Living in northern Japan has its share of good and bad. Being in a smaller area means that you have less access to major shopping and entertainment facilities. These are downsides many people could not stand to live without. One major bonus, however, is the incredible amount of raw nature a person can experience. In my little area of Northern Japan, Hachimantai City, located in Iwate Prefecture, I live not 15 kilometers from Mt.Iwate, one of Japan’s one hundred famous mountains.
Mt.Iwate as seen from Hachimantai City
Now Mt. Iwate is famous for a number of reasons. It looks just like Mt.Fuji from some angles. It’s a great mountain for climbing, and its snow cap paints a picturesque view in the winter. Recently, I have discovered that Mt.Iwate, like other cone shaped volcanoes such as Fuji and Mt. Rainer act as amazing lenticular cloud making machines.
Lenticular Clouds near Mt.Iwate
Lenticular clouds are saucer shaped clouds that are often seen stacked like pancakes near large mountains. On certain days winds rolling off the mountains create a standing wave. If stable and moist the air is around the mountain and falling downwind when the dew point is reached, the disks condense into clouds will stack up on each other. Every year, many people call the police to report these odd clouds. They looks either like a flying saucer or a cover for one. they are perfectly normal clouds. But you tend to find them around mountains.
Mt.Iwate has been a perfect source of lenticular clouds this year, and I’ve had my camera going most of this summer trying to document them. The following is what I have recorded so far. Sometimes, the lenticular clouds bend and warp out of shape and form incredible bulges in the sky. Once or twice a year, they provide for a spectacular sunset. Please enjoy these photos and look out for them the next time you are hanging around some mountains.
Published on
April 3, 2010 in
Iwate, Nature, Photography and Uncategorized.
Tags: 変, 岩手, cloud, dramatic, 雲, Iwate, Japan, lenticular, Mt.Iwate, strange, 日本.
It was near five o’clock yesterday when I looked out my window and noticed the waves in the sky. The sun had not set, but I knew there was something up with the clouds. So I grabbed my camera gear and took off to find a better perch in which to shoot them. Here is what I got:
It appear as if a large ribbon had formed over the sky.
This amazing lenticular cloud appeared out of nowhere.
More of the lenticular cloud with Mr.Iwate.
The lenticular cloud and the ribbon wave seen together.
Mt.Iwate seen with the ribbon wave and a bridge.
Published on
August 26, 2009 in
Culture and Iwate.
Tags: Author, 宮沢賢治, 岩手, Birthday, celebrate, Culture, 誕生日, google, Iwate, Japan, Kenji, Miyazawa, 文化, 日本.
Kenj If you visit Google today in Japan you’ll see they are honouring Kenji Miyazawa. He was a famous Japanese author. He wrote amazing stories for children and poetry. He was also born and raised in Iwate. The very place I live in Japan. Happy birthday Kenji.
Published on
March 24, 2009 in
Iwate and Personal.
Tags: Akira, Ashiro, beef, engagement, Iwate, Japan, Jason, maesawa, Marriage, Saito.
It’s funny that I forgot to write about this on my blog. Considering how long I’ve had this site, you’d think I’d remember to do something as simple as letting you all know that I’ve asked the love of my life, Akira, to Marry me. Yes, we’re officially engaged.
You see, last year, I went to this really expensive work party at a local ryokan called “Saito.” A ryokan is a traditional Japanese hotel. Saito was famous for it’s multi course meals and using Maesawa Beef , one of the most expensive and delicious meats in Japan. After I came back from the party, I told Akira about the food, and she instantly wanted to go and try it. I promised her that I would take her at some point, but I wasn’t committal about it. That is, until about three weeks ago.
I asked her if she had and free time during the weekend and I made the plans. She got really exciting about going. What she didn’t know is that I was going to pop the question to her. On Saturday night, after we checked in, we went the baths to freshen up. When she came back to the room, that is what I asked her if she would marry me. I became the luckiest guy in the world when she answered, “Yes.” I think that made the Maesawa steaks just a little more delicious.
So there you have it. Marriage plans are forthcoming. Stay tuned for details, and thanks for reading this blog, depsite the lack of update. I promise you that more is on the way.
Akira at Saito
You may remember my photo, “Rainbow of Peace.” I took it during my trip to Nagasaki in 2006. At the time I never thought it would be my most popular photo. I stood over the ground zero point at the memorial area and tried to get as many colors in the photo as I could. Once I got that photo on flickr, it took off and quickly became my most popular photo on flickr.
Well today, over two and a half years after I took it, “Rainbow of Peace” has surpassed the 15000 mark. I never though I would have a photo do that well. It’s certainly not my only successful photo on flickr, but it was the first to make me realize that I can take pictures that make people smile. It was the catalyst that lead to where I am today. On the road to a career as a pro.
I just wanted to thank everyone who helped make this photo the success it is today. I couldn’t get back to all of you, but I appreciate all the kind words you wrote for me and the photo.
This week Iwate just turned into a strange horror film. I could see the signs a couple of months ago, but I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. You see, Iwate has always had a ton of moths in July and August. They range from really small to as big as your entire face (wing span included.) I’ve never minded them before, and I actually found some of them to be quite beautiful, but something was a little different this year.
It all started when I headed out to the grocery store to pick up some, well, groceries. I parked my car and headed toward the main doors. Then I looked up. The entire wall was covered end to end with moths. I had never seen anything like this before. Big ones, little ones. Blue ones, green ones. Some laying eggs, others swarming. I could not believe my eyes. I ran into the store, and saw that many of them had found their way inside as well. Many of the clerks were swooshing them with brooms. But the clerks were outnumbered. I found the entire spectacle almost funny. I just assumed it was a cyle year for moths and that was the end of it, grabbed my groceries and went home. Then things got personal.
Yesterday I had some laundrry drying outside. I folded up all my shirts and put them in my shirt drawer. This morning I went to grab one of the shirt, and when I unfolded it I was greeted with the most shocking thing I’d seen in a while. I huge moth, half crushed, but still moving, was smearing yellow eggs all over the shirt and spewing some sort of webbing around the eggs. Now, I’m a big nature fan, but I’m don’t like it when nature takes it road show to my bedroom. Basically, I freaked, threw the shirt away and my stomach has been upset all morning. All this of course lead me to write this blog post.
As Steven Colbert might put it. I am placing the moths on notice. They’ve crossed a line.
Windy Iwate Mountain, originally uploaded by jasohill.
To start this off I present you the first picture of Iwate Mountain I took this year. As you can see, it’s fairly windy up near the top, where the snow is being blasted off the side of the mountain. I went on a twenty minute drive to find the best shot for this. The entire time, I was worried the winds were going to die down. Lucky for me, they actually got stronger. This is why they don’t recommend you climb this sucker in the winter.
As you might recalled from my last post, I twisted my ankle while playing a volleyball game at school. I begged and pleaded with the staff to let me walk it off, but given the size of the swelling, they insisted I make a trip to the doctor, and prevented me from walking on it. This is the continuation of that post. Please enjoy.
Continue reading ‘Week of Crushing Immobility(Part 2)’
Takizawa Morning, originally uploaded by jasohill.
I was at one of my elementary schools, having my self a nice little chat with one of the teachers. She asked me if I had a problem with doing two classes on the 24th, instead of the one I was scheduled for. I expressed that it wasn’t a problem at all. In fact it was a pleasure to enlighten and educate those sweet little faces. She was very pleased with this and happy that I never had a problem with any requests. I did mention that I would only have a problem if I were to be double booked. She laughed and said, “その時のため、分身の術(sonotokinotame, bunjin no jutsu.)
Basically, in English it means “For those times, you’d need the special body splitting techinique(used by ninjas)” She was so shocked that I understood what she was talking about, she almost fell over. I told her I learned it in a book. I will never reveal the true source of my information.
Shitty Japanese animated show about pansy, teenage ninjas never make good reference material.
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