Category Archives: Travel

Japan, Nature, Photography, Society, Sustainability, Travel

Spectacular Aomori Sea of Japan Coast Marred by Plastics

One of my “nieces” (cousin’s daughter) is starting a project documenting all the plastics used in her life. That got me thinking about our trip to Japan last year when one day we went to the Sea of Japan coast in Aomori Prefecture.

The views were spectacular, but once you got up close, there were piles of plastic garbage strewn all over the beach. Much of the crap was not Japanese, but had floated in from other countries across the sea.

It occurred to me that I’d never posted these photos to my blog, so here they are. Shot in April 2019.

sea of japan aomori coast plastics

And then this. . .

Japan, Photography, Society, Travel

Bando German POW Camp, Shikoku, Japan

Yes, still more photos from our Japan trip last year. I think I just posted a few of this site before, and here’s a broader set.

The Bando German Prisoner of War camp on the island of Shikoku, Japan. The place was nearly deserted in spring 2019.

German soldiers captured in WWI were kept here under incredibly tolerant conditions. The Japanese camp commander was way ahead of his time (and apparently stubbornly opposed to harsher conditions and constraints proposed by higher command).

The prisoners were allowed to fraternize with locals, hold musical concerts, etc. Some even chose to stay rather than be repatriated when WWI ended.

The area still has strong connections to Germany.

It was interesting to note some Slavic names on some of the monuments — European powers incorporated conscripts from assorted holdings into their ranks.

Some info here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wi…/Band%C5%8D_prisoner-of-war_camp

Bando German POW camp Shikoku Japan

Business, Society, Sustainability, Travel

We’re Driving 10% of What We Used To

A thread on FB about less driving these days made me curious about our situation.

I figured out our mileage since the beginning of March at about 6km/day (~3.7 miles).

It would have been even less, but when Yumi’s office in downtown Vancouver was shutting down we had to drive there twice to retrieve a computer, monitor, and key files.

If this average kept up for a year, that would make for a total of ~2,200km/year!

In previous years we’d drive between 15,000 to 22,000 km/year depending on how often we got out of town.

So at this point, we’re driving roughly 10% of what we used to.

Photography, Society, Travel

Old Manitoba Prairie Churches in Ruins

Old prairie Ukrainian churches in ruins. From my photo archives, Oct. 24, 2008.

If I recall, these are all north of Dauphin, Manitoba. I wonder how many of them and their bell towers are still standing 12 years later. I would love to do another road trip around the area some day. . .

From what I could see of the land, this was not a friendly area to farm. Lots of rock piles in the fields, perhaps the immigrants didn’t know what they were getting into back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Just a hundred miles further west in Saskatchewan the land was much better, from what I’ve seen.

I’m not a very religious person, but I admire these Slavic ancestors who put faith in faith. They pulled together in the harshest conditions and built churches, community halls, schools . . .

Some broke their backs and their hearts, but others prospered, and gave back to their communities.

These photos may seem sad, but I see strength and love in them. And memories eternal. . .

old manitoba prairie churches in ruins

Society, Technology, Travel

Washington on History Channel

Watched the first episode of Washington on the History Channel tonight. Well done, warts and all. Looking forward to seeing more.

When the family lived in NYC for a few years in the late 60s/early 70s, I was was the blossoming pre-teen history nut who insisted we visit every Revolutionary War and Civil War site within weekend driving distance. . . .

One of the interesting things about both of those multi-year conflicts is how many of the major battles and events transpired in what we today consider relatively small areas geographically.

It’s something I found hard to get across to kids when I did my teaching degree with a major in history — that people/armies walked everywhere and lived off the land. That at best it would take months for communications to cross the Atlantic Ocean and back. . . .

Heck, even when my ancestors came to Canada in the late 19th/early 20th C, they knew it was a one-way trip and that they would likely never see their families, friends, and neighbours face-to-face again.

Japan, Nature, Photography, Travel

Photo Review & Sorting Project Reveals Cool Photos

I have reached the end of 2007 in my stay-at-home review of my photo archives. Deleting some redundant shots, and posting some old “finds” to FB.

Here are a few from today:

garter snake byrne creek burnaby bc
Northwestern Garter Snake on the Byrne Creek dike in SE Burnaby, BC in October, 2007. We used to run across snakes at least a few times every summer, but the last few years sighting have dwindled to near zero.


Black-Crowned Night Heron in Inokashira Park in western Tokyo, Japan, October 2007.

black-crowned night heron Tokyo Japan
Juveniles?

ruddy kingfisher nagasaki japan
Ruddy Kingfisher, Nagasaki, Japan, fall 2007.

koi nagasaki japan
Koi, Nagasaki, Japan, fall 2007.

egret nagasaki japan
Egret, Nagasaki, Japan, fall 2007

herons hiroshima japan
Herons on the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, Japan, fall 2007.


In this overall view, the herons are top right, on the flashing at the second ring from the top.

Japan, Nature, Travel

Excellent Hokusai Documentary on Knowledge Network

Just watched Old Man Crazy to Paint on Knowledge Network on the life of Hokusai.

Excellent documentary. Renowned artists and art historians are interviewed on the verge of tears in appreciation of his amazing artistic career, talent, and lifelong dedication.

He completed one of his most famous paintings at the age of 90 just months before he died.

Yumi and I have been fortunate to see some of his works in Tokyo and Washington, DC, and have a book of collected works, but this documentary also uses 8K super high-def video to reveal some his secrets and the incredible detail that makes up his best works.

Astounding.