Harajuku Girls

I went to Harajuku in Tokyo, which is a haven for cosplay, gothic and lolita fashion freeks (I mean that in a good/nice way, naturally). The narrow backstreets are packed with shops, their clientele and people watchers (again, I mean that in a nice way!). Anyway, it was a good chance to road-test my new camera. LOTS more at my flickr account. Go, make comments already!

Sean's flickr account

Harajuku Girls

I went to Harajuku in Tokyo, which is a haven for cosplay, gothic and lolita fashion freeks (I mean that in a good/nice way, naturally). The narrow backstreets are packed with shops, their clientele and people watchers (again, I mean that in a nice way!). Anyway, it was a good chance to road-test my new camera. LOTS more at my flickr account. Go, make comments already!

Sean's flickr account

Batocera Lineolata

The top two images are wholy inadequate shots taken on my cameraphone, the next two were 'borrowed' from www.insects.jp. This is a godzilla-proportioned insect I found at a train station when I lived out of the country, out here in Japan. I thought it was an over-sized toy replica until it started walking up the window and eating all the spiders. A google search finds that they can come even bigger, as seen in photos 3 and 4. Unfortunately there is nothing to show the scale of the wee bietie in mt shots, but it really was surprisingly huge. The eyes in the 3rd photo are amazing. Respect to whoever picket that monster up! Not for the squeemish.

www.insects.jp

Batocera Lineolata

The top two images are wholy inadequate shots taken on my cameraphone, the next two were 'borrowed' from www.insects.jp. This is a godzilla-proportioned insect I found at a train station when I lived out of the country, out here in Japan. I thought it was an over-sized toy replica until it started walking up the window and eating all the spiders. A google search finds that they can come even bigger, as seen in photos 3 and 4. Unfortunately there is nothing to show the scale of the wee bietie in mt shots, but it really was surprisingly huge. The eyes in the 3rd photo are amazing. Respect to whoever picket that monster up! Not for the squeemish.

www.insects.jp

Recent Lomo Action in Tokyo

Recent Lomo Action in Tokyo

ULTRAMAN / Japan Times 14th Sept '06

"Superheros (left to right) Ultraman, ultraman mebius and ultraman Seven, along with the monster Zarab Seizin, pray Wednesday at Hie Shrine in Tokyo that their next movie will be a big hit."

ULTRAMAN / Japan Times 14th Sept '06

"Superheros (left to right) Ultraman, ultraman mebius and ultraman Seven, along with the monster Zarab Seizin, pray Wednesday at Hie Shrine in Tokyo that their next movie will be a big hit."

New Yuki Album: WAVE

This is the fourth full-lenth solo album release from YUKI! 'Wave' includes the singles "Nagai Yume," "Dramatic," "Yorokobi no Tane," "Melancholinista," and "Fugainaiya". This album follows the strange practice (as heard on the recent 'Ultra Blue' by Utada Hikaru) of including the last five or so singles plus a few b-sides. Which leaves space for five new songs on a 'new' album. But like the Utada album, those five new songs would be worth the ticket price alone, and it's nice to have all those super single-tracks together. I rushed out to purchase this first-thing today on its release day as the 'first pressing' has a different cover and a bonus DVD with three promo videos. After a few days these limited CDs are nowhere to be found.
To anyone not aquainted with Yuki- everyone outside of Japan- she can be described as a Japanese Bjork in terms of her petite frame, quirky style, and love-it-or-hate-it voice. And Yuki's voice could peel paint of the wall at times, I'm sure, but I wouldn't have it any other way. After two listens: definitely Top-5-J-Pop-album-of-all-time material. The downside is she's just had a baby and is taking time-out from her singing career...

New Yuki Album: WAVE

This is the fourth full-lenth solo album release from YUKI! 'Wave' includes the singles "Nagai Yume," "Dramatic," "Yorokobi no Tane," "Melancholinista," and "Fugainaiya". This album follows the strange practice (as heard on the recent 'Ultra Blue' by Utada Hikaru) of including the last five or so singles plus a few b-sides. Which leaves space for five new songs on a 'new' album. But like the Utada album, those five new songs would be worth the ticket price alone, and it's nice to have all those super single-tracks together. I rushed out to purchase this first-thing today on its release day as the 'first pressing' has a different cover and a bonus DVD with three promo videos. After a few days these limited CDs are nowhere to be found.
To anyone not aquainted with Yuki- everyone outside of Japan- she can be described as a Japanese Bjork in terms of her petite frame, quirky style, and love-it-or-hate-it voice. And Yuki's voice could peel paint of the wall at times, I'm sure, but I wouldn't have it any other way. After two listens: definitely Top-5-J-Pop-album-of-all-time material. The downside is she's just had a baby and is taking time-out from her singing career...

Grrrrrrrrrreat Retro Cereal Box Design

A nice retro cover on a box of Kellog's Frosties in Japan, to celebrate 100 years of the company. The boring modern design is on the other side.

Grrrrrrrrrreat Retro Cereal Box Design

A nice retro cover on a box of Kellog's Frosties in Japan, to celebrate 100 years of the company. The boring modern design is on the other side.

Japanese Android Doppelgänger (via Wired)

Hiroshi Ishiguro poses with his android clone, Geminoid HI-1. Constructed of silicone and steel and powered by pressurized air and small actuators, Ishiguro's life-size doppelgänger is uncannily realistic since it was made from casts taken from the roboticist's body. Ishiguro's android mimics the roboticist's actions, with micromovements -- such as shoulders that rise gently to simulate breathing -- making it difficult to believe Geminoid is a machine. A Geminoid operator wears motion-tracking lip markers. When the operator moves his mouth, Geminoid's lips make the same movement. A speaker inside the android lets the robotic double be heard. (Credit: Tim Hornyak)

Japanese Android Doppelgänger (via Wired)

Hiroshi Ishiguro poses with his android clone, Geminoid HI-1. Constructed of silicone and steel and powered by pressurized air and small actuators, Ishiguro's life-size doppelgänger is uncannily realistic since it was made from casts taken from the roboticist's body. Ishiguro's android mimics the roboticist's actions, with micromovements -- such as shoulders that rise gently to simulate breathing -- making it difficult to believe Geminoid is a machine. A Geminoid operator wears motion-tracking lip markers. When the operator moves his mouth, Geminoid's lips make the same movement. A speaker inside the android lets the robotic double be heard. (Credit: Tim Hornyak)

Toys in Tokyo

Found a new collectors' figures/models shop called BLISTER (good name). Anyway... here's the flier I found in my bag of purchases... None other than our hero Jack Bauer in action figure form! I like the mobile phone accessory myself...

In the shop were two Andy Warhol action figures from the same company, one 60s style and one 80s style. Imagine Action Man with a bad grey wig!

I bought some Kubrick 'Bearbricks' and a Star Wars Kubrick 'Snaggletooth' figure, which turned out to be a tres rare blue-suited 'cahse' (or secret) version... so I the little guy might well end up on eBay for a silly amount!

Toys in Tokyo

Found a new collectors' figures/models shop called BLISTER (good name). Anyway... here's the flier I found in my bag of purchases... None other than our hero Jack Bauer in action figure form! I like the mobile phone accessory myself...

In the shop were two Andy Warhol action figures from the same company, one 60s style and one 80s style. Imagine Action Man with a bad grey wig!

I bought some Kubrick 'Bearbricks' and a Star Wars Kubrick 'Snaggletooth' figure, which turned out to be a tres rare blue-suited 'cahse' (or secret) version... so I the little guy might well end up on eBay for a silly amount!