Some images from Shogatsu
2010 from Kijima and Nagano Japan ...
A short 14 second video from Zenk?-ji.
Shogatsu tag from previous years: http://blogs.sun.com/jimgris/tags/shogatsu.
We had 3 little earthquakes around here yesterday and today. I felt 2 of them. This is not unusual for Japan, of course, since the darn place moves so much it's like living on a boat out in Tokyo Bay. But the two quakes I felt (about mag 3-4-ish, I guess) woke me up. That's when things can get confusing. You are sleeping, after all. Then the room starts moving. And keeps moving. 10 seconds. 15. 20. The walls creak a bit. The light above starts to swing. Etc. It's all very gentle at that level but it's movement, not vibration. That's the distinction to understand if you have never felt an earthquake. Anyway. Are you dreaming? Did you drink too much the night before? Should you get up and at least make an attempt to ascertain your situation so you can react if necessary (such as duck)? That's what was going through my mind around 5 this morning. Wouldn't it be ironic, I thought, if I weren't dreaming and this little shaker led to a big serious quake and I just passed it all off as a dream? Those few seconds may matter. Get up.
The queue at Kamata Station. Generally when I find myself at the front
of the line waiting for a train just inches from the tracks, I pay
particular attention to who stands behind me. You never know.
Check out the new diagonal
crossing
at
Oxford
Circus
in
London. It looks beautiful. They based the
design on the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo (which can be great fun if
you've never experienced it: here and here).
The
first time I navigated the Shibuya intersection I thought I was
going to get run over flat by waves of people weaving their way toward
me from multiple directions, but it's actually a remarkably efficient
way to move masses of people. I've never been to London, so I don't
know what it's like walking around the city. It'll be interesting to
see how the British like this change.
It seems the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) smoked the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in today`s national election, ending the LDP`s five decade rule over Japan. Change comes slowly here, I guess. And "change" seemed to be the theme in the 2 week campaign. 2 weeks. Imagine only having to endure Obama/Clinton/McCain/Bush/Kerry/Gore/Whoever for a grand total of 2 weeks per election! Sweet. No such luck, I suppose. Americans prefer those two year marathons instead. Anyway, as the new guys are swept into into power to change Japan, the country will get Yukio Hatoyama as Prime Minister. He`s a Ph.D. engineer trained at Tokyo University and Stanford University. It might be interesting to have an engineer running the place for while. A different way of thinking is certainly needed.
Went to the Yokota Air Base today way outside Tokyo with a billion
other people. Last minute trek. Good day. Interesting sights and
sounds. I didn`t get any jets in flight, but I never can catch those
guys anyway so I no longer even try. Anyway, this is what caught my eye.
Found these kids making a bunch of noise outside earlier tonight ... sounded cool.
I sat in this park near the bay for an hour and watched thousands of
people come and go -- eating, drinking, playing, gazing --
all without leaving so much as a chewing gum wrapper on the ground.
Impressive. I`m not sure who the big dude is standing there off to the
left. But this is Tokyo. Everything is normal. I didn`t ask.
Took the day off on Friday and went up to Tokyo Bay. Found this guy
skiing. Back when I skied a million years ago I actually used skis (well, usually).
Skiing, surfing, boarding. All seems to blend now. Looks like great fun. 
A Workers? Paradise Found Off Japan?s Coast: ?Mr. Fujimoto said he would resign immediately if a serious rival appeared in an election. `That would be a sign the village has lost confidence in me,` he said.? -- New York Times
Interesting. I really must visit this place.
Here`s another one of those "Japan is Lost" articles. It`s an attack, basically, and this one focuses on leadership. I read these things purely for entertainment value now. My views on leadership have changed so substantially these last few years they'd hardly be recognizable to anyone who knew me in the U.S. I feel like I've recovered from a long drug-induced propaganda hangover or something.
