Tokyo Photos [8]

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

So, back in November, a old building next to my apartment building became a new parking lot. This month, an old parking lot next to my building is becoming a new apartment building. What a way to run a railroad, huh? Anyway, they broke ground this morning, shattering what was actually a really nice sleep. Here’s the picture from the top of my stairs after about an hour of work. I always go on about how fast construction happens in Tokyo — let’s put it to the test in real time. I’ll be posting shots of the progress. Maybe I can show them to my new neighbors…who I’m sure I’ll never meet.

REMIX

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The Myth of The Myth of Japan’s Failure

Posted on January 9, 2012 by

Finally, a ray of hope. The New York Times ran an opinion piece on January 6th, called “The Myth of Japan’s Failure”. It examines the Japanese economy and demonstrates that the West’s image of Japan may not be entirely accurate, and that the so-called “Lost Years” following Japan’s market crash of 1990 should be viewed more favorably. A lot of the points raised in the piece are arguments I’ve made myself over the years, so I was glad to see it near the top of the Times’ “Most Emailed” list. However, as much as it pleased me to see this article, someone had some serious problems with it. Me.

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Shaken, Not Stirred

Posted on January 1, 2012 by

Well, Japan gets another earthquake for the New Year. Early AP reports say it was a magnitude 7.0 quake that struck under the ocean near the Izu Islands, about 300 miles SSW of Tokyo. We definitely felt it here, though. Had to mop up my coffee after it spilled everywhere.

As of yet, there are no reports of tsunami, casualties or injuries anywhere, but it’s still early. Here’s hoping everything stays normal, and wishing you all a happy New Year.

REMIX

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The Ties That Bind

Posted on December 26, 2011 by

Merry Christmas! The end of 2011 is fast approaching and that can mean a great many things. But the focus of today’s post is the kanji of the year.

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Tokyo Photos [7]

Posted on December 20, 2011 by

I would be remiss not to show you all some of the less lovely sides of Tokyo. This shot was taken on the Yamanote [Shinagawa-bound] platform in Shibuya at around 10:36 pm. I was standing next to this guy for about 3 minutes and he never moved a muscle, although he’d thrown up at some point. 10:30 and wasted. Such is salary man life.

REMIX

PS – Happy birthday, Mom!

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New Tsunami Footage

Posted on December 12, 2011 by

To some, the earthquake and tsunami of this past March may be a fading memory. Even in Tokyo, where radiation exposure, food supplies and power outages were major concerns in the weeks following the disaster, many have returned to live as usual. But the people of Tohoku, the devastated region of Northern Japan, are certainly still feeling the effects of the quake today — among them is one man who recounted the events of 3/11 after the dashboard video from his car was recovered. Via autoblog.com and ITN News, footage of the tsunami, with the man’s [translated] interview:

This guy’s got guts. But many others weren’t as lucky.

REMIX

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Tokyo Photos [6]

Posted on December 11, 2011 by

This is the view of Tokyo from across the bay in Odaiba. The Rainbow Bridge obscures quite a bit, but Tokyo Tower is quite noticeable. It was a nice day.

REMIX

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