Photos of Japan

In Umenomoto, Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku Island, Japan

Just another pic of a gate to the nether realm

I just got back to Umenomoto after a 2 day trip to the Uwajima area of Sukoku Island. As that's where they have bull fights (bull against bull), this is one of their manhole cover designs.

Not only otta one slow down and take time to smell the roses, one ought to stop and look at the manhole covers as well! This one is set in a street in Kobe, Japan

I spent much of yesterday feeling a bit depressed, I'm winding down toward the end of my visit here, only 13 days left! None the less, here is a view of the inland sea that I won't quickly forget!

This is the cabin we stayed in on Naoshima Island. The room is a tatami room, floor covered with tatami mats, beds are futons laid out on the floor. As the reflection in the window shows, it looks out over the Seto inland sea. Nice view to both fall asleep and awake to. As this was the off season, I think only one other cabin was occupied while we were there.

I was making this sketch at the harbor's edge in Mizugara, where the stepped, terraced, fields are. I'd had two shots of the local shochu (Japanese vodka) that a storekeeper offered me as samples, a little old lady stopped by to watch and chat as I was sketching. Nice times! One of my greatest pleasures in sketching while traveling is the people I meet!

Alas my camera died and this is one of the last pictures I took with it. But all is not lost, there was a camera store on the corner and I bought a new one. Alas the operating manual is in Japanese. But all is not lost, I figured I could go on line and download an English O&M manual. Alas, they don't sell this model camera outside of Japan. But all is not lost, I found another model's O&M manual that has similar features and controls. So! after 45 minutes of teaching my new camera to speak English, I'm back in business! Oh yea, the manhole cover; I'd tell you more about it but I've run out of space here. -grin-

Here's another scarecrow working in the stepped, terraced, fields in Mizugaura.

Picture a harbor village, mountains rising sharply behind it starting almost at the shore line. If you live there where are you going to farm? Well, in Mizugaura, Uwajima their answer was/is to farm the mountainside. Over the centuries it's been terraced, rock walls laid rock by rock to contain maybe a two foot strip of arable soil, one terrace above the other, climbing to the top of the mountain! Off to the left, high up, you see a scarecrow, to the right, high up, a guy working his field. In the middle, a blue traction engine monorail to haul produce down from the fields.

Actually I don't blame this scarecrow for sitting down on the job, it's a long climb to his worksite! Nice of the farmer to carry a chair up the slope for him though.

Kanazawa, on the other side of Japan, facing the Sea of Japan apparently gets lots of snow. The rope tepees you see here are to protect the trees in winter. Each rope is tied to a tree branch, to hold it up and keep it from breaking under the snow load.

Here is another shot of the terraced fields in Uwasjima, looked down this time

If you follow the note, you can see me wayyyy down on the harbor's edge sketching away and talking with a nice obasan.

I am almost home to North Pole, Alaska now, -or at least I'm back in the neighborhood, am in San Francisco today. This is a shot of ducks wintering on Shikoku. Me, I didn't winter there but I did spend a fine month and a bit, away from Alaska winter extending my autumn season. If these ducks could talk I'm sure they'd express the same thoughts and emotions I felt: Good food, good company, beautiful country, It's all good!!!

Just a bunch of buddies, hanging, discussing the events of the day, and enjoying the beautiful sunset.

One of the local doves, here in Umenomoto, decided I was OK to hang with and started preening and showing off for me.