theballpark goes japanese ...09

TEAM J09

2009-07-27T15:31:00.003+10:00

DAY 15: one last shop, one last shinkansen, then home

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We are off the plane at the Gold Coast airport, it is 6am in the morning, and we are all exhausted as we drag ourselves and our much heavier bags and our duty free booze to the bus.

some miscallaneousness

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DAY 14: one last stroll around the hood.

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DAY 14: but wait....there's more.....we visit Klein Dytham

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Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham invited us to their office where they spoke to us about their practice. It was inspirational. To see more go to

http://www.klein-dytham.com/

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fs20090430a3.html

DAY 14: the icing on the cake at Tama Art University

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The university building at the Tama Art University was designed by Toyo Ito. Whilst in some ways it is a simple arched building, the interior is gobsmacking.

we were not allowed to take any pics inside so go here to see some:
http://www.dezeen.com/2007/09/11/tama-art-university-library-by-toyo-ito/

also for info on the uni:
http://www.tamabi.ac.jp/english/about/hachioji.htm

DAY 14: next stop Hanamidori Cultural Center

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A project by Atelier Bow-Wow, the Hanamidori Cultural Center in Tokyo's Tachikawa City opened in 2005. Fifteen cylinders are topped with green and connected by a sweeping green roof of park landscape. Like shade under a tree, the inside and outside spaces are connected intrinsically, with glass facades and openings. The trusses of this shelter structure are arranged for moment forces so that parts allow openings for larger plantings above.

It's a growing architecture that unifies landscape and building.

http://www.archdaily.com/5925/hanamidori-cultural-center-atelier-bow-wow/

for more info

http://www.showakinenpark.go.jp/english/area/a_zone.htm

Day 14: bus trip, next stop a community theatre by Toyo Ito

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Someone called Jim has written a great blog about it. So go to

http://www.jimonlight.com/2009/07/13/toyo-ito-and-the-za-koenji-public-theatre-in-tokyo/

DAY 14: we get a bus and a tour guide....first stop Atelier Bow-Wow

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Yoshiharu Tsukamoto was very gracious and welcomed us to his home/office. He spoke of the work of Atelier Bow-Wow and showed us around the building.

Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, along with his partner Momoyo Kaijima, founded Atelier Bow-wow in 1992. It is one the most unique practices of its generation. Bow-Wow embraces a kind of accidental urban vernacular, using their research/work to chronicle the complex - and often unforgiving - logic of the city. Acting as urban detectives, Bow-wow has catalogued the agility of Tokyo's fabric to produce radical programmatic collisions (Made in Tokyo) and nuanced micro architectures (Pet Architecture).
(from http://www.archinect.com/features/article.php?id=56468_0_23_0_C )

for more stuff visit http://www.bow-wow.jp/

DAY 13: Shibuya and the hordes

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Hachiko is a classic Japanese story of patience and loyalty. Hachiko was a dog who waited every day at the station for his master to get home. Even after the dog's master passed away, Hachiko continued to wait at the station.

Shibuya is famous for its scramble crossing. It is located in front of the Shibuya Station Hachikō exit and stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. Three large TV screens mounted on nearby buildings overlook the crossing. The Starbucks store overlooking the crossing is also one of the busiest in the world.

this site has some extraordinary photos of old Shibuya.

http://shibuya246.com/2009/07/18/old-shibuya-photos/

When you travel around Tokyo by train, the crowds are amazing. The stations teem with people and they are all heading in the opposite direction to us, as a rule. There was a moment on our trip when I was behind a couple of our team and we were dragging our suitcases behind us. they got to the top of an escalator and abrubtly stopped, faced with a sea of humanity. The next step being my ploughing into them followed by those behind me, I found myself yelling, don't stop! don't stop!! DOOON'T STTTOOOPPP!!!!! Disaster was averted and I collapsed with hysterical laughter.

DAY 13: a late lunch overlooking the famous Shibuya intersection

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DAY 13: ga gallery provided some respite with a nice cool video room with comfy seats.

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Designed and constructed in 1974 by Makoto Suzuki and its current director Yukio Futagawa, GA Gallery is a well-weathered building dedicated to the display of architecture. Despite Japanese architects having achieved several decades of acclaim both at home and abroad, Tokyo only has two specialist architecture galleries of this kind.

GA Gallery is located between Yoyogi and Harajuku Station in one of those overlooked recesses of the city. The building sits in between the roaring mess of ongoing construction work on Meiji Dori and the busy tracks of Yamanote line, and yet somehow this street manages to retain a sense of calm.

Once you have walked up the cantilevered stairs leading to the gallery, you find yourself in an uncompromising concrete cube of an exhibition space. GA Gallery’s displays aim to illuminate the complexity of the process architects go though in order to design and realize their structures. While you look at schematics and maquettes, the bare concrete walls of the gallery space are a constant, tangible reminder of the physicality of the end result.

Even when the gallery is between exhibitions, it is worth a visit for its bookshop. There you’ll find a comprehensive range of publications, with of course many from the ‘Global Architecture’ range of books and magazines distributed by the architectural publishing house behind the gallery. (http://artspacetokyo.com/artmaps/ga_gallery/)

see http://www.ga-ada.co.jp/english/index1.html

a walk to Shibuya yields some interesting architecture and very sore feet

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DAY 13: i agree

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DAY 12: a visit to the Olympic Stadium and we get to see a martial arts tournament opening ceremony!!

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The National Olympic Stadium, in Shinjuku, was built in 1958 for the Asian Games. The stadium, with a roof that resembles that of a Japanese traditional temple, became world famous during the 1964 Summer Olympics. designed by Tange Kenzo, and completed in 1964, it is now the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

for more info see http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Olympic_Arena.html

DAY 13: Harijuku first

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Harajuku is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan. The area is known internationally for its youth style and fashion. Harajuku street style is promoted in Japanese and international publications such as Fruits.

If you want to try, there are rules among the subsets. for advice see http://www.wikihow.com/Dress-Harajuku-Style

DAY 12: It's a dirty job but someone had to do it......

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DAY 2:The National Art Centre Tokyo is a fab indoors as out.

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DAY 12: The National Art Centre Tokyo!

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The architect for the museum was Kisho Kurokawa.

for more see http://www.nact.jp/english/ and http://www.panoramio.com/photo/888860

DAY 12: a day of architecture fabulousness and fun

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We all meet up at the Tokyo International Forum.

for info see http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Tokyo_International_Forum.html and also http://www.t-i-forum.co.jp/english/

The brave headed off at 4.30 for a visit to the famous Tokyo Fish Markets. I understand that it is a cultural experience but was happy for them.

DAY 11: we all head out for a meal together

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DAY 11: the afternoon

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I needed a restup before our 4 day assault on Tokyo so I decided to check out the facilities in my lovely 15m2 hotel room. The mattress was loverly, the pillows OK and the batroom fabulous. I am really getting used to the pleasure machine loos.

The others started theor discovery of Tokyo's amazing contemporary architecture including Toyo Ito's Tod Building.

DAY 11: we shinkansen to Tokyo

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We arrive at our hotel in Tokyo and are greeted at the door by a mini Jeff Koons.

It's DAY 11 and we have our first lie in! and then it is off to the station and on to another train for our journey to Tokyo. The Japanese bullet train is a seriously sexy speed machine and we have clocked close to 300 km per hour on some trips (we know cos it is on a display along with the station info.

DAY 10: but the day was not over yet!! It was off to a Japanese Beer Garden in Kyoto Station.

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The Japanese Beer Garden is truly fab. All you can eat and drink for a set price!! DRINK AS WELL! And the beer comes out of an automatic machine and is cold and gorgeous. And the food buffet is great drinking food with lots of deep fried as well as other strange "only in Japan" foods.

and we went to one on the top of a building with an incredible view.

DAY 10: and next door is a sake factory.....legitimate Japanese research of course

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The kiddies had to do the research/tasting for us as the grownups were tired and hot after a big day in 99 percent humidity. It made for a very quiet shinkansen back to Kyoto as they all slept soundly.

DAY 10: We visit Imanishike Shoin

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In early times, some Naramachi merchants became extremely wealthy, among them the Imanishi family of sake brewers who built the Imanishi Shoin in the 16th century as an office and reception hall for high-ranking visitors.

Imanishike Shoin is a lovely old house dating to the Muromachi period and is built in the shoin , or library, style. There are a few small gardens here that are well framed by the house itself.

DAY 10: lunch over and we walk though beautiful ancient Nara

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for more info see http://www.naraexplorer.jp/special/

DAY 10: Yasu takes us to lunch at a famous traditional eel restaurant

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We had a memorable meal at Edogawa (Eel) Restaurant . I managed to extracate myself from the floor with enough elegance to go unnoticed (or unmentioned).

see more at http://r.gnavi.co.jp/k471700/

It;s hard work eating a fabulous meal and drinking beer and chatting and /.....

DAY 10: we meet up with Yasu at the temple

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Yasu is a lecturer from Brisbane whose family lives in Nara. He meets up to spend an action filled day with us.
Local kids crowd around the lucky statue.

DAY 10: Todaiji Temple....the detail is amazing

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Todai-ji Temple is my fave fave fave so far!!!!!!!!!!

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Todaiji Temple is a Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan is largest wooden building in the world. It houses Japan's largest Buddha statue.

Tōdai-ji (東大寺), the Eastern Great Temple, it houses a giant statue of the Buddha Vairocana (Jp. Dainichi), known in Japanese simply as the Daibutsu (大仏, "great Buddha"). The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. Todaiji Temple is a classic Japanese Temple.

The size of the Buddha
Total height : 30 meters
Sitting height : 14.98 meters
Face : 5.33 meters
Eyes : 1.02 meters
Nose : 0.5 meter
Ears : 2.54 meters
Weight : 500 metric tonnes
The Buddha is made of gold (440 kg) and copper (499 Mg). The Buddha has special hair, like a spiral perm. In total, the hair consists of 966 balls whose diameter are 18 cm and whose height are 30 cm each.

see http://www.taleofgenji.org/todaiji.html

DAY 10: on a day trip to Nara....o dear more deer. Shutter-san falls in love again

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I was just trying to say hi to the deers, but Shutter-san hovered close by to make sure his new found deer love was not stolen by a kiss.

Some of the deer are so enterprising they have their own stalls.

Whilst others resort to pickpocketing

DAY 9: now might be a good time for food pics

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I love Japanese food....well mostly. I love the bentos (boxes) that you can buy everywhere (station platforms, on the train, local 7eleven stores etc). Sometimes there are a few unidentifiable animal/vegetable items, but on the whole they are delicious. I love sashimi. I love sushi. I love miso.

DAY 9: and then it was shop shop and shop

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My feet were so swollen I was on a mission to buy some crocs that were a size bigger. I know they are not way cool but they work for me. After trawling Kawaramachi-Dori, i hit Shin Kyogoku where i also hit paydirt. Bright green crocs and just to horrify the aesthetically minded members of out group, a matching green hat. Unfortunately I had forgotten the St Patrick's Day connotations of too much green but was reminded by t he others. Paul bouhgt some tartan crop pants at the punk shop and some tres groovy Mr magoo glasses which are all the rage. We are preparing for harajuku.

DAY 9: Pontocho district

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Pontoncho area runs along the Tamo river where there are little restaurants jutting over the river. The area comes alive at night but I was far too tired to check it out. Some of the others went there and checked out some local beer and blokes.

DAY 9: best coffee art and cake !!!

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DAY 9: We made it back with minutes to spare

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The rudderless crew completed our 2 assignments and headed back to the city to our meeting place .....The Tadao Ando building on the canal which runs parallel to the Kamo River. We alighted from our bus within sight of our fearless leader Shutter-san who had had a successful trip to the Australian Embassy with Nick in tow.

Then it was off to Kinkaku-ji......the gold temple

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The famous Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku)—actually a pagoda made to house the sacred relics of the Buddha—has given this temple the popular name of Kinkaku-ji ("Temple of the Golden Pavilion"), however the official name of this branch temple of the Rinzai-sect Zen temple of Shôkoku-ji is Rokuon-ji. The temple was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

The rain made photographing a little difficult, but did not detract from the beauty of the temple and in particular the gardens. These were the first moss gardens I had seen and I was rapt. I saw the biggest tree crutches ever. In Japan they don't lop off a long branch, they provide a wooden crutch. COOL!!

see http://www.shokoku-ji.or.jp/english/e_kinkakuji/index.html

first stop Ryoanji temple...a little too crowded, wet, under repair and zen for some of us.

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"What's so special about the garden at Ryoanji?" I asked him, naming the famous rock and sand garden in Kyoto's most brochured and pamphleted Zen temple.
"The spaces between the rocks," he replied

Ryoanji is a temple belonging to the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai branch of the Zen sect, famous for its "karesansui" or rock garden. 30 m wide and 10 m deep, the garden contains 15 rocks arranged on the surface of white pebbles in such a manner that visitors can see only 14 of them at once, from whichever angle the garden is viewed. Only when you attain spiritual enlightment as a result of deep Zen meditation, can you see the last invisible stone with your mind' eye.

see http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/destinations/kyoto/ryoanji.html

DAY 9: the boss goes to Osaka to do lost passport business and Ball-san is left in charge.

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It was pissing down in rain when we set off on our rudderless adventure with instructions tightly gripped in clammy hand. First step: find correct bus. We were old hands at the bus system in Japan which requires you to take a ticket when you get on, and then a board tells you what you need to pay dependent on what zone you got on on. First problem.....no ticket machine. Thge age old trick of facing a busload of foreign (to me) peeps and pleasding "does anyone speek english" worked a treat and a lovely girl offered to lead us to our first temple through the grounds of her university.

DAY 8: we are staying at the Kyoto Tower Hotel

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The Kyoto Tower with hotel was built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as a symbol of the city's modernity, thrusting up through the low skyline of traditional homes in the shape of a Japanese candle. The candle symbolism, unlike that of modernity, is lost on most visitors as it takes more than a small leap of the imagination. The height - 131m - is the same as the elevation as Kitaoji-Dori, the main drag in the northern part of town, demonstrating the extent to which Kyoto gradually slopes.The tower is the tallest structure in Kyoto with its observation deck at 100 meters (328 ft) and its spire at 131 meters (430 ft).It was designed by Makoto Tanahashi

and we all ate sashimi one night under the station. I was channeling a black haired local.

DAY 8: a day to myself

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The hotels we are staying at have amazing prefab bathrooms and generally really tiny rooms with incredible use of space. Although a bath is aparently possible, i thought it best not to tempt fate and get stuck in there. You can see the size comparefd to the toilet.

While the rest of the gang went on the philosopher's walk, I got trapped in Kyoto station shopping mall. I had a massage, discovered the most amazing food hall with $100 dollar melons, bought some toe socks, marvelled at the teeny clothes and rode up and down the escalators in this most amazing building by Hiroshi Hara.

DAY 7: and then it was on our horses and back to the mainland, get our bags, on to the Shinkansen and off to Kyoto via Osaka.

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DAY 7: the Itsukushima Shrine is gorgeous

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"Miyajima" means "shrine-island" in Japanese, referring to the island's cause of fame, Itsukushima Shrine. The shrine is known worldwide for its "floating torii gate".

The shrine and its torii gate are unique for being built over water, seemingly floating in the sea during high tide. The shrine complex consists of multiple buildings, including a prayer hall, main hall and a noh theater stage, which are connected with each other by boardwalks and are all supported by pillars above the sea.

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/itsukushimashrine.html

DAY 7: and an imposter tori

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DAY 7: Miyajima is home to the O-Tori Gate, the most famous in Japan

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The place was bustling with tourists who all wanted the same shot of the fab tori.

There's more info at http://www.miyajima-wch.jp/index_e.html

DAY 7: Island style on Miyajima....o deer

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I have never laughed so much in my life as I did watching some of us trying to fend off he advances of the dear deer. Scott just lost a map, Gill had her bag zip opened and her origami paper removed, but Shutter-san found true love with a deer who insisted on pashing him on the cheek while her mate tried to steal his bag.

Some of the locals are quite stony faced.
>

We catch the ferry over.

DAY 6: Off to Hiroshima

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DAY 5: up to the Kyusendo Edison Museum for a syposium and a meeting with the holy grail....Toyo Ito......the most venerable japanese architect

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Toyo Ito is a famous japanese architect who is also a major consultant with the Kumamoto Art Polis. He was at this syposium which was primarily about the timber house we had just seen being unveiled.

For more info on Toyo Ito go to

http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/ito.html

The symposium had slides of teh construction of the building.

The venue for the symposium was the Kyusendo Edison Museum designed by Yasufumi Kijima+YAS&Urbanists

see http://en.kumamura.com/seeing.html

DAY 5: and my worst nightmare, a chair lift!!

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I am completely freaked out by height thingies in particular chair lifts where my feet dangle, so I refused to go on up the mountain. But the younguns reminded me that i had been challenging them to take life by the ...s and if i chickened out it would be pathetic of me. So i had to do it!!!!

I am usually hysterical before i go on the lift/ride/cablecar/ferris wheel etc, and on the way up, but fine coming back down, And that is what happened here.

DAY 5: and then we were off across the river .....OMG

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DAY 5: the older building was pretty fab also!

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Read all about it here

http://www.archinect.com/features/article.php?id=81788_0_23_0_M

DAY 5: We were there for an official function!!

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The Kyusendo Recreation Village

DAY 5: the scenery is incredible

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DAY 5: we catch a train to Kyusendo

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View Larger Map

DAY 5: off on the train along a river to Kyusendo

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We make some friends in the train trip into the mountains.

DAY 5: next stop a temple

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tHE Myokengu shrine in Yatsushiro was serene and the gardens beautiful.

DAY 5: first stop Yatsushiro Municipal Museum

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This museum designed by Toyo Ito has soem wonderful details and spaces.

For more info go to
http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/uploaded/attachment/16250.htm

DAY4: しゃぶしゃぶ

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Shabu Shabu is a dish where thin slices of beef and other meats n veggies are dipped in hot pots that contain soup or sauces.
When all the meat n veggies have been eaten, the soup that remains in the hot pots can be poured on rice to finish off the meal.

DAY 4: Kumamoto back streets

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DAY 4: Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art

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DAY 4: Kumamoto Kita police Station

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DAY 4: Kumamoto Art Polis public housing

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The Japanese can even make a besser block look contemporary. It's all in the proportion!!!

Ryujabira Public Housing Complex designed by Makoto Motokura of Kenchiku Design Studio

Ha ha .....so japanese.......a sesame street Harley

Obiyama ' A ' Public housing Cmplex designed by Shimon Niino

Hotakubo Daiichi Public Housing designed by Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop Co. Ltd

The Japanese have very few seating opportunities, so you take what you can when you can, however unnatractive one looks.

http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/uploaded/attachment/16247.htm

http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/uploaded/attachment/16284.htm

http://www.pref.kumamoto.jp/uploaded/attachment/16330.html

DAY 3: Canal City Shopping Mecca in Fukuoko and then dinner!

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Canal City is a giant shopping complex.

For more info go to http://www.archidose.org/Jan01/012201.html

They love the cute and furry in Japan, even if this is from Scandanavia

In thebowels of the centre there was a cooking school. Looked a little like something out of Stepfordsan wives.

We wandered along the canal and found some local food markets where we perched on stools and drank asahi beer and ate wonderful skewer things including calamari and beef and eggplant and it was a wonderful evening.

DAY 3: Fukuoko Step Garden Building

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The 'Step Garden' is a terraced rooftop garden on the south side of the ACROS Fukuoka building which was designed by the Argentine-American architect Emilio Ambasz

The Step Garden consists of 13 tiers, six meters deep and between 120 to 98 meters wide. The garden looks like a natural mountain, for it contains 37,000 plants of 76 species, including trees such as the Japanese plum and maple, and hanging plants such as Shore Juniper. So far the garden has been blessed with sufficient rainfall, so the attached sprinkler system hasn't been used yet.

A study showed that tree planting on the step-shaped rooftop has helped alleviate the urban heat island effect. The daytime temperature of concrete surfaces exceeded 50 degrees Celsius, while plant surfaces were 15 degrees lower, at 38 degrees. Plants also helped cool the surrounding air by transpiration.

Thanks to the terraced shape of the Step Garden, downdrafts blew along the slope even during the night when the wind is usually moderate elsewhere. After nightfall, the temperature of the plant-covered surfaces decline sharply due to radiative cooling, which produces the cold air blowing down the stepped garden. The garden is expected to help ease sweltering summer nights, when the temperature often stays above 25 degrees in urban areas.

I had to let the others run up the many stairs, but they got their just desserts....mosquitos.......many of them........Lucia came running out and straight to the fountain where she put her legs in the cool wter nad scratched and scratched and scratched. I was of course mosquito free.

DAY 3: We visit Tsuneo Noda in Fukuoko

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We pose on the roof where artist Ito Tari had installed a helipad for UFOs. It Looked great. for more on her installation go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohaz88/3658727570/

After arriving in Fukuoko a bit late and madly booking into our hotel, we all headed off to meet with Tsuneo Noda who is the brains behins a fab development calledKonya 2023 project which has transformed an old building into an exciting design and art and architecture complex.

He was a wonderful host and showed us all round the building and spoke of the project. if you read japanese go to http://www.travelers-project.com/ or go and look at the pictures.

We were all excited to hear about the artists studio as well. mmmmmmmmmm what could we propose to spend a month there.

The building comtained a gallery, offices for a curator and other design frofessionals, a photographer's galler, residences for artists/designers and a cafe downstairs. All furniture signage etc is by people in the building. INSPIRATIONAL

DAY 3: Shinkansen to Fukuoko

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The crowds on the train stations are really amazing and we struggle to keep each other in sight.

These trips can be hard work.

DAY 2: lunch and a slight delay in Himeji

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Ate a lovely lunch and then spent some time in Himeji looking ath stuff while one of our group has a passport/rail pass incident. Eventually limped back into Osaka for a late dinner and a crah in our little hotel room.

DAY 2: Himeji Castle

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Himeji Castle is one of the most famous because it is used for many movies. It is spectacular and the views back are fab.

for a crazy virtual tour, go to http://www.himeji-castle.gr.jp/index/English/

DAY 2:The fast train to Himeji

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When we arrived at the station, we were astinished to see a "greeting" man who, every minute or so, bowed and yelled ohio gaizaymus which means good morning. We all thouhgt a gidday man would be a great idea for Australia.

Shutter-san herds us all into the Shinkansen bullet train and we speed towards Himeji for our first sight.

The local trolley dolly offers a selection of bento boxes......a prepackaged cornucopis of delights. It was a shame I picked this one becasue of the real imitation lacquer box it came in as I have never been a big fan of pickled herring and small things that live on rocks and have a beard.

And the comlimentary soyjoy was not much better. But he trip went well otherwise.

DAY 2:first day first adventure first debacle

2009-07-05T09:14:00.003+10:00

Ourfirst day in Japan started well as we all headed off to the station. I chatted to some of the students about things and one of them who had been living in Tokyo for a while explained you didn't ned tissues in case of toilet issues as you needed to in China. So it was with no fear that I headed off to my first public toilet experience. Beautiful, clean, upright minimal toilet. First visit if the day after a few coffeess. Get my drift?? Finished and looked for the toilet paper. No paper, but a button instead. O goody. The pleasure machine/ bottom washer. I pushed it and the sound of tinkling water filled the air. Bummer ( at the risk of being far too punny). So i pulled the old hand wipe out of the purse, did what i could and left the cubicle. Miming bum wiping and confusion to the 12 year old washroom attendant i was pointed to the vending machine for toilet paper. Which leads me to the sorry ATM debalce but that's another whole story.

BTW, THis is Gill waiting with me at the shinkansen station.

DAY 1: japan here we come

2009-07-01T00:21:00.003+10:00

First group dinner

DAY 1: the first of many

2009-07-01T00:19:00.002+10:00

DAY 1: a little light entertainmant

2009-07-01T00:18:00.001+10:00

DAY 1: jetstar lounge

2009-07-01T00:15:00.002+10:00

All you can eat, comfy chairs, and a bean bag dvd lounge.....and all for 10 dollars.........great start. Pity I tripped over a poove and buggered my knee before we had even left Oz, but i will soldier on with the help of duty free alcohol and drugs.

DAY 1: up.up & away

2009-07-01T00:13:00.001+10:00

you gotta start somewhere

2009-06-29T17:02:00.002+10:00

Hello. Konnichiwa.

Good Morning. Ohayou.
Ohayou-gozaimasu. (Polite)

Good afternoon. Konnichiwa.

Good evening. Konbanwa.

Good night. Oyasumi. Oyasuminasai.

Good bye. Sayounara.

See you later. Dewa mata.

See you tomorrow. Mata ashita.

How do you do. Hajimemashite.

I'm glad to see you. Oai-deki-te ureshii-desu.

How are you? Ogenki desu-ka.

I'm fine. Genki-desu.

And you? Anata wa?

I'm fine, too. Watashi-mo genki-desu.

Thank you. Arigatou. /
Arigatou-gozaimasu.(polite)

saturday night

2009-06-27T21:11:00.001+10:00

It's Saturday night and I am home, feet up, and reading up on our destination: Japan. Getting very excited.

only 3 sleeps to go.....but who's counting?

2009-06-27T14:59:00.000+10:00

the team meets for a briefing

2009-06-25T08:38:00.000+10:00

started thing about the purpose of our trip.

2009-06-22T16:04:00.001+10:00

PLACE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place

my name in Japanese katakana script

2009-06-18T08:57:00.003+10:00

I had to put in my long name cos it wouldn't recognise the short one, but I am cool about that cos I get a really nice script.

It is pronounced "DAIAN". (Consonants are pronounced more or less the same way as in English. "A" sounds like a in father, but shorter. "I" sounds like ee in meet, but shorter.)

http://japanesetranslator.co.uk/your-name-in-japanese/

tour team meeting

2009-06-18T08:55:00.002+10:00

Some of the team gather to nut out wether to buy the FEED ME pack on the jetstar flight or take pot luck.

there's never instructions in english

2009-06-13T12:01:00.003+10:00

I can remember being in New York and visiting a wonderful art and design exhibition at the Japanese society building i think it was and i needed to go to the loo. They had installed the very latest in Japanese loo technology and there was a control panel with many options to choose from. It was a freezing cold day, and there seemed to be an option for a heated seat, but I have to admit I was so worried abour wearing what I had just done, I settled for the oldfashioned push the button and flush option. On this trip to Japan, I am going to attempt to learn how to drive these machines.

Japan has many National days to celebrate

2009-06-12T08:41:00.000+10:00

Thanks to
http://www.sardouzami.com/goonagoon/rooze%20kir/national%20penis%20dag.htm

whetting my own appetite

2009-06-11T19:47:00.000+10:00

doing some research before I leave

2009-06-11T09:59:00.000+10:00

I am deeply attracted to Japanese vending machines, and it appears I am not the only one. Ryuuichi Terada Ikeda of Sapporo, Hokkaido has been taking a picture of the same Coca-Cola vending machine nearly every day for over two years, and intensely documenting the changes. Not only does he take daily photos, but he compares the photos to the previous year and draws diagrams explaining the daily changes. The addition of new products, stickers, and marketing gimmicks are all there in clear detail.

http://jihan.sblo.jp/

whetting the appetite.....this should do it!!!!

2009-06-07T10:17:00.000+10:00

This is the Next Generation House by Sou Fujimoto Architects. It's like a house built with Jenga blocks and is a small weekend house that overlooks the River Kuma in Kumakura, Japan. We are going there!!!!!!

2009-06-06T16:30:00.000+10:00

This year I have rediscovered my architectural roots and have been imparting knowledge to unsuspecting students. Now I am extending that rekindled enthusiasm for the built environment and tagging along with a study tour of Japan. I will be visiting the ancient and the modern and this blog will record my latest adventures

I name this BallPark adventurer......Arki Ball