu Kannon district.

Cosplay!

Cosplay (short for "costume play") is a widely-documented Japanese pop ...

Updated: Sep 28, 2009 6:59pm PST

Sumo! : The life of a sumo wrestler is a highly structured affair. Aside from the strict diet and workout regimen, wrestlers are expected to adhere to a strict code of conduct in private and in public. Their workouts are held at the stables (which also serve as living quarters) and are generally closed to public viewing. However, in the week leading up to an out-of-town tournament, the stables practice in guest facilities and lift the viewing restrictions, providing a great opportunity for fans to get a close glimpse of these great athletes. This particular stable held their Nagoya Basho workouts outdoors in a park, which allowed me to get these shots.

Sumo!

The life of a sumo wrestler is a highly structured affair. Aside from ...

Updated: Sep 28, 2009 5:03pm PST

Hounen-sai : Perhaps better known to foreigners as "Penis Festival", this annual celebration of fertility takes place at Tagata Shrine in Komaki (north of Nagoya) on March 15th. The focus of the festival is a procession where teams of 12 local men (aged 42) carry a 13 foot, 620lb. phallus, hand-carved every year by a master craftsman from a cypress cut down in the dead of winter, from Kumano Shrine to Tagata Shrine 1.5km away. The procession is symbolic of a local warlord's conjugal visits to his wife. The festival features free booze, obnoxious foreigners, and interesting, um, souvenirs and candy.

Hounen-sai

Perhaps better known to foreigners as "Penis Festival", this annual ce ...

Updated: Mar 18, 2009 5:47am PST

koromo festival candids : From Toyota's annual Autumn festival, Koromo-matsuri.

koromo festival candids

From Toyota's annual Autumn festival, Koromo-matsuri.

Updated: Nov 22, 2008 6:38am PST

Takayama : A charming old town in the mountains of Gifu prefecture, Takayama was once a major center of timber and wood-related craft. As such, it was deemed too important an asset to entrust to local nobility, so it was placed under the direct control of the Edo government. Gallery includes shots from Hida Folk Village Museum, old merchant house district, a few temples and some fall foliage.

Takayama

A charming old town in the mountains of Gifu prefecture, Takayama was ...

Updated: Nov 20, 2008 5:32am PST

cars (sort of)! : Shot at the Toyota Automobile Museum (which, oddly enough, is not in Toyota City).

cars (sort of)!

Shot at the Toyota Automobile Museum (which, oddly enough, is not in T ...

Updated: Oct 22, 2008 8:30am PST

Kita Alps : In mid August I did a week-long trek through Japan's North Alps. I was able to get off these shots before bad weather chased me off the peaks two days earlier than I would have liked.

Kita Alps

In mid August I did a week-long trek through Japan's North Alps. I wa ...

Updated: Aug 28, 2008 9:19am PST

oiden festival candids : A few crowd shots from Toyota City's annual summer festival.

oiden festival candids

A few crowd shots from Toyota City's annual summer festival.

Updated: Jul 29, 2008 10:08am PST

fireworks! : Toyota City's annual Oiden Festival concludes with a 2 hour fireworks display. These shots were taken from my rooftop.

fireworks!

Toyota City's annual Oiden Festival concludes with a 2 hour fireworks ...

Updated: Jul 29, 2008 10:01am PST

Yakushima : This small island south of Kyushu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and deservedly so. Traversing it on foot in four days, I came across sandy beaches, mangroves, mountain peaks, 3000-year old cedars, moss-covered ravines, waterfalls, and most importantly, monkeys.

Yakushima

This small island south of Kyushu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and ...

Updated: May 18, 2008 7:53am PST

single photos 1 : A collection of older, point&shoot stuff from all over Japan.

single photos 1

A collection of older, point&shoot stuff from all over Japan.

Updated: Apr 15, 2008 7:36pm PST

posed shots 1 : Friends and neighbors, available light.

posed shots 1

Friends and neighbors, available light.

Updated: Apr 15, 2008 11:34am PST

single photos 2 : Mostly taken around Aichi prefecture, with a few stray shots as noted.

single photos 2

Mostly taken around Aichi prefecture, with a few stray shots as noted.

Updated: Apr 15, 2008 11:29am PST

snaps 2 : Hanging out, etc.

snaps 2

Hanging out, etc.

Updated: Apr 15, 2008 11:28am PST

Western Hokkaido : Some shots from the northernmost of Japan's four main islands, taken in August of 2007. Locations include Sapporo, Rishiri-Rebun National Park, Shikotsu-Toya National Park, and Noboribetsu Onsen.

Western Hokkaido

Some shots from the northernmost of Japan's four main islands, taken i ...

Updated: Apr 15, 2008 11:26am PST

candid shots 1 : Older point & shoot stuff, for the most part.

candid shots 1

Older point & shoot stuff, for the most part.

Updated: Apr 15, 2008 11:19am PST

snaps 1 : Some personal photos from Golden Week 2007.

snaps 1

Some personal photos from Golden Week 2007.

Updated: Apr 15, 2008 10:37am PST

Toyota Municipal Museum of Art : Designed by Yoshio Taniguchi (best known for having redesigned New York's Museum of Modern Art), the Toyota Museum houses mostly contemporary works and is an attractive building in its own right.

Toyota Municipal Museum of Art

Designed by Yoshio Taniguchi (best known for having redesigned New Yor ...

Updated: Apr 15, 2008 10:19am PST

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