Neil Duckett

This weeks theme in The Photo Hunt is Metal or Kinzoku (きんぞく) in Japanese.

I took this photo of a metal, Sun Tiger water pump, on the way home from my local Sushi bar where i eat dinner and have a few beers several nights each week.  You could be mistaken for thinking this photo was taken deep in the country of Japan but it’s actually taken in Yoyogi, a suburb of Tokyo.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Read Full Post »

This weeks theme in The Photo Hunt is Different or Kotonatta (ことなった) in Japanese.

Ultraman (ウルトラマン, Urutoraman) is a fictional character featured in tokusatsu, or “special effects” television programs. Ultraman made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, Ultraman, a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q. The show was produced by Tsuburaya Productions and  was broadcast on TBS. 

Here’s a photo i took of Ultraman last year, he looks decidely different in the comics than he does in real life.

To distinguish him from subsequent Ultra Warriors, Ultraman is referred to as the original Ultraman (初代ウルトラマン, Shodai Urutoraman), the first Ultraman, Ultraman Hayata (a reference to his host’s surname) or as simply Man. 

Although Ultraman is the first series to feature an Ultra-being, this is actually the second Ultra Series. Ultra Q was the first. A major pop culture phenomenon in Japan, the show has spawned dozens of imitators as well as numerous sequels and remakes, which continue to be popular today.

Ultraman as he appears on Television.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Read Full Post »

This weeks theme in The Photo Hunt is Wooden or Mokusei (もくせい) in Japanese.

Prior to living in Japan i would have said this seat was divided in two so that seperate parties can share the same seat without feeling like they’re imposing on the other. Now i live here i can safely say it’s to stop homeless people sleeping on it at night, or anytime for that matter.

Being homeless in Tokyo is quite different than many other places in the world.

Nojuko - people sleeping in the open air - is one of the most conspicuous hangovers of Japan’s burst bubble economy. The fabled salarymen of post war Japan have, in contemporary parlance, been “cut loose”, and along with their jobs has gone their livelihood.

While official estimates vary, the current rate of homelessness is almost twice as high as five years ago, and anyone who has lived long in the city will have noticed emergent colonies of blue tarp tents spreading across Tokyo’s parks and train stations. With unemployment at and all-time hign, an aging population and few government measures to tackle the problem, the numbers will continue to spiral. According to figures released by Tokyo Metropolitan Government last March, 70 percent of homeless people in Tokyo are able-bodied, and often skilled, men who lost their jobs through corporate restructuring and a decline in the day-laborer market. Eighty percent of homeless people want to find work. (Source - Metropolis)

Read Full Post »

This weeks theme in The Photo Hunt is Free or Muriyou (むりょう) in Japanese.

In the absense of any other photos i pulled this one from a recent post on Harajuku Bridge …. it needs no explaining.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Read Full Post »

This weeks theme in The Photo Hunt is Heavy or Omoi (おもい) in Japanese.

The pedestrian traffic in Shibuya is Heavy to say the least. Shibuya is famous for its scramble crossing which is reportedly the world’s busiest. It is located in front of the Shibuya Station Hachiko exit and stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. Three large TV screens mounted on nearby buildings overlook the crossing. The Starbucks store overlooking the crossing is also one of the busiest in the world. The 2003 American movie Lost in Translation featured a scene at the crossing.

The difference between above and below happens in seconds. 

The name “Shibuya” is also used to refer to the central business district of Shibuya Ward, which surrounds Shibuya Station, one of Tokyo’s busiest railway stations. Shibuya is known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area.

Shibuya (渋谷区, Shibuya-ku) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2005, it had an estimated population of 195,877 and a density of 12,960 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km² …. and it’s also the ward i live in.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Read Full Post »