When you are hungry and walking home after a long day of work (or play) few things look as good as this on a Japanese street. So inviting, so mouth watering, so enticing. “Enter me,” it seems to say. “Let me fill your stomach and quench your thirst,” it beckons. “Come and put your cares aside for a while and enjoy life.”

You smile.

And enter.

By the way, in case you don’t know, yakitori is skewered chicken cooked over a fire, possibly after being marinated in a sweet, teriyaki sauce of some sort. Next to a bowl of rice, more dipping sauce, and a cold beer you are good to go.

Posted on May 7th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: buildings, food, japan pictures, kyoto, night photography. Comments Off on Yakitori (焼き鳥 or やきとり)

ラーメン = ramen (and real Japanese Ramen is nothing like the stuff you buy off the shelf in the U.S.); やみつき = being hooked on or addicted to something (although in this case I think it is also the chain name); ギョーザ = gyoza; やきめし = fried rice; karaage = fried chicken

So what are you going to order?

Posted on April 23rd, 2009 under Japan. Tags: food, japan pictures, kyoto, night photography, ramen, signs. Comments Off on Ramen in Kyoto

I’m really looking forward to heading back to Japan with my new LX3. The wide angle and low-light image quality are so much better than my old camera. Images like the above should come out far more dazzling.

I took this in Harajuku (I think). I may have been in Shibuya by the time I took this. The two areas sort of combine and overlap at some point and that’s about where I was.

Posted on March 2nd, 2009 under Japan. Tags: harajuku, japan pictures, night photography, Tokyo. Comments Off on Harajuku at night

The Tokyo Tower looks pretty much like the Eiffel Tower. Is the Kyoto Tower supposed to look like the Space Needle? If so, it is a poor imitation. Speaking of the Space Needle, I will be in Seattle next week. Can’t wait…

The ad at the bottom of this photograph is for Asahi Super Dry Beer.

Posted on January 14th, 2009 under Japan. Tags: japan pictures, kyoto, night photography. Comments Off on Kyoto Tower

When I turned the corner where the above picture was taken I had no idea I was about to see the Pantheon. What an amazing surprise it was to be walking around the streets of Rome and stumble on this scene.

The ruins of the Roman Forum are a must see while in Rome. I was fascinated to walk through it and feel the history.

From the vantage point in the above photograph you can also see the Coliseum (background, slightly left of center), a place I pictured in my imagination to be off by itself. Instead there is vehicle traffic buzzing around it constantly. The Coliseum was a bit of a disappointment in that regard but still incredible to tour on the inside.

Posted on December 28th, 2008 under Other. Tags: italy, night photography, pictures. Comments Off on Old places