yamaonna

if anyone is looking for assistance in filling out the census, a few good websites have popped up in the last few weeks –

The Japanese Statistics Bureau Homepage (http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/), which has an English version of the form, and the ‘How to’ guide in English too.

And a vocabulary list written by a JET teacher (http://melt-in-japan.blogspot.com/2010/09/filling-out-japanese-national-census.html).

Between these two links I think most people will have no problems filling out the form! Good luck tomorrow!

waiting for the sunrise,
originally uploaded by michelelisa.

Check out my photos from climbing Mt Fuji last weekend, now on flickr!

So, I recently had a friend come to stay for a few weeks who enabled me to indulge a bit in my geekiness.  Here’s a few highlights of what we did –

Jack Daniels Ribs at TGI Fridays in Yokohama.  Yokohama also included a ride in a Ferris wheel, the Yokohama Port museum, and fireworks!

TWO days at Disneyland and a night in the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel (and heat so bad that no one came to either and we got to ride the cool rides at least twice each!).

The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka (where we learnt that the Catbus has all his bits, and was making Kittenbuses), and Nakano’s Mandrake store (for some very geeky shopping – now the proud owner of an Utena figurine…).

Photo taking in various places around town, like Shinjuku (above) and Ginza.

Beer! in large amounts! at a summer Beer Garden!

Tobu World Square, now with a Sky Tree miniature (above), and the Obama family at the White House miniature!

The Gundam statue in Shizuoka.

And kitties! at a Cat Cafe in Akihabara.

And also lots of shopping.  Lots and lots 😀

Mountain Sakura,
originally uploaded by michelelisa.

Finally all uploaded! All my good photos of Sakura from 2010 (and a few from earlier years). Please check them out!

So true in this day and age. Rules everyone should stick to!

I had the privilege of being ignored the other day. I walked into a firm's reception area to find the receptionist talking into her headset and rustling through papers. No problem, I thought. I'm early for my appointment, I'll just wait. She said her goodbyes and immediately switched to typing furiously into her computer. I've been there, I thought. She just finished with that call and has to record something before she forgets it. So I waited. A … Read More

via Geoffrey Webb

The main tower,
originally uploaded by michelelisa.

You can check out my photos from Nagasaki and Kumamoto on flickr now, or wait until tomorrow when I’ll do a proper photo blog (^-^)v

Yellow leaves and Yudaki Falls 2,
originally uploaded by michelelisa.

From my walk in Nikko last friday along Ryuzu Falls, Senjogahara, and Lake Yu. Some really really pretty scenery, and some lovely changing fall leaves! Check out my flickr set!

Mt Fuji,
originally uploaded by michelelisa.

New photos from my 19km hike last sunday from Mt Takao to Mt Jimba. The weather was lovely, with a view of Mt Fuji on one side, and the Tokyo skyline on the other.

Panoramas from Kamakura 1,
originally uploaded by michelelisa.

I’ve just uploaded the two panoramas I took in the garden at Kamakura, go check them out on my flickr! I really loved this garden, it was kinda like a wild Japanese garden, which is pretty rare. Usually gardens are very controlled, and while parts of this were planned, it seemed to have been let run (partly) wild. Lovely!