ProjectVISUAL

Fushimi Inari

I’ve got a speech contest coming up in February in Sanda; it’s all in Japanese. I pretty much still can’t speak any Japanese spontaneously but it’ll be good practice. If you ever visit Kyoto, definitely check out Fushimi Inari; ten thousand gates, one after the other represent possibly the most effort ever gone into man [...]

Weekend In Nagano

No photo today, I’m currently in a car screaming across Japan on my way to Nagano! The plan is skiing and snowboarding (I’ve never done either) in the mountains, and snapping some onsen monkeys if they let me! Pictures to follow…

Nagasaki Sunset

Last time I posted a shot of Nagasaki city at night from an observatory platform, today’s pic is what you see if you turn around! Two great views for just one admission! If you’re interested in knowing how I made this, along with my other photos, you can check out my HDR Tutorial Technorati Tags: [...]

Nagasaki Lights

I’m just back from a 2 week holiday around Kyushu in Japan. Two weeks of sight seeing, restaurants, onsen, and many, many hours of trains. And a 12 hour ferry back to Osaka at the end of it all. Nagasaki was the first city I visited on Kyushu. The highlight was getting to see the [...]

Pagoda near Kinosakionsen.

There is a speech contest happening in Sanda near year in February. It’s open for all foreigners I think and I grabbed myself an application form today. If anything it will be a good motivator for me to practice putting some sentences together. Today’s pic is from Kinosakionsen I think; one of the many Pagodas [...]

Kiyomizu-dera

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) is one of the thousands of temples spread across Kyoto. It was flooded with people (and spot lights) the night I got there, but they were all but invisible to the camera thanks to a long exposure as they quickly strolled by. If you’re interested in knowing how I made this, along with [...]

Bringing In The Mikoshi

I went to a Mikoshi Festival a couple of weeks ago about 60km north of Sanda. It’s a real town event where all the men of the town carry around large Mikoshi from one location to another, and then drink sake together. The night before this happened I stayed with a Japanese family as part [...]

Mukogawa

According to Google Maps, Mukogawa is the river that flows through Sanda. I was tempted to say Mukogawa river, but gawa (がわ) means “river” already, and its kanji is 川！It’s looking fairly lame at the moment but during typhoons and heavy rain it really swells up and gets moving. If you’re interested in knowing how [...]

Down Goes The Sun

I’m coming to the end of my Sanda pictures for the moment, next up will probably be from a Mikoshi Festival I was recently at. In other news it’s gonna be a wet weekend here in Japan, so no moving from my house for the next two days! If you’re interested in knowing how I [...]

Long Road

Wow today was a reeeeealll long day. Three classes in a row! Each one 65 minutes long! Trying to explain english in english to japanese students! It’s a drain! Life’s tough! If you’re interested in knowing how I made this, along with my other photos, you can check out my HDR Tutorial Technorati Tags: lens, [...]

Extreme Lensing

I got my first taste of Japanese driving yesterday. Me, Catherine and Rieko managed to drive over 730km from Sanda in Hyogo to Matsuyama in Shikoku and back. The Japanese, like Ireland, drive on the left side of the road, AND practically all the cars are automatic so it’s like you’re playing Mario Kart on [...]

The Effect Wind Has On Rice

It’s been an eventful weekend; I’m just back home from a Mikoshi Festival in central Hyogo. A miskoshi is sort of like a portable house that is supposed to have a particular deity inside it. The local people move the mikoshi around the town on wheels and then carry it on their shoulders into the [...]

Sun Setting Rice Fields

There are rice fields like this one scattered all around Sanda. I’m not sure why it’s lying flat at the moment though; usually the leaves are standing up straight. We did just go through typhoon season in September so maybe that had something to do with it ( ﾟдﾟ) . If you’re interested in knowing [...]

Yellow Sky

Well it’s another long weekend in Japan here; nearly every other week has one type of national holiday or another. Unfortunately it doesn’t get me out of school work today (Saturday) . I’m off soon to a speech contest between a few schools, and then I’m staying with a Japanese family for the night! If [...]

Construction In Malta

I’ve been going through some old photos and am not sure whether I posted this before or not, but here it is anyway! This pretty shot is from Malta in the morning. I recommend everyone takes a visit to Malta in spring the weather is great and the swordfish is delicious! If you’re interested in [...]

Living In Sanda

Here’s our little house from the outside! It looks a little run down but it’s really very nice inside. We still haven’t met our neighbors yet and it’s been over two months – it’s a bit hard to do introductions when there’s a language barrier as large as English and Japanese goin’ on! If you’re [...]

生花 – Ikebana

I took another shot of my zen apartment at a low angle. Actually I lie; it’s Catherine’s apartment. Mine is across the road but it’s not so zen-like. It’s great having a tripod again; I was without one for the first two months of my time here and I finally picked one up in Osaka. [...]

Welcome To My New Home!

Ugh it’s been two sweltering months of hot, sticky humid weather here in Japan. As soon as i stepped of the plane I knew I was in for an uncomfortable summer. Humidity is an unfamiliar phenomenon for Irish people, mostly because we don’t get any, but Japan summers are unreal! Anyway it’s October now and [...]

Onwards And Upwards

Getting nervous now! Tomorrow week I’ll be on a plane to Japan for a year! So many things to get sorted still! Todays photo is from the very very bottom of Lugnaquilla, a mountain in Co. Wicklow. It’s a very good walk to the top you should try it if you’re ever in the area [...]

Slowly Clearing Out Junk

I never realised how difficult it was to move to a different country! It’s amazing the amount of junk one accumulates over the years, and most of it is stuff you never really use for anything. I’ve got three essentials items that I “NEED”: my laptop, camera and ipod. The rest is just superfluous. I’ve [...]