#Travel

Mostly commentary on my travels both inside and out of Japan.

Should European cars get smaller?

Play: photography, road trips, art etc
Thursday, October 27th, 2022

The road twisted and turned along the lake. A tree covered sliver of dark tarmac, dappled with shade from a warm autumn sun. This was what you might call a "driver's road", challenging you to connect sharp apex with brief straight, a brief blast to the next bend forcing you to left or right. It was about managing energy, keeping momentum, being smooth on accelerator and brake. The smile on my face was wide, and even [keep reading...]

Happy Twitter, a lot of water and calligraphy

Archive of a weekly(ish) email and ezine
Friday, September 2nd, 2022

As I write this, rain is hammering down on the windows and a typhoon is closing fast. Who said Japan's weather is boring?

The website had a mild update, with some behind-the-scenes changes. Most notable on the front-end is the demise of Tako, the [keep reading...]

Photograph of a Japanese Manhole cover with Center South Dori written on it and a overhanging street light

Atoa Kobe: part aquarium, part art installation

Play: photography, road trips, art etc
Monday, August 15th, 2022

Located with the Kobe Port Museum, Atoa is a self-styled "novel urban aquarium". It's compact, beautifully designed and carefully laid out to guide the visitor through a sequence of "rooms" on a journey of wonder. Deep tanks of sharks and rays sit alongside small, oddly shaped containers with corals and shrimp. Ethereal music and sublime lighting create the appropriate sense of awe.

Then there are the "show piece" moments, entire rooms dedicated to displays designed to take your breath away with their impact, [keep reading...]