Life in Japan - Pictures galore !! Arcades, Temples, Rainy days, etc

**spot778** · 03-20-2010

ASSEMbler: Correct, all the kimonos in the pics are fireproof

**bob** · 03-21-2010

Originally Posted by Yakumo

Hmm, the only thing keeping me here is that it's safer than the West. Far too many arse holes in the UK who don't give a shit for other peoples property and far too many thieving twats. That's the only thing keeping me here. The actual mentality of the country drives me nuts. It's like they're sheep most of the time.

Yakumo

How so?

**Yakumo** · 03-21-2010

Originally Posted by bob

How so?

You have to live here for a few years before it really sinks in. Imagine a place were new ideas are not often used even though they are obviously better than the old way because they AREN'T the old way. Then add the ability to not question anything openly. Mix in complete denial about any criticism you may hear and that will start you off on why many westerns who live in Japan bitch so much.

**alecjahn** · 03-22-2010

Originally Posted by Amuseum

Some impressions filmed with my little camera :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuNNnFe9lN0

1:00-06... Something I didn't think I'd ever see so beautifully.

**Amuseum** · 03-22-2010

Originally Posted by alecjahn

1:00-06... Something I didn't think I'd ever see so beautifully.

Yeah i loved this place, it was Kanagawa if i recall right... Beaches not far from Tokyo, in summer you can eventually swim if you don't bother with black volcanic sand. But i found the water not very attractive there.

Totally felt in love with this little "densha" !

**phate** · 03-23-2010

My Brother went to the military base on Okinawa about a year and a half ago (2008) for a job he was doing (He is a Cisco/Comptia Trainer).

He sent me a few pictures while he was there and I thought I'd share them. Nothing fantastic, but still interesting (at least to me)

Like I said, not much or anything special. He has better/more interesting pictures but they are in a folder on our network share that I'm not touching (Eww...).

Bigger versions of the images are here: http://binarygrind.com/files/okinawa/

**Vosse** · 03-24-2010

Ah, Japan looks like such a beautiful country.

I hope someday I can have the chance to visit or live there for a few years. I've been wanting to since I was very young.

**Yakumo** · 03-30-2010

I was testing out the camera on my new i-phone G3s to see how good or bad it was. People have told me it's pretty poor and with only a 3MPIXEL sensor I sort of believed them until today. While the images are not great for a normal camera they're not bad for a phone. These 2 pictures were taken through a dirty window of the 8th floor office where I work. Decent level of detail and nice colours I think.

Yakumo

**ASSEMbler** · 03-30-2010

Japan is more endearing once you leave Tokyo and all the concrete.

**GaijinPunch** · 04-01-2010

Originally Posted by ASSEMbler

Japan is more endearing once you leave Tokyo and all the concrete.

But it's boring as shit unless you're going to the mountains or beach.

**DCharlie** · 04-01-2010

gah, i need to get back on the photography trail.

random recent shots from the iphone

It's that time of year again!

Nice pattern :D

First place i lived in TK

Shinjuku

Always surprises me that you suddenly see a house like this every now and then in amongst the city suburbs. Not sure why! Preconceived ideas of Tokyo, i guess

**GaijinPunch** · 04-01-2010

I hav a picture somewhere of a house (which was FINALLY put to rest late last year) that just baffled me. It looked like a fart would knock it over, but it also had flora growing all over the fucking thing in the summer time. Looked like a Chia pet. This is all a stone's throw away from Yoyogi Park, so not exactly the place you'd find such a piece of shit.

**Yakumo** · 04-01-2010

Japanese don't really decorate or maintain their homes like we do in the west. When the wife and Iwere looking at buying a used hous before building our own we visited a few. A lot of them had the same wallpaper and decoration from when the house was built. One even looked like a 70's Porno set!

**Tatsujin** · 04-02-2010

japanese houses usually also don't last longer than 20~30 years, while ours in the west can be from the past past century and still looking pristine. especially regarding to the interio.

**ASSEMbler** · 04-02-2010

The Japanese seem to think building a new house every 15 years is the best way to do things.

All the houses are shit, the materials are so shitty.

They have those one apartment wide highrises, the one I was in swayed
at least half a meter when the wind blew. It was like I was in a goddamn ship.

**DCharlie** · 04-02-2010

at least half a meter when the wind blew. It was like I was in a goddamn ship.

lol, yeah, our house is three floors and not too wide and this morning when i was on the 3rd floor it felt like house was swaying. Not good!

though our intention is to flatten it all in a few years anyways and build a "proper" house - we bought this place for the land rather than the houses on it.

I wonder if "look lads, USE PROPER MATERIALS, we'll even PAY" will work?

**GaijinPunch** · 04-02-2010

They're getting better, although not awesome. The whole tear down and build it back exactly like it was probably has more to do w/ Japanese being fickle about "new" than anything. Honestly, I don't mind anything other than the lack of insulation. Seriously, what the fuck? This is thought to be the most efficient country on the planet (although that's the punchline to a sick joke) yet they make paper thin walls in houses.

**Yakumo** · 04-02-2010

Luckily for me my house was built from the ground up and I was down here EVERY week telling them what I wanted. Unlike most Japanese homes my has full insulation, full strengthened beams, all windows and glass doors are triple glazed just like we have in the UK, real roof support, not some half arsed shit they originally had up. thank God I came down that week. And finally heated floors in the bathroom. I wanted central heating but I was told the whole system would need to be imported.

Yakumo