Vending Machines in Japan - Everywhere / Everything

You don't need to spend much time in Japan before noting how ubiquitous vending machines are.  Here in the dorm/apartment building where I'm staying at the Japan Center for Michigan Universities, I'm just a few steps away from a couple of large vending machines chock full of soft drinks and munchies.

There must be a least a dozen or so cold coffee drinks alone.  These come in 6 oz or so sized cans.  The coffee is expresso-like with a little cream and sweetener and must have a substantial shot of caffeine.

The machines are particularly visible around rail stations etc. and the contents are brightly-colored and well-lighted to grab attention.  Japan is full of on-the-go high-achievers with little time to spare and it's not surprising that vending machines are such a big hit.

I haven't gotten around to buying a supply of coffee to prepare in my room, so instead, I hit the vending machine for a quick and easy caffeine fix in the AM.  Just plunk in 120 yen (~$1.50 US) in coins and you've got your coffee.

Right now I'm enjoying a can of Wonda Gold - A Premium Coffee With a Radiant-like Beauty Perfected With Premium Beans.

Earlier, I had a Wonda Wonderful Coffee Morning Shot - The Start of a Great Day - and so far it has been!

I wonder if the guy who produced that "Super Size Me" movie would ever consider coming to Japan and living exclusively on vending machine food/drink for a month.  Who knows?

MQ

Pro Baseball in Japan is Amazing

On Thursday night our class traveled by train to Osaka to attend an evening baseball game between the Osaka Hanshin Tigers and the Sapporo Ham Fighters.  It was an amazing event  and crowd participation was a big part of it - drummers, buglers, flag wavers all continually led a fervent crowd with well-orchestrated cheers, chants, etc.  For the most part it was constant with some letup between innings (i-nin-gu).

The game was close early but unfortunately the Tiger pitchers threw a number of fastballs (sok-kyu) that were hit for home runs (ho-mu-ran).  Maybe they should have used more curveballs (ka-bu).

The final score was 8-4 Ham Fighters, but the crowd seemed to take it in stride and flowed slowly out of the stadium to subways and trains.

A really fun night.  If you ever get to Japan, I definitely recommend going to a game - a truly unique experience.

MQ

From the Shores of Lake Biwa

During our two week visit to Japan we are staying at the Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU), a modern, beautiful facility located right on the shores of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake.

JCMU is located in the city of Hikone (pop. - 100,00) in Shiga Prefecture (equivalent to a State in the U.S.). Hikone is about 200 miles WSW of Tokyo which is easily accessed via bullet train and on Saturday - a group of us will be heading to Tokyo for an overnight stay.

Enclosed photo was taken on a blustery day on Lake Biwa.  Wind was blowing ~ 10 - 15 knots from the southwest with 1-3 ft waves  - reminds me much of Great Lakes "chop".

MQ

First impressions - Back to the future

We left Detroit Sunday afternoon and landed in Nagoya, Japan Monday night - truly a flight"back to the future"!

And in many ways that minor time warp best describes first impressions of Japan - a highly advanced society that has made great strides toward living in close harmony with the environment despite the challenges bought by exceedingly high population density.

In addition, I was particularly intrigued by the underlying contrast between modern and ancient. On Wednesday we rode an ultra-modern bullet train to Kyoto to visit remnants of ancient temples and gardens.

On the way I had a brief conversation with class members about bamboo and its use in structures and construction throughout Japan and Asia at-large. The enclosed photo of a bamboo fence lashing in a temple garden led me to reflect on the fundamental foundations upon which both ancient and modern civilizations rest.

Preps for Digital Photo Trip to Japan

Just one more week and our Washtenaw Community College class will be arriving in Japan to start our 2-week long digital photography course. Can't wait to get there!

Just one more portfolio critique tonight and I'll be totally finished with this semester's classes and able to fully focus on final preps for the trip.

MQ