tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-266813722024-03-19T02:05:58.394-07:00I See Japan...from L.A.My name is Jon and I live in Los Angeles. I've visited Japan a lot so that's what this blog is about...visiting Japan, Japanese history and samurai movies.owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.comBlogger438125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-79466558081944126542012-09-01T13:46:00.001-07:002012-09-01T13:47:19.781-07:00Archer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Statue of an archer in Otawara, Tochigi-ken.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjG_xjV2jtYlv2u1ZHI4G_BpT0yvE_5ILPGMjshyTruV7ZYqH_sLafS8OjIpXZk23eF1UiTUxUxjyMBGFRrEgSTcCON7yKKsBre0fCP4RjJT-2Q6lTv9xUB2nd1kba3Ncvfiu/s1600/IMG_20120412_184952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjG_xjV2jtYlv2u1ZHI4G_BpT0yvE_5ILPGMjshyTruV7ZYqH_sLafS8OjIpXZk23eF1UiTUxUxjyMBGFRrEgSTcCON7yKKsBre0fCP4RjJT-2Q6lTv9xUB2nd1kba3Ncvfiu/s640/IMG_20120412_184952.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-8324878563292084072012-06-14T22:01:00.000-07:002012-06-14T22:01:17.165-07:00Beautiful Stone Warehouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Very nice stonework on this warehouse in Otawara, Tochigi-ken, Japan.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQRZv055Xy2YI4PkxxfceePi2Z3v1L3o6YUNgeFjukHS0tP4t_1z3fo0bpQRChSn7GLpiHN28cvePIook9xhAY6iUnFVzeM52Zt7g5jpBNxeV8a9Ip-261smenbsG3RIr7jlC/s1600/2010-08-26+22.52.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQRZv055Xy2YI4PkxxfceePi2Z3v1L3o6YUNgeFjukHS0tP4t_1z3fo0bpQRChSn7GLpiHN28cvePIook9xhAY6iUnFVzeM52Zt7g5jpBNxeV8a9Ip-261smenbsG3RIr7jlC/s640/2010-08-26+22.52.38.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-30181631902720284202012-05-11T08:06:00.002-07:002012-05-11T08:07:26.378-07:001000 Samurai in Nikko<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is the 1000 Samurai Festival from Nikko, Japan in 2004. It celebrates the great processions of samurai and daimyo to pay homage to the great Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu at his mausoleum at Toshogu in Nikko. Funny to see samurai wearing glasses and smiling. Very fun festival. I highly recommend it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnn5ruNCZ3TvCWsS_-5uoFldY5K842NsD4OqjtITiYmxsHkKAO0KW8ILGlPZBF1aZfe-MuI3JAsg83T5qgTd6crzTjMJXOCz7lb-xkJEHUWtT-IwM4307TZns6aWm6V43IsihU/s1600/IMG_20120510_212902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnn5ruNCZ3TvCWsS_-5uoFldY5K842NsD4OqjtITiYmxsHkKAO0KW8ILGlPZBF1aZfe-MuI3JAsg83T5qgTd6crzTjMJXOCz7lb-xkJEHUWtT-IwM4307TZns6aWm6V43IsihU/s400/IMG_20120510_212902.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-2426406436775732262012-05-08T21:40:00.000-07:002012-05-08T21:40:16.850-07:00Pub Alley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Pub Alley, Otawara, Tochigi-ken</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWRbYzEtWjrqZlfF2cLZko-jvpKoNjd6JUH-3JKvQ-UVNY0OGArAhjV0LonnFrSV6gGh-4JUC9pb8xVB11JLUyWKA1dmeq-Duu0gfBn2hIb36QTmsy0j3C1yJU4e90vv1OgCv/s1600/IMG_20120508_213545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWRbYzEtWjrqZlfF2cLZko-jvpKoNjd6JUH-3JKvQ-UVNY0OGArAhjV0LonnFrSV6gGh-4JUC9pb8xVB11JLUyWKA1dmeq-Duu0gfBn2hIb36QTmsy0j3C1yJU4e90vv1OgCv/s640/IMG_20120508_213545.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-73566637087654688862012-04-28T23:50:00.001-07:002012-04-28T23:50:33.891-07:00Quake toppled cemetery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Quake toppled cemetery in Otawara, Tochigi-ken, Japan.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo3NLNaCaieuXqaX7X1fbO0c9isMA5X2nZybKVuMOCUfWFjZNniH0jFieuEuIkIHvQ9R3VTHU2a2zC1zgT64nAU2mlZLoz0ebNMpHzZcPWQzpFGY-UfDcqLFDtx6SY6fja0qX/s1600/IMG_20120413_212825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSo3NLNaCaieuXqaX7X1fbO0c9isMA5X2nZybKVuMOCUfWFjZNniH0jFieuEuIkIHvQ9R3VTHU2a2zC1zgT64nAU2mlZLoz0ebNMpHzZcPWQzpFGY-UfDcqLFDtx6SY6fja0qX/s640/IMG_20120413_212825.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-79566351671511007552012-04-27T13:06:00.001-07:002012-04-27T13:06:31.546-07:00Small Japanese Door<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I posted this maybe last year but here it is again in black and white. I like this little door, maybe on 4 feet or 120 cm tall. This is from Otawara, Tochigi-ken.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKtV6gnj6GJYGDN999aI1zH85ojPy8mKApA6XH2aiwd_EgD0pc-x86_hVid38f0hkrwx9AubdukX0sHsViUJCkwSURAtrV4q1wxY9XQ50SxGpy0BCSS_AVT8vOSRtxApi4Jjd/s1600/IMG_20120411_160956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKtV6gnj6GJYGDN999aI1zH85ojPy8mKApA6XH2aiwd_EgD0pc-x86_hVid38f0hkrwx9AubdukX0sHsViUJCkwSURAtrV4q1wxY9XQ50SxGpy0BCSS_AVT8vOSRtxApi4Jjd/s640/IMG_20120411_160956.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-80086949855713321082012-04-13T09:10:00.000-07:002012-04-13T09:10:01.235-07:00Demon Face<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I love the eyes of the demon (or whatever it is).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSSzQXvV7rldjoLBAG2k0OMIAN2RpK6us7vg9ZWpyLNVQORvD2pSaE_nbZURHMNGeuNwq5vTwG-PuTKawuQyGFYa1sVrksYCtzegGNmRQiPSNse8nit__mkdasAQG89Eon6aG/s1600/IMG_20120410_184825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSSzQXvV7rldjoLBAG2k0OMIAN2RpK6us7vg9ZWpyLNVQORvD2pSaE_nbZURHMNGeuNwq5vTwG-PuTKawuQyGFYa1sVrksYCtzegGNmRQiPSNse8nit__mkdasAQG89Eon6aG/s640/IMG_20120410_184825.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-41677330509135409452012-04-12T15:00:00.001-07:002012-04-12T15:00:37.972-07:00Demon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm not sure what this is actually but it looks like a demon. This statue was standing next to a shop entrance in Otawara, Tochigi, Japan.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCM8TvCp7h6hw3P0LEW3yQ08LmRFbpWoE3DL1JNa3VVioPg01ss66L2OPojSeHlZ3d0j6DhmaAs_yJ_LM_3fzERMrHHSszLDMU_M9dZ9PQgb3oToBsN9EUg2m-shcSpoQsII7O/s1600/IMG_20120410_184434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCM8TvCp7h6hw3P0LEW3yQ08LmRFbpWoE3DL1JNa3VVioPg01ss66L2OPojSeHlZ3d0j6DhmaAs_yJ_LM_3fzERMrHHSszLDMU_M9dZ9PQgb3oToBsN9EUg2m-shcSpoQsII7O/s640/IMG_20120410_184434.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-17390632557563805242012-04-10T11:09:00.001-07:002012-04-10T11:09:56.625-07:00Simple Stone Lantern<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This simple yet beautiful stone lantern is at a Buddhist temple in Otawara Tochigi prefecture. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_xJEATPe9HxQwNgDwd0qYF5U-zuT4Cjisawqs4YhhNoGR6RZsLvw7ClJ5UJizyMkTkasJmGXZSE6rFccXMRZUc1R6oDMym46wTGpqnEL9yqt2yJZT8r8h4nMwwDHozP5nMuF/s1600/IMG_20120409_184721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_xJEATPe9HxQwNgDwd0qYF5U-zuT4Cjisawqs4YhhNoGR6RZsLvw7ClJ5UJizyMkTkasJmGXZSE6rFccXMRZUc1R6oDMym46wTGpqnEL9yqt2yJZT8r8h4nMwwDHozP5nMuF/s640/IMG_20120409_184721.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-40791494618310467322012-04-09T08:28:00.001-07:002012-04-09T08:51:50.465-07:00Meditating Daibutsu<div>
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<img height="400" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wojbxorkaYE/T4MABsFT4zI/AAAAAAAAIeo/neeBjHjin6U/IMG_20120409_075401.png" width="400" /></div>
</div>owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-23858855070987660452012-04-07T18:34:00.001-07:002012-04-09T08:53:12.794-07:00Haikyo House<div>
Otawara Tochigi-ken<br />
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<img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTg7CIFX27MlPERAGHZ4GpOBcoQDjYn4dwwCm5z88p72rrwlnwc5XBV8_8TuCi1kLnaihf5Lb9LNWuM6lFo_Slrlg2x0kVj5fcDe7QTjOckaTdaDjoLAhH6_rqtbtvmNDjYIfI/" width="320" /></div>
</div>owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-23820319232162776192012-03-30T16:06:00.000-07:002012-03-30T16:06:44.510-07:00Flower Shrine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This an entrance to a small Shinto Shrine in Otawara, Tochigi-ken. I took this photo on my last trip there. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jHmddurZ4w2sHnkOB11a80NHsdiFO7ZEXT0bxFCyiWoFkPHSKtWoesMW8teWc7lyvP7KDxXojl4yxlF_ZmpJm7COtMptVROfmEKG28KG3NxfzTORC6GNthkb1sL4YrcuFYOs/s1600/DSCF0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jHmddurZ4w2sHnkOB11a80NHsdiFO7ZEXT0bxFCyiWoFkPHSKtWoesMW8teWc7lyvP7KDxXojl4yxlF_ZmpJm7COtMptVROfmEKG28KG3NxfzTORC6GNthkb1sL4YrcuFYOs/s640/DSCF0005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-60546690210417056612012-03-20T14:51:00.000-07:002012-03-20T14:51:34.323-07:00Blooming Blossoms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Spring has sprung in Los Angeles. These photos are from two weeks ago. I think the top two photos are plum blossoms but I am not certain. The bottom one is from in front of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a9UbNVyvY9c/T2j7NufJ8fI/AAAAAAAAID4/ilSU4Qj87p4/s1600/2012-03-12_12-54-08_591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a9UbNVyvY9c/T2j7NufJ8fI/AAAAAAAAID4/ilSU4Qj87p4/s640/2012-03-12_12-54-08_591.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-76056559655776225812012-03-09T15:05:00.000-08:002012-03-09T15:05:28.815-08:00Japan U.S. Mail Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I found this house during a walk around Otawara, Tochigi-ken. I liked all the green vegetation around the entrance but what really caught my eye was the mail box. Sorry you can't make it out in the photograph but the mail box says U.S. Mail. The front door and little parking spot are a mere few feet from the road. I like how homes in Japan are closer to the roads, especially the quieter, narrower roads. It gives it a more intimate feeling for me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyzrjeO2y5R8zRmo0QKSoOxKEEjO-mB0qsa7uHlmGaph_aooDjKRS-kQVIA0ufNmpNlTZwpdKMupOOJ_NNJpZ_GjeVh2-XUD7qTaT7IilDeYgFf7ZkAprFA24WJdCypPjTZBC/s1600/DSCF0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyzrjeO2y5R8zRmo0QKSoOxKEEjO-mB0qsa7uHlmGaph_aooDjKRS-kQVIA0ufNmpNlTZwpdKMupOOJ_NNJpZ_GjeVh2-XUD7qTaT7IilDeYgFf7ZkAprFA24WJdCypPjTZBC/s640/DSCF0017.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-80230540943149025252012-02-23T15:27:00.001-08:002012-02-23T15:43:56.092-08:00Patient Dog in Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Look at this patient dog waiting at the front door of a home in Otawara, Tochigi-ken.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcz6Szw4X86i4wrz5QbbVm5fH0mCjp_HBmJUuzJca2eyTY6TqGOix096cj9kUTGnY8Uq5a2uuhGEocyKRuX_X4q9PlJpAOh7MZjqensaIh69innerXdMXABR1oC1fAYo7qao8X/s1600/DSCF0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcz6Szw4X86i4wrz5QbbVm5fH0mCjp_HBmJUuzJca2eyTY6TqGOix096cj9kUTGnY8Uq5a2uuhGEocyKRuX_X4q9PlJpAOh7MZjqensaIh69innerXdMXABR1oC1fAYo7qao8X/s640/DSCF0014.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Look closer at the dog. It is actually a statue. I had to take a second look when I walked by the first time. :)</div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-43697121463944845052012-02-16T21:12:00.000-08:002012-02-16T21:12:47.675-08:00Nice Japanese Gate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Another gate I found in Otawara, Tochigi-ken. I really like this one because of the natural cut wood on the front of the gate. The gate enters into a very small entry way garden which I also like. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipi9MdxOzueATTZH4ROBI8ANaKGHW_vaAmvLV-25l6J26fEXQvltr_DOOVpZQwCg_eArMI1yDc-tsdBhRhxAU28khItWT__CMh7ptJNZWRA2dZxzCZ7ai4FXOZScdur5Uhyphenhyphen-qw/s1600/DSCF0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipi9MdxOzueATTZH4ROBI8ANaKGHW_vaAmvLV-25l6J26fEXQvltr_DOOVpZQwCg_eArMI1yDc-tsdBhRhxAU28khItWT__CMh7ptJNZWRA2dZxzCZ7ai4FXOZScdur5Uhyphenhyphen-qw/s640/DSCF0011.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-34892391732482029762012-02-10T14:19:00.000-08:002012-02-10T14:19:05.586-08:00Another Old Japanese House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here is another old Japanese house I found while walking around Otawara, Tochigi-ken. This appears to have doubled as a work house or farm house due to the size and shape. But there is no farm land in the immediate area anymore. Of course there used to be a lot of farm land around here 40 or 50 years ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq650AwHfARhny4dsBM5sorYoZJhquD55vxuHHrH4wUvHGG6bio5cp17YpYYXqe3x5Nuuf0L5ZR6rJ7nVxsNL8rMN61zERi9OXNw9FzZOkOTALUNhUxaPhPzDfr-mstGfm5Q-/s1600/DSCF0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq650AwHfARhny4dsBM5sorYoZJhquD55vxuHHrH4wUvHGG6bio5cp17YpYYXqe3x5Nuuf0L5ZR6rJ7nVxsNL8rMN61zERi9OXNw9FzZOkOTALUNhUxaPhPzDfr-mstGfm5Q-/s640/DSCF0009.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-46705112051044124752012-02-04T12:41:00.000-08:002012-02-04T12:41:09.279-08:00Old Japanese House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is an old Japanese house in Otawara. I like the weathered look of the wood siding and the tile roof.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6ZNAcMACOzl6g27P41mnDxGmL80SUtmPiQ8CYb4fYLvKOkvWpyRqqKo1x1dHQwS9LEACRB6bJiV1atiTSEeOWHQerautgM901rJ09Z9qFSxWgsB56zqGvr4DpsBDcAkpJKIk/s1600/DSCF0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6ZNAcMACOzl6g27P41mnDxGmL80SUtmPiQ8CYb4fYLvKOkvWpyRqqKo1x1dHQwS9LEACRB6bJiV1atiTSEeOWHQerautgM901rJ09Z9qFSxWgsB56zqGvr4DpsBDcAkpJKIk/s640/DSCF0006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com7Japan, Tochigi Prefecture, Otawara, Shintomicho, 1丁目9−3536.864137150497406 140.0295495986938536.8609611504974 140.02461409869386 36.867313150497409 140.03448509869384tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-90720065645734288302012-01-29T20:41:00.000-08:002012-01-31T08:23:06.390-08:00Old Style Japanese Gate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love Japanese gates. This is one of my favorite that came across while walking around Otawara in Tochigi-ken. I'm not sure if this is an old style but it looks like it.</div>
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I particularly like this gate because it is not solid, you can see through the slats into the beautiful inner garden. Also, the wall on each side is not high and imposing, further allowing visibility into the inner garden.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQlTREaw2rHah3DH0ii6wPukFX6QNzVGWxGKrLikacFP-d6GuragfFdzSH_q4w4pa-Afl1VtWdly4B0dXgPKus03s1X8YvN44gBX-kulXzRCBk15IZAJUON30oh7G4xQpikFa/s1600/DSCF0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQlTREaw2rHah3DH0ii6wPukFX6QNzVGWxGKrLikacFP-d6GuragfFdzSH_q4w4pa-Afl1VtWdly4B0dXgPKus03s1X8YvN44gBX-kulXzRCBk15IZAJUON30oh7G4xQpikFa/s640/DSCF0004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com15Japan, Tochigi Prefecture, Otawara, Shintomicho, 1丁目4−1636.86485817924013 140.0276613235473636.861682179240127 140.02272582354738 36.868034179240134 140.03259682354735tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-18941320899785958562012-01-12T19:08:00.001-08:002012-01-12T19:08:37.349-08:00Koyasan Buddhist Temple Los Angeles<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QRftUnd4s4M" width="560"></iframe>owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-75736890893471508062012-01-02T19:27:00.000-08:002012-01-02T19:27:55.518-08:00A Fine Looking AlleyI found this fine looking alley during one of my walks around the Otawara, Tochigi-ken neighborhood. What really caught my eye was the beautiful looking stone sidewalk or walkway. On one side was a fine looking wall that contained peoples yards or entryways.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5XULkrH27O4/TwJ0DGd9c4I/AAAAAAAAHsQ/ibKhSwrJ1BM/s1600/DSCF0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5XULkrH27O4/TwJ0DGd9c4I/AAAAAAAAHsQ/ibKhSwrJ1BM/s640/DSCF0012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Notice the interesting texture of the walkway with the white stone with red flecks and spots. Very pretty. On the left of the bottom photo is what is left of an older stone wall that collapsed during the March 2011 earthquake. The wall contains a cemetery.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OjQed3U6wkA/TwJ0AR93jTI/AAAAAAAAHsI/ngQ-xAfaNI4/s1600/DSCF0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OjQed3U6wkA/TwJ0AR93jTI/AAAAAAAAHsI/ngQ-xAfaNI4/s640/DSCF0013.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-34314496664367993912011-12-23T13:10:00.000-08:002011-12-23T13:10:40.549-08:00Pub Snack Allure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I like the name of this pub. Pub Snack Allure. This is in the pub district in Otawara Tochigi-ken.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_wwNBUNUw_A/TvTtukGgb_I/AAAAAAAAHoY/Hc_Zq2KOSP8/s1600/DSCF0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_wwNBUNUw_A/TvTtukGgb_I/AAAAAAAAHoY/Hc_Zq2KOSP8/s640/DSCF0009.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com6Japan, Tochigi Prefecture, Otawara, Chuo, 1丁目12−1436.866849556611477 140.025129318237336.863673556611474 140.02019381823732 36.870025556611481 140.03006481823729tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-12598873673173692892011-12-14T13:33:00.000-08:002011-12-14T13:33:04.044-08:00Meat Shop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Two meat shops in Otawara Tochigi-ken. These are both in the pub district neighborhood. But I don't think either of them sell meat. Someone lives above Meat Shop Torikin and when I walked by he was just opening the metal doors but I did not see any meat. The other meat shop appeared to be an abandoned haikyo building.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD37xkhwcJelMw9zHwsnOJTfvimbsMrexbnBsJZZfWKvL8UnAT3Q8iBHGWaZLtRkolxAF-juiDG7878FhRq9LENPNYZsPqQzfqz216UMdclgq2NU4SI_iasgLb55Sra6JrpVj/s1600/Meat+shop+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD37xkhwcJelMw9zHwsnOJTfvimbsMrexbnBsJZZfWKvL8UnAT3Q8iBHGWaZLtRkolxAF-juiDG7878FhRq9LENPNYZsPqQzfqz216UMdclgq2NU4SI_iasgLb55Sra6JrpVj/s640/Meat+shop+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meat Shop Torikin that doesn't sell meat.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirczWvgZuM8OSpE_pZFu466XFFqKb1XMRhHJ81EuD2FzvOtQ4iwabv3HZZdTZxazhraQhkmFfoZU-arpy_dsVTZJqZ3mlXGlahIJ7gy7iqRYa2JGfcwpT8IU3pUOFzHzyVtD10/s1600/Meat+shop+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirczWvgZuM8OSpE_pZFu466XFFqKb1XMRhHJ81EuD2FzvOtQ4iwabv3HZZdTZxazhraQhkmFfoZU-arpy_dsVTZJqZ3mlXGlahIJ7gy7iqRYa2JGfcwpT8IU3pUOFzHzyVtD10/s640/Meat+shop+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meat Shop Haikyo</td></tr>
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<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com3Japan, Tochigi Prefecture, Otawara, Chuo, 1丁目12−936.866437551758459 140.0243997573852536.863261551758455 140.01946425738527 36.869613551758462 140.02933525738524tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-50492774442536790182011-12-08T16:13:00.001-08:002011-12-14T13:36:02.866-08:00Pub Alley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here is an alley, or very small street, full of small pubs and bars in the Otawara pub neighborhood. There were about 10 or 12 just in this little section that ends just up ahead. The one nearest sells Mackinlay's Old Scotch Whiskey.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV-k4P_kRiQo4LZ516h-I93wIDcne4gu_kCquMkU8ws3Q2nfRsCI0QDQc9S5cupz4JSHYVLHlk97WoBirK9GqeY4R4atpyCaEG-T_X2bRQRuW5TaGKRc0zQx9nS1NhZVoh3r_/s1600/DSCF0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV-k4P_kRiQo4LZ516h-I93wIDcne4gu_kCquMkU8ws3Q2nfRsCI0QDQc9S5cupz4JSHYVLHlk97WoBirK9GqeY4R4atpyCaEG-T_X2bRQRuW5TaGKRc0zQx9nS1NhZVoh3r_/s640/DSCF0015.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOHKvwQ4dPTMRB1_j1FzRj-Xc5fSisuP5BM3O8xdMzFA1PaxATRl-ACT6CZ7IrdmZyrjawLnj00sfzrQZpTtMyhnJpLCYDo1tDgSWmy2UGyqEtKsTpAa-7LsZiiZ-kAgEMh6G/s1600/DSCF0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOHKvwQ4dPTMRB1_j1FzRj-Xc5fSisuP5BM3O8xdMzFA1PaxATRl-ACT6CZ7IrdmZyrjawLnj00sfzrQZpTtMyhnJpLCYDo1tDgSWmy2UGyqEtKsTpAa-7LsZiiZ-kAgEMh6G/s640/DSCF0016.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com2Japan, Tochigi Prefecture, Otawara, Chuo, 1丁目12−336.866437551758459 140.0250434875488336.863261551758455 140.02010798754884 36.869613551758462 140.02997898754882tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26681372.post-39732363566199923442011-12-01T16:02:00.001-08:002011-12-01T16:07:27.631-08:00The Economist on the Olympus ScandalTribal Japan
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Japan’s cherished loyalty system is part of the problem</h1>
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Dec 3rd 2011</div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.3em;">ON </span>NOVEMBER 25th the venerable Foreign Correspondents’ Club<br />
of Japan experienced a volley of camera flashes, jostling television crews and shouts of “heads down at the front!”—the sort of attention it has rarely enjoyed since the country began its gentle slide down the world’s news agenda. The occasion was the return to Japan of Michael Woodford, the former boss of Olympus, a Tokyo-based lens-maker, who had been fired in October after he started asking awkward questions about $1.3 billion in suspicious transactions. His subject, in a nutshell, was corporate governance—not something that, in the abstract, usually sets reporters’ hearts aflutter. But as the club pointed out, not even the Dalai Lama had drawn such a crowd.</div>
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Mr Woodford, who is adroit in the spotlight, says the whole saga has been like walking into a John Grisham novel. Having been sacked by the board and stripped of his office, home and company car on October 14th, the 30-year Olympus veteran—one of just four<em class="Italic" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">gaijin</em> to run a leading Japanese company—was told to catch a bus to the airport. The American Federal Bureau of Investigation, Britain’s Serious Fraud Squad and the Japanese authorities are all now on the case.</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;">Mr Kikukawa, Mr Mori and the company’s statutory auditor have since resigned from the board of Olympus, accused of a huge cover-up of securities losses dating back to the 1990s. But other board members who supported them and who dumped Mr Woodford still have their jobs. The company insists that he was fired for failing to understand its management style, and Japanese culture, not for being an awkward whistleblower.</span><br />
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But in retrospect, he says, one of the most chilling moments came when he was still chief executive and had unsuccessfully challenged his chairman, Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, to explain the missing money. He found another director, Hisashi Mori, also seemed to be stonewalling him. “Mr Mori, who do you work for?” he recalls asking, expecting the answer to be Olympus. “Michael, I work for Mr Kikukawa. I’m loyal to Mr Kikukawa,” Mr Mori is said to have replied.</div>
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If every foreigner who didn’t understand Japanese culture were fired there would hardly be a <em class="Italic" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">gaijin</em> businessman left in the country. The corporate ethos of every culture is in some sense unique. Japan’s is especially perplexing, not just because of its well-known emphasis on loyalty to the group, seniority-based pay and long-term job security. Firms are also doggedly clannish on the inside. As Mr Mori implied, loyalty to a manager or department can trump loyalty to the firm—even if that works against everyone’s long-term interests.</div>
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The other difficulty, which extends far beyond business, is a general suspicion in Japan of outsiders’ points of view. Take Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear-power plant, wrecked by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. A recent report by Bloomberg, citing minutes of a 2009 meeting, revealed that TEPCO and its regulator, the Economy and Trade Ministry, dismissed scientific findings about the risks of such natural disasters that could have helped prevent the meltdowns of three of the plant’s reactors. The nuclear industry is deeply incestuous. Not only do bureaucrats parachute from their ministries into the utilities, but their sons and daughters occasionally marry each other too. Nicholas Benes, who founded the Board Director Training Institute of Japan, a non-profit organisation, says that having more outsiders on TEPCO’s board, whether independent nuclear specialists, foreigners or women, might have helped ring alarm bells. As it was, 18 of the 20 voting members on TEPCO’s board came from the company itself.</div>
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Tribalism extends to politics and the media too, frustrating debate, good policy, and the ability to call politicians to account. Members of Japan’s two biggest political parties acknowledge quite candidly that their first loyalty is to their faction’s boss, not to any policy. Hence the ruling Democratic Party of Japan often appears to be more at war with itself than with the opposition.</div>
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As for the media, senior reporters are assigned to cover factional power struggles within the parties, whereas complex policy questions are often covered by junior hacks. The mainstream media has a system, known as the Kisha Club, that tends to encourage complicity with official sources and conspires to keep trouble-making riff-raff out of press conferences. Financial journalists quietly acknowledge that one reason they buried Mr Woodford’s claims on the inside pages early in the Olympus scandal is that the story was broken by an obscure monthly magazine. Worse, Mr Woodford first spoke to the <em class="Italic" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Financial Times</em>, not the <em class="Italic" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nikkei Shimbun</em>.</div>
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<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Time for a shake-up</strong></div>
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In politics, there are encouraging signs that some of this is starting to change. The prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, has made policy front-page news for the first time in years, with his decision to push Japan gingerly towards negotiating a free-trade treaty with America and at least eight other countries, under the framework of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Meanwhile, on November 27th, a publicity-seeking former governor, 42-year-old Toru Hashimoto, dealt a severe cuff to both mainstream political parties. Beating a candidate they jointly supported, he won election as mayor of Osaka on a single campaign pledge: to unite the city and prefecture of Osaka into one large metropolis that would strengthen its finances as well as its bargaining power with the political establishment in Tokyo.</div>
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His appeal suggests one stark aspect of governance in Japan—the patience of voters with hopeless mainstream politics—may at last be weakening. But in the tradition-bound, loyalty-bound business world, there is as yet little such clamour for change, from employees or shareholders, however much Mr Woodford has rattled their cages.</div>
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</div>owenandbenjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09474307542498791351noreply@blogger.com10