Loose Socks - 52k
Photo taken on Nagoya underground. The camera had a swivel, which, combined with little need for a flash, let me get away with lots of sneaky stealth train photography. I usually took these in black and white, personal preference on trains. Here, a young school girl, waits for her stop with her umbrella. The giant socks are a fashion trend.

Umbrella - 172k
Taken at the Kyoto Gion Matsuri. My friend and I were allowed to climb into one of the ceremonial floats the day before the parade. This umbrella was in the room just before entering the float from the second floor.

Osaka Train - 77k
On the train from Kyoto to Osaka. I was thrilled with this picture, as the repeating stripes and patterns worked out so well. I got very lucky, as the sun came out briefly as I took the snap, thus striping things further.

Gion Festival Knot - 79k
A wheel of a Gion Matsuri float, freshly laquered. yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Osaka Oddity - 108k
Possibly one of the oddest photos I took in Japan. What was she holding in her left hand at one time? We speculated on everything from a skillet to a long knife ala Psycho.

Jizo - 98k
Kyoto, Japan. In a temple just off the main shopping plaza were numerous rocks and small, felt dolls. All were dress in red bibs. Such cheerful looking things, and yet they represent dead children.

Tokyo Tower - 121k
One of Japan's most famous landmarks. The orange paint, freshly lit with the oncoming of dusk, stands out against the sky. yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Sky Needle - 63k
On the opposite side of the Pacific, there is the Seattle Sky Needle. Also taken at dusk, I took a picture of the Needle as it was reflected in the mirrored surface of the nearby Jimmy Hendrix Experience building.

Flight over Rockies - 67k
Taken in a plane going from Seattle to Denver. Surprisingly, the plane's window is barely noticable. yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Valley of Clouds - 99k
Taken on the same flight. yyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Prayers - 63k
Inonamiya Shinto shrine. The colorful streamers are in fact carefully folded paper cranes. Legend has is that making a thousand paper cranes grants a person a wish. Many of the plaques ask for help with the upcoming exam season.

Heian Wishes - 72k
Kyoto. The reconstructed Heian Palace in the city is an amazing place. Like many shinto shrines, you can get your fortune told by casting rods. The paper you are given states your future, ranging from 'great fortune' to 'worst fortune'. In the event of the later, you can take your paper and tie it to the shrine's trees, and the gods will fix the problem. The trees even in May look covered in a heavy snowfall.