Japan's rice fields in September

Again, my friend 花火 in Japan has been kind enough to send me an update of the rice fields. I am posting this just now, but this was taken at the end of September. Thank you 花火!

Selected for Google Earth!

I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of my pictures made it into the latest update of Google Earth.

The GP-1 GPS unit for my Nikon D90 was well worth the investment. It is especially handy when you have no idea where you were at the time you took a picture. It is fun to go back and see where you were exactly on the map. When planning my trip to Japan I relied on the Panoramio photos on Google Earth to get feel for different areas I would visit. Since I got back I have been geotagging points of interest around the area I live in for others to explore.

McDonalds Japan's Mr. James TV Commercial

This commercial pokes fun at gaijin in Japan. I don't find it offensive at all really, what do you think? More info on Mr. James and the Nippon All Stars HERE.

Total solar eclipse in Japan on the 22nd of July

日本ではまもなく、皆既日食がみられます。

今、１００年に一度の皆既日食！ということでみんなルンルンです。

しかし、ウィークデイ。

みきとしては仕事の真っただ中。。

しかも高層ビル。。

一応は高いところでみられるけど。。

記事の一部↓↓
’’2009年7月22日には日食が起こります。日本では、全国で部分日食を観察することができます。また奄美大島北部、トカラ列島、屋久島、種子島南部など、皆既日食帯と呼ばれる細長くのびた地域・海域内では、皆既日食を観察することができます。’’

The news article.

’’Totality in a solar eclipse, partial eclipse of the sun"!

On July 22nd, a partial eclipse of the sun will occur in various regions in Japan. Also a total solar eclipse will be seen in Amami Oshima north , Tokara, Yakushima island each , Those areas will be considered a "total solar eclipse area".

In Japan, many TV companies will begin a live broadcast of the century event in that day. Now in Japan , I think many foreingner and tourist will visit to see this centry event on each island. Anyway, please don't miss it out! ;)

Miki.

Asus Eee Keyboard spotted in Neuromancer artwork!

The Eee Keyboard by Asus has an uncanny resemblance to the one seen below. The artwork is by Barclay Shaw for the 1986 Phantasia Press edition of the 1984 novel by William Gibson. Looks a little bulkier than the Asus model, but has the same LCD display on the right. Could this have been the inspiration for Asus's new keyboard PC?

The rice fields are growing up.

One of my friends in Japan just emailed me this picture this morning. How thankful I was to recieve this. It brought back so many memories. Of course when I was there the fields were full of water with people everywhere planting little rice plants by hand or with little tractors. During my stay I must have passed tens of thousands of these little fields all carefully placed and planned out. I still don't quite understand how the tractors they use to plant the rice don't sink into the flooded rice fields, but they don't.

I wish I were there to walk through the fields in person, but pictures will have to do. Thank you 花火, for bringing back memories of the Japanese countryside and my journey through Japan.