1812 Re-Enactment

http://www.mississinewa1812.com/

Video Clip Post, from Japan

This is one of the bullet trains going by at definitely less than full speed.

Another Shinkansen going the other way.  The video doesn’t do it justice.  You gotta get the camera ready once you see the light.  Otherwise it’s too late.

Aboard the Japanese bullet train.  We really need these in the USA.  It is much much much better than flying.  For anything that is a 2 hour duration flight or less, this would be just as fast and much nicer once you take into account all the hassles at the airport.

Video of us walking through Kyoto

Another batch of pix – click for larger view

President, Chairman and CEO of Fuji Yusoki

He is the guy to the left in the shot.

Vicrum, an India native living in Japan and working for Fuji

At the Sushi Conveyor

At the Sushi Conveyor

At the Really Fancy Traditional Japanese Restaurant

The Elementary age kids in Japan walk to school this way

Japanese Fast Food

wrapping up training

Kyoto Station - Simply Awesome

The group at Mama Sans, one of the tiniest restaurants ever

What you see in the picture is pretty much the entire restaurant.  You are not missing anything.  The group of 8 took up all but 2 seats.   To the left is about 3 feet max behind the counter.  Behind the wall in the back of the picture is a tiny kitchen.  This is where everyone goes the evening after Fuji training is finished, there are pictures of other Fuji training classes on the wall.  Mama-San’s is within walking distance of the hotel where all Fuji trainees stay, she knows Michael and Hiroshi by name.

Group at Mama-San

Fried Whale at Mama-San

Neat little canal at Fuji

The gang in Kyoto

Neat Stairway

Shrine

Hiroshi explains that this shrine is very highly regarded because the stairway has 5 stripes, the highest number of stripes

View of Kyoto from the shrine

Wow

View of Kyoto from the shrine

A dead god

ok

This is the 351 year old pepper store in Kyoto

Big intersection in Kyoto

Ticket Counter at Kyoto Station

This is a HAPPY terrace, because the sign says so

Another shot of the happy terrace

More of the Kyoto station, a view from the happy terrace

More proof that I was there

Kyoto Station

A joyous morning! A breakfast buffet with western style food.

Pocky! A wonderful creation.

A very nice pic of a river in Kyoto at dusk

The red lantern district in Kyoto. Its fancy restaurants

One of the many Starbucks I saw in Japan

Tokyo!

The awe inspiring hotel in Tokyo where we stayed

The Prime Minister of Japan stopped by this hotel the night we stayed there, and went to a party on the top floor.  I saw him come in, but I almost missed it because I blinked. He was surrounded by several guys and went real fast.  All the guys had the earpieces and stuff and did not smile or say anything, but looked at you real close.

A Maybach parked in front of the hotel

The Maybach

An intersection in Tokyo

McDonalds in Tokyo

Notice how they put fried egg on the burger.  It’s a Japanese thing.

Shot of Tokyo

Lots of tall buildings in Japan

Tokyo Tower

Its pretty tall

View of Tokyo bay from the Tokyo tower

Another view from the Tokyo Tower

A neat green building

Aha!

one last view of the Tokyo tower

A window in the floor of the Tokyo tower

Up close at the green building - the Izumi Garden Tower

Inside the Izumi Tower

I will own a condo in this building some day.

Izumi Garden

Izumi Garden

Izumi Garden

Subway Ticket Machine

At the subway platform

On the subway - That's Victor and Hiroshi

Tokyo at night

Tokyo at night

Tokyo at night

Tokyo at night

Tokyo at night

When someone would say Tokyo this is what I always imagined it to be.  Very bright and colorful with lots of lights and displays everywhere.  It was really like that.

View of the Izumi building from my hotel room

On the 747-400 going home

I have about 1100 pictures, you can see them all here if you really want to.

Lots more pics from Japan

Korean Grill

The USA needs more restaurants with fire!

Aaaahhh, it’s gonna get me!  Oh, it’s a robot gripper.

A traditional Japanese breakfast. Rice in the left, Soup on the right

View from my hotel room.

Class Time

Calpis! It is like sprit with Vanilla. I think it has some other stuff too...

This is a Honda Odyssey.... A lot different than mine!

Pasta at an Italian restaurant in Japan with chopsticks

Class Time

Hiroshi

Kids Menu at the Joyfull restaurant

Robots lined up, ready to get shipped out.

What we did on Friday - stacked some boxes!

Going for a walk in Onoda after class

A vending machine with french fries and hot dogs??!?

Japan seems to have taken the vending machine to another level

Mmmmmm.... A bag of fish, lightly killed. Just for you!

Individually packaged ice cream cones. Thats what I'm talking about!

In the Fuji bus on the way to Hiroshima

Say Cheese!

The rare Japanese paper eating deer

Watch out!

Me at the Mayajima shrine

Japanese people praying at the shrine

Some sort of significant white house that is lined up with the orange gate

Mean lookin dude

Hiroshi with Katana

Fish Kabob

Shopping Street

The Okonomimura!

The group at the noodle pizza place

Me at the Japanese noodle pizza place

A Starbucks! In Japan!

A seriously huge shopping street in Hiroshima

McDonalds! Big Mac, 200 Yen

Crossing the street in Hiroshima

Its the space invaders dude!

Lots and lots and lots of Anime

The building that was directly under the A-bomb.

The lined up view through the memorial shrine

What Hiroshima looked like after the bomb, plus where the bomb was when it exploded

I had my laundry done, they took good care of my clothes.

More pics from Japan

Yens - $1.00 = 106 Yen

Honoda Airport

Fuji Bus and Driver

Many Tunnels in Japan

The Sign for Onoda

Fuji Integrators from Chile

Fuji Robot Station

Robot Parts

One of the many Fuji Buildings

Joyfull Lunch Restaurant

Moving the Robot Manually

Local Neighborhood Japanese Grocery Store

Smile Oven

Its something, with liquor

First Evening in Japan

Route from Detroit to Japan

Shot of the Plane

The Bus from the Narita Airport to the Tokyo Airport

A Random Shot of Tokyo

Lobby of Hotel

High Tech Toilet

Tiny Little Beds

View from Hotel Room

Heading to Japan

Watch this space for many pics and maybe even videos from my trip to Japan.  I’m heading out at 6:35AM from Fort Wayne “International” Airport on 8-25-2008.  I know of a few people who will be checking in.

I have my Work Cameras, a “cheap” 7.1 megapixel Nikon Coolpix and a 3Chip Standard Definition Panasonic PV-GS300 MiniDV Camcorder.

I will be back in the state on September 5th.  I am expecting ubiquitous internet access there, so it should be easy to keep in touch.