Hakata ramen (Fukuoka, Japan)

My first morning in Japan in almost three years and I found myself jet-lagged, hungry, and roaming empty streets. When this “morning ramen” (朝ラーメン) sign caught my eye I instantly knew what I was having for breakfast. At just 290 yen (about $3) I wasn’t expecting greatness, but I didn’t care.

博多ラーメン

Tonkotsu ramen is about my favorite kind (after Matador’s beef variety), and Hakata ramen is basically synanomous with tonkotsu. Is there a difference? I’m not sure. Let me know with a comment if tonkotsu doesn’t equal Hakata-style ramen. Anyway, I was literally in Hakata so this bowl made perfect sense.

Most ramen places have you pre-pay through a vending machine. Not so here. Partially because of that, and perhaps because I was jet-lagged, I accidentally forgot to pay until I was at the door leaving. The poor girl behind the counter was probably sweating bullets that this strange foreigner was going to stiff her for 290 yen.

Posted on March 16th, 2015 under Japan. Tags: fukuoka, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, ramen. Comments Off on Ramen for breakfast

Kyoto’s Ryoanji’s Kyoyochi (鏡容池) obscured by Japanese Maples

Ryoanji is best known for having perhaps the world’s most famous Zen rock garden, but Ryoanji’s pond, if you can see it through all the maples, can be quite lovely as well.

Posted on March 13th, 2015 under Japan. Tags: japanese maple, kyoto, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, Ryoanji 龍安寺. Comments Off on 鏡容池

Yanaka (Tokyo, Japan) house

You won’t find many houses remaining like this in Tokyo, although similar dwellings aren’t out of the question in more rural parts of Japan. If you do find a place like this in Tokyo, you can be sure that you are walking the streets of Yanaka.

Posted on March 5th, 2015 under Japan. Tags: buildings, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, Tokyo, yanaka. Comments Off on Tokyo residence

Boundary Springs (origin of the Rogue River)

Today’s photo is rather boring without a story. After providing loads of water to farmers and communities along the way, the Rogue River travels over 200 miles before dumping what’s left of its contents into the Pacific Ocean. Although the river is fed by numerous rivers and creeks along the way, it all begins below my feet in today’s photo as water bubbling out of the ground north of Crater Lake.

Posted on March 3rd, 2015 under Oregon. Tags: Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D750, rogue river, rogue valley. Comments Off on Origin of the Rogue River

Kakuenbo (覚円峰)

The beauty of the Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G lens is you can take today’s photo and this prior one without changing lenses.

Posted on March 2nd, 2015 under Japan. Tags: Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, shosenkyo. Comments Off on 覚円峰