Same planet, different world.

Relocation

In the last 5 weeks, I have:

• Moved out of my apartment of 6 years in Ito
• Left Japan after 10 years, two-and-a-half months of residence
• Shared goodbye meals with some good friends with the hope that it won't be too long before I see them again
• Been living out of a suitcase, a hotel, and a rental car

During my residence in Japan, I had the chance to visit the USA at least a couple times a year, and during my years working with the Reno Air Races, I usually spent about two weeks in September immersed in American culture.

While in Japan, those visits to America always seemed like a dream, and while in America, Japan seemed like a dream. Maybe that's because I have so few friends who have straddled both worlds.

But I have always felt like both places had their special strengths and weaknesses, their unique attractions and flavors. And as I reached the decision during the early months of this year to leave Japan and return to the US, I began to focus more on those things that were hard to do in Japan, but easy to do in the USA:

• Take photos before sunrise: Japan lies at the eastern edge of its time zone, and the sun rises during mid-summer before 4:30 AM. And because I never owned a car, and always used public transport in Japan, it was impossible to be where I wanted to be at sunrise. So, I missed half of the magic hours that photographers cherish, only being able to shoot sunsets, but no sunrises. And since I lived on the east coast of the Izu Peninsula, with a tall range of mountains to the West, shooting sunsets required some travel. In the USA, I can drive to where I want to be whenever I want.
• Play music: we'll see how this goes. But my apartment in Ito was electronically very noisy. My building being one of the tallest in town, there were a lot of antennas on the roof, and I suspect they were the source of all of the hums and buzzes that I could never get rid of whenever I tried to do some recording in my apartment. I am hopeful that this won't be a problem when I move into a place here. And I also expect I can find some opportunities to play out in town - there were very few live music venues in Ito, and moving equipment was always a problem - it's hard to lug a guitar, much less an amp or anything else, on the bus or train.
• I can express myself: even after 10 years in Japan, I don't feel like I have the cultural context to express myself the way I can in American English. Not surprising, but still it is a pleasure to be able to speak with shades of meaning, and be playful with my native language, where I may have been only slightly better than, "See Spot run. Run, Spot, run!" when speaking Japanese.

Do I miss Japan? Every day.

Will I go back? I certainly plan to.

But in the meantime, there is lots to do here to get settled again. I feel lucky to be where I am in Colorado - from here in Boulder west across the Rockies into the Four Corners and down into Arizona is an area that contains some of my favorite territory in North America. I am lucky to be able to live here.

Exploration

I have already had some great hikes, and although my best camera gear is in storage awaiting delivery when I am able to receive it, I have been able to scout some places that I want to return to again.

This morning, I left my hotel at midnight, and drove an hour to the trailhead leading up to Long's Peak - one of Colorado's 53 so-called "14-ers" - mountains whose summits exceed 14,000 feet above see level.

I met up with two new friends from Denver [thanks, Glenn and Marble!], and we climbed through the darkness starting at 2:00 AM. By 3:00, we had climbed from about 9,400 to 11,000 feet and were above the tree line.

We were not alone: the parking lot was nearly full and there were lots of other hikers on the trail, getting an early start for the summit. I took this photo at 3:04 AM - the light traces from the headlamps of climbers bobbing in the darkness like giant fireflies.

3:04 AM: Headlamps of hikers appear like giant fireflies as they pass a stela marking the route to the summit of Long's Peak. Orion's Belt (three equally-spaced stars in a vertical line) floats above the horizon at right.

By 4:00, we had reached 11,500 feet elevation, and the point where the trail to Chasm Lake, our destination, separates from the route to the summit. And by 4:30, we were approaching the Lake, and I turned around to shoot this image of the approaching sunrise.

4:34 AM: About a quarter mile from Chasm Lake, looking east, and back from whence we came, towards sunrise.

I had just enough time to climb the last 500 feet or so over a hump of slickrock to race around to the east side of Chasm Lake to be in position to shoot this panorama as the sun hit the face of the Longs Peak range.

5:15 AM: The rising sun hits "The Diamond" - the east face of Longs Peak - in the distance at right, reflected in Chasm Lake.

After so much climbing in the dark, it was nice to have the sun, and I shot a few more photos during the descent back to the trailhead, arriving there at about 9:30 AM. From there, it was an hour's drive back to Boulder and a nice nap!

5:50 AM: Columbine in bloom at about 11,700 feet, on the descent from Chasm Lake.

6:00 AM: Wildflowers and a mountain stream just below Chasm Lake.

Yellow-bellied marmot.

7:20 AM: Still above the tree line, descending through 10,800 feet. Wildflowers and a route marker.

8:00 AM: Back in the shade of the forest. Still an hour and a half to reach the trailhead.

Thanks to everyone who asked about me.

Just a quick post to say thanks to everyone who asked if I was OK over the last few days.

I have been in the USA on a business trip since 7 Mar and therefore was not in Japan when the quakes and tsunamis struck. Most of the friends to whom I reached out via email have replied that they are OK. I expect to hear from the rest as they get to work - as I write this it is Monday morning in Japan.

As far as I can tell, there was no serious damage where I live southwest of Tokyo, and I still plan to return to Japan later this week, barring any travel delays or other problems.

My thoughts are with the Japanese people, who have always been kind and hospitable to me in my 10 years of living in their country. Working in their favor is their intelligence, their hard-working nature, their ability to organize and cooperate, and their strong sense of honor and respect towards others.

Please consider doing what you can to support the relief efforts and assistance being provided to Japan by various governmental and non-governmental organizations.

And thanks again for all who asked about me.

Blossoming Cherry Trees at Kawazu

I posted some photos I have taken during a few trips to Kawazu to see the cherry trees there, which are among the first to blossom each year on Japan's main island of Honshu.

I have been living in Izu for 4 years now, and this is the first time I have been able to see these trees in bloom. Every year up to now, I have been traveling during their peak season. Last year, I was determined to go see them, but the one weekend I had in Izu between business trips and work in Tokyo, the weather was truly awful with typhoon-like winds and heavy rain.

So I was really happy this year to be around and to have some good weather that made for good viewing and photography.

Above: Looking upriver towards the Amagi Mountains,
with blossoming cherry trees lining both sides.

Above: Cherry blossoms in the early morning sunshine.

More photos of the Kawazu cherry trees may be found here.

Spring is really just around the corner. I have a few weeks of travel outside Japan ahead of me, but by the time I get back, the weather will be getting warmer and it will be my favorite time of year.

A visit to Kochi Prefecture [高知県]

I've lived in Japan for ten years, and am sad to say that I have never been further south and west than Kobe - only about 360 km from Ito - maybe 2.5 hours on the bullet train. Friends from the States often ask me if, since I live in Japan, I have plans to travel around Asia. I always say that there are still so many places I want to see in Japan, and I fly so often for work, I would rather just get on a train or a bus and go somewhere in-country.

So last weekend's visit to Kochi Prefecture, in the Shikoku region was a new distance record to the south for me.

Kame Izumi Sake Brewery

Almost every year, a group from my favorite pub in Tokyo visits the brewery of one of Japan's best makers of "nihonshu" - what most people would just call "sake". We do a tour of the brewery, try some of the results of the brewmasters art, and have a great dinner together before heading back to the big city.

This year, we visited the Kame Izumi ["Turtle Spring"] brewery. After one-hour flight from Tokyo's Haneda airport and another hour on the bus, we arrived at an unassuming cluster of old buildings nestled up against the hills that lie between the town of Tosa and Tosa Bay.

The "toji" or brewmaster, Saibara-san, met us outside and ushered us into the brewery. It was dark and cool inside, and you couldn't tell where one building ended and another began; all a maze of tanks, filters, and hoses among the old wooden beams and trusses. Shafts of afternoon sunlight flowed in through the windows and cracks in the planked walls.

We have to take off our street shoes and put on slippers when stepping across the threshold to the "inside". Nothing big enough for my size 11-and-a-half feet, so the slippers end at the beginning of my heel.

Saibara-san shows us around, explaining all the way. I have been asked to take photos, so I linger a bit behind, and wait for my co-travelers to move ahead in the narrow spaces, so I don't get to hear a lot of the explanation, and some of it would be beyond my poor Japanese language comprehension skills anyway.

Near the end of the tour as we circle back from whence we started, Saibara-san leads us to a dual row of tanks, where the latest vintage is fermenting. Climbing on top of one, he gestures for us to use our hands to direct some of the air wafting out of the tanks and towards our noses. From a tray of small glasses, he taps off some samples and we get a taste of this work-in-progress. Its very fresh and lively, with a tang like new cider.

Then at the end of the tour, we gather round some makeshift tables and sample a dozen or so different sakes. Just a warm-up for the awesome dinner we had together later in the city of Kochi [photo at left].

Kochi Castle

A side benefit for me was a chance to check out Kochi Castle, which is one of the few castles in Japan that is not a post-war replica. The original castle, completed in 1611, burned to the ground in 1727. The current structures were completed in 1748.

I managed to NOT stay out all night drinking, and was able to get up and walk the half-mile or so to the castle grounds, with plenty of time to make a lap around the castle before the sun came up at 7 AM.

It was cold and I had not brought a tripod with me, so I had to do the best I could in the weak morning light, propping the camera against a rock, a tree, or a fence post. Maybe some day I can come back a really do it right, but I was glad I had the chance to see this magnificent castle.

Kochi Castle at sunrise.

The main keep, or donjon, rises in the distance behind Otemon gate.

A view of the massive walls on the west side of the castle,
with the main keep rising on the opposite corner.

Enroute Australia - Tokyo to Hong Kong

We departed Narita from Runway 34L - heading northwest, and made a right turn-out to the southwest and flew back towards Tokyo, passing to the south of the city.

On the right side where I was sitting there were some great views out the window over Tokyo. The image below - my iPhone doing its best in the dark [1/15th of a second, F/2.8, ISO 1000] - isn't very good, but you can get a sense of the view.

At the center of the photo is Tokyo Tower, and just to the left of the word "Tokyo" you can make out the massive and tall building that is Roppongi Hills. The dark areas just to the right of the word "Tower" are the grounds of the Imperial residence and Chiyoda-ku, the heart of Tokyo. And on the western and northern perimeter, the brightly-lit districts of Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, connected by the Yamanote line - the train loop that encircles the city.

Onward towards Hong Kong - flight time 4 hours 50 minutes. I have flown this route many times over the last 3 years, but never this late in the day. So, no chance to see Mt. Fuji, or anything much at all except city lights, until we reach the southern end of the Japanese islands and head out over the ocean towards Taiwan, and Hong Kong beyond.

This route takes us over the city of Hong Kong as we descend towards the new airport on Lantau Isand. The weather was nice enough this evening for a great view - but the cabin lights were amped up too far to even try to get a photo of that beautiful skyline tonight.

Next step - the long flight to Adelaide and then Melbourne.

Enroute Australia - and already running late?!

Notwithstanding the reliable on-time performance of Japan's public transportation systems - especially Japan Railways - the Shinkansen between Atami and Shin-Yokohama was 5 minutes - FIVE MINUTES! - late arriving in Yokohama today.

Doesn't sound like much, but everybody gets so used to the accuracy that when you buy tickets, it's not at all unusual to have razor-thin connection times.

My trip to Narita Airport, for example, typically involves three separate trains- there are other options available, but this way is the fastest and most convenient: the local line up the coast from Ito to Atami, then the Shinkansen from Atami to Shinagawa, and finally the Narita Express from Shinagawa to Narita.

And today my train connection times were: 6 minutes at Atami, and 11 minutes at Shinagawa. But, there was some issue with the train ahead of us between Atami and Shinagawa, so we arrived at Shin-Yokohama, the last stop before my transfer at Shinagawa, 5 minutes late.

That cut my connection time down to 6 minutes - any closer than that and I would have had to hustle a bit.

But one of the reasons I change from the Shinkansen to the Narita Express at Shinagawa is the tracks are really close together - at Tokyo Station, it's a 10-minute cross-station, multilevel trip. Once I get off the Shinkansen, I only need to ride up one level on the escalator, pass through the ticket gate, and go another 30 meters before I reach the escalator that descends to the track for the Narita Express.

So - it wasn't a problem - but it did mean there was no chance for me to swing through Starbucks for a latté. I can find one at the airport.

It is a typical early Winter day in Japan - dry, sunny, and clear. The sun is shining, but days are short, and because we are on the eastern edge of our time zone, the sun goes down by 4:30 PM - so I will be flying in the dark to Hong Kong. And then flying through the night to Australia.

Narita Airport, from whence I am posting this, is moderately busy - I think I am a day or two ahead of the mad rush by many Japanese to get out of the country for a few days over the upcoming New Year holidays.

Next stop - Hong Kong.

Summer is over.

Yes, there will be more warm and sunny days here as Japan slowly slides towards Winter.  We'll have some typhoon action until the moist summer air from the south gives way to more westerly winds from off the Korean peninsula and the drier air improves visibility and comfort.

Here along the coast of the Izu Peninsula, there will still be flowers in bloom and plenty of insect and animal activity into late November, and I am looking forward to some more hikes, and chances to do some more macro photography of small plants and animals.

But today it is cool, breezy, and rainy, so since I am stuck inside anyway, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at some of the images I captured this summer.

You can do so by clicking HERE, or on the link at right to the "Summer is over" photo gallery.  It's just under the "Navigation" label.

On the move . . .

It takes me almost as long to get to the airport, as it does to get from Japan to Hong Kong, but I think it's worth it, living where I do.

And Japan's travel infrastructure is just exceptional - clean and comfortable. And always on time except for the occasional delay for bad weather or a suicide. If your train is not on time, you have to double-check - your watch is probably wrong.

My only complaint is that things are a bit "over-announced" - there is a nearly constant stream of messages confirming the train you're on [even the escalator you are on - "you are now approaching the up-escalator to the platform" - seriously!], or the name and arrival time of the next station, or what they are selling from the cart that comes through the car with sandwiches and beer, snacks, and ice cream.

My whole door-to-door trip is in seven parts:

• a 5-minute taxi ride to the train station - I could take the bus, which costs ¥160, but there is really no place for luggage, so I call for a cab a couple hours ahead of time and pay ¥810 instead - about USD $9.00 at today's exchange rate.
• a 20-minute train ride up to Atami on the "Odoriko Super View" express train, which gets up to Atami a bit faster than the 30 minutes it takes the stops-at-every-station train.  The line runs right along the eastern coast of the Izu Peninsula and alternates between really nice views of the rugged coastline and long tunnels that burrow into the folded fingers of rock that jut into the sea.  But today, it is cloudy and gray - not so good for sight-seeing.
• at Atami, I switch trains to the Shinkansen - Japan's famous "bullet train".  Leaving Atami, the train heads a bit inland and we lose sight of the coast, but on a good day glimpses of Mt. Fuji can be had between Odawara and Yokohama.

The Shinkansen arrives at Atami Station from points south - on the way to Tokyo.

• arriving at Shinagawa at the southeast margin of Tokyo after 40 minutes on the Shinkansen, I have just enough time to hit Starbucks for a Soy Venti Latté before changing trains again to the Narita Express.  After diving underground and stopping at Tokyo Station, the Narita Express comes up out of the hole on the eastern side of Tokyo and continues eastward for a little over an hour to the airport, so there is time to read or work without having to jump up and change modes of transportation again.

 Inside the Narita Express.

• out in Chiba Prefecture, approaching the airport there rice paddies and villages with traditional Japanese tiled-roof houses.  The train pulls into Airport Terminal 2 right on time, as usual, and then its check-in, security check, passport control, and the airport lounge until departure time - then the approximately 4-hour flight to Hong Kong.  Four hours and twenty minutes today - the Jet Stream must be pretty strong.  The flight goes right over Mt. Fuji, but I am sitting on the left side of the aircraft today, so I don't see it.

Departure gate, Narita airport.

• after landing at Hong Kong's new international airport, which is out on Lantau Island, getting through immigration, and grabbing my luggage, I catch the Airport Express train into Central Hong Kong - a comfortable 40-minute ride.
• and then race everybody else off the train to the taxi stand to catch a cab to the hotel.  Tonight, there are plenty of cabs and the wait is short.

Door-to-door elapsed time: approximately 10 hours.

The worst part of the trip is flying economy class - being trapped for over four hours with a bunch of total strangers, each of us allotted a space so tiny that it would constitute a human rights violation in any other context.  If I had my way, my commercial airline travel events would be fewer and farther between.

a day to explore the inside - at last

So many things I want to do but have not done.  But today the things at the top of the list are not so much about visiting someplace new, finding new friends, or socializing.  And not about any of the other things that have to be done to maintain a so-called life in the modern world - errands, cleaning, paperwork, bill paying, shopping - none of that stuff.

More about exploring on the inside:

• Working up some of the hundreds of photos I have taken over the last 3 months.
• Fleshing out some of the tunes I have sketched on the guitar and the keyboard but have not really started to define and arrange.
• Exploring some ideas in 3D graphics.

Mostly creative work.

It is hard to do this kind of work when my day is busted up into a million pieces by conference calls, meetings, travel, and managing.  And hard to do when I am sitting in a hotel room thousands of miles from home without my stuff - my gear, my guitars, my books, my tools.

So today has been a pretty good day.  An unbroken stretch of a few hours to "get in the zone", think, practice, try.  There has to be some insulation from the ever-more-intrusive outside world to do this.

It would have been a great day outside, too.  As if the sea and the wind had been watching the calendar, the weather really turned the corner right around the last day of Summer.  Although it is sunny today, there is a cool breeze coming off the ocean.  A submarine anchored just outside the harbor last night and at 7 AM this morning, they got underway.  I guess they are doing sea trials or some sort of training, as they have been cruising around on the surface for the past three hours, doing S-turns, one-eighties, and then stopping and doing nothing.

But today I won't go out to enjoy the Autumn weather.  I did two hikes last week, and today is an inside day.  Play some music, start this blog, look at some photos, and occasionally glance out the window.

And, then tomorrow, off to Hong Kong.  Three trains and three hours to the airport, wait in the lounge for 90 minutes before departure, and then 4 hours flying time.  It makes for a long day, but the trains here are great, and I can get some paperwork done on the laptop and check mail on the iPhone on the way to the airport.

Back home on Friday, and hoping for good weekend weather for my next outside adventure.