Mom and Dad Visit Japan - 3/23/2007 to 4/4/2007

These are some pictures from when Mom and Dad came to visit me here in Hokkaido from March 23rd to April 4th, 2007. A 2,500 kilometer trip all over Hokkaido.

The ever-popular Kani Goden, a huge tourist trap in Shiraoi that features not only a giant wooden bear and salmon on its roof, but also a giant crab on the roadside sign.

A whole bundle of English teachers came out for a party for my folks at Rantaro. Thanks to everyone who came!

Out at Cape Chikyu.

We took a tour of the forge at the Japan Steel Mills factory here in Muroran. They make swords!

Mom, Dad, and a Samani sunset.

Mom and Dad at Cape Erimo.

At Marumatsu Shokudo with the lady that runs the place. Damn good butadon.

Mom and Dad in a wine barrel at the Tokachi Winery in Ikeda.

This is the place I talked about in this post. Mom and Dad loved it too.

Words cannot even describe...

...how absolutely unnecessary it was to plow this road. Makes a good photo, though.

At Lake Mashu, which is famous for being covered in fog. We lucked out.

Swans at Lake Kussharo.

This is carved from wood, and is HUGE.

Eisaku showing off his ninja skillz.

We all went out for tempura shrimp rice bowls here. That's Eisaku and Aoki with Mom and Dad. You should have seen the smile on Dad's face.

At Ippuku-tei with Araki-san, the night before Mom and Dad left to go back.

9/30/2006 - Shakotan Peninsula and The Cape of Divine Power

These are pictures from a trip Eisaku and I took out to the Shakotan Peninsula on September 30, 2006.

Koikawa Hot Springs, just outside of Niseko.

A herring fishing house in Tomari.

"Please give me the hand of your daughter in marriage!"

Shakotan Peninsula.

The view while walking out to the edge of the cape.

Back the way we came.

Kamui Misaki, The Cape Of Divine Power.

And masculine symbolism...

Sun and ocean...

Talk about blue...

Eisaku and Dustin, at it again.

The view back the way we came.

An old radar station, perhaps?

Eisaku at sunset

Shakotan Peninsula, viewed from the other side.

While I'm At It...

Here's some photos I took during the massive week-long national holiday in Japan known as Golden Week.

Driving alongside the coast just north of Rumoi, I saw this sunset. It's just a sunset, not a nuclear explosion.

I visited an abandoned coal mine area in the hills outside of Haboro, about an hour north of Rumoi. I climbed up a rusty staircase to the top of the tallest building there and got this photo.

I'm lucky I didn't fall down in a hole or get eaten by a bear.

A shrine gate in Shosanbetsu, a town a little further up the coast.

The sun setting behind Rishiri Island, which is basically a mountain that pokes up out of the ocean.

The sunrise, taken at Cape Soya, the northernmost point in Japan.

On the ferry out to Rishiri Island.

I rented a scooter to zip around the island. 3000 yen for 6 hours. Not a bad deal.

So Much For Those Updates...

There's a big project I'm working on that's keeping me from getting on here much, but once that's up and rolling I'll make an announcement about it here.

Of course, those of you who are in the know already know, but...

I'll be heading home from July 2nd to the 9th for a good friend's wedding. And it better damn well not be a shallow representation of a wedding...

All kidding aside, congrats Pat.

I've been up in Sapporo the past couple of weekends, and I've notcied one thing...

Even though Sapporo is one of the top ten largest cities in Japan, when I get back to Muroran the air here smells dirtier, like chemicals. Yeesh...

Saw "Smoking Aces" last weekend. Hitman goodness all around.

Heading to Sapporo again this weekend for a friend's band's concert...

"300" finally comes out here in a couple weeks. CAN NOT WAIT.

And on that comic book-related note, here is my latest personality test.

Your results:
You are The Joker
The Clown Prince of Crime. You are a brilliant mastermind but are criminally insane. You love to joke around while accomplishing the task at hand.



Click here to take the Supervillain Personality Quiz

So true, so true...