the Land of Bob
currently in the vicinity of Tokyo
Photos
One owner had to resort to picking his dog up so that the enthusiastic new....
I'm having fun, but I want more people to try and trip....
Cat Street between Omotesando and Shibuya. A wealth of fashion bootiques and....
This year's hanami was a bit earlier than last year because it was such a mild winter. It was actually the first winter on record (records began....
During the summer there are many Matsuri, or festivals, held in each town around Tokyo. They are essentially....
Finding patterns amongst the most mundane of daily movements is....
Tokyo, Harajuku. "Do you think I overdid it?"....
Since my camera is currently in the shop having the nasty crystals removed from the inside of the....
As the ultimate source of power finishes it's task for the day in....
Happy new year everyone! This is from the inside of a small temple on Hong Kong island. The amount of incense burning inside made for a lovely smell, but....
Onto the main Hong Kong island. If his job is to give directions to the museum, then he's made his....
Near the bird market is an area lined with flower shops. Not quite a flower market, but certainly some tough....
Last one from the bird market before moving elsewhere in Hong Kong....
On the Kowloon side of the bay there is an incredible bird market. Hundreds of birds in cages being....
Hong Kong is a great place, but for those who just want to get away for a while it's nice to know there....
As well as the clothes, the kids also get to wear the make up. They must feel like they've been allowed into the world of adulthood for a day.
On special occasions such as Culture day, young boys and girls get to wear their....
From a kneeling position to a leaping attack. The scream as the power is released would be terrifying if....
A fair amount of time has passed since my last post which is a shame as I have quite a few photos I'd like to share you with you all. Unfortunately things have been...
They put their heart and soul into every song.
The queen of the dolls was viewing the sunset....
Another visit to Meiji shrine. Just before sunset this time and accompanied by a large number....
The main Ginza shopping street. During the days at the weekend they close the road to traffic and cafes put tables, chairs and....
For the not so keen eyed amoung you, here is the afore mentioned tourist friendly pirate....
Both the swans (白鳥 - the characters mean "white" and "bird") and the fishermen were sharing their lake with pirates. Not only that, but tourist friendly pirates at that. A 40 minutes cruise from one tip of the lake to....
For those wandering how I was so close to the fishermen. Here is your answer. I was peddling around in one of this lovely swan-mobiles. Great fun....
There were many small fishing boats on the lake even though it was raining pretty heavily it didn't deter them. Some of the boats had some kind of navigation looking device which....
I recently took myself to Hakone and despite the awful weather it was nice to get out of Tokyo for a day and see some greenery, and some less....
After the wedding there is a prossession across the courtyard. The red umbrella is over the newly married couple, and the priests who lead them across....
The stomping grounds of the Japanese youth are slightly more formal than the....
The Rockabiliies had a new dance routine. It involved some excellent hand gestures and lots of....
An impressive rope routine involving four people constantly changing who was in the middle and....
Scary man walking around Yoyogi park area. People....
The balance these guys and girls have is incredible. They seem to move in slow motion when doing cartwheels....
This is the first time I've seen capoeira in Yoyogi park. There was a large event going on with what....
After the wedding procession the priests continue the ceremony until the final bow....
The details of the architecture at Meiji Shrine seem to all fit perfectly together, even across the main square....
"Kyoto, I command you!"... Sometimes we all get a little power hungry.
Kyomizadera in Kyoto. A platform with a famous view of Kyoto; I wonder how many....
Summer festival time means the yukatta are out in abundance. A lovely sight....
Attention to detail is definitely (in general) a Japanese person's forte. They've missed a spot here though.
A poser if ever there was one. Kyoto was full of little beasties, and although I didn't have my large macro....
Ryoanji temple in Kyoto. A great place to stop, relax and contemplate your....
The life of a lizard. Simple, uncomplicated and free of rashes. That's my impression anyway....
Calmly surveying the gardens of Kodaiji temple in Kyoto....
Like this salaryman, during the lunch hour I like nothing better than....
Many people come to pray at Meiji shrine, tourists and locals a-like, and there are often....
Meiji shrine. It's bustling with tourists but some can still find the magic.
I ain't often right, but I've never been wrong, It seldom....
It was as if he was singing "There's an anchor around my heart, Dragging me down, Beneath the waves in silence I fall....
It's a long, uphill struggle trying to get people to rock out on a Sunday afternoon in the park, but....
The weather brings out many more bands at Yoyogi park than the rainy season. These guys were....
For a number of the quieter songs towards the middle of the gig the band played in this simple four piece setup, and even played....
Bassist and drummer backlit for your viewing pleasure...
Chris swung around a lamp on a large rope and then launched it over the crowd so it was swinging all over the....
During the song Yellow there were huge yellow ballons bouncing around the audience, and when they eventually made it....
Large screen's behind the band made it easier for those not as....
This week I went to see the last show of Coldplay's Twisted Logic tour. I had thought our seats would be towards the back of the balcony but it turned out we were three rows....
I realise this is a little hard to make out, but since I couldn't find a better angle you'll have to take me at my word that this is indeed a golf driving range built on top of a taxi....
Choosing between large televisions can be a tough, relationship challenging moment, but I think the large insects on each....
My local station Nakameguro. A guard surveys his kingdom before it leaves for....
Lots of lovely angles and reflections to be had in Shinjuku. Shame my battery ran out as I was having fun! By the way....
A rare shot of the man who pulls the strings in the LandOfBob. I rarely....
The flag wavers were out in force. It was a shame I missed the parade, although from what I hear it was pretty scaled down version of the ones in....
Yesterday was a bbq type event at the US Embassy residence to celebrate the 4th of July (a little early) with live music, a parade and....
Some dogs are just too cool for school!....
The patterns of the overlayed text in this car park really caught my eye. It struck me as very industrial whilst somehow keeping an artistic feel to it - even if....
I didn't realise how pineapples were grown until I saw this strange monstrous looking plants growing out the deep red soil. This variety was alive with colours and....
This is 45 second exposure with the camera pointing into pitch darkness. There are a couple of boats shuffling around at the bottom left and the glow from the beach on the right....
A somewhat similar shot to this one I posted a while back except....
Nothing much to say about this shot, so I'll just say I hope your week is going well....
A quick dip, ruffle your feathers, and a relaxing bask in the sunshine - what more could you ask for? ....
Sometimes an urge hits all of us to just mess around with our toys and occasionally you end up with something....
This large but lazy insect on the wall outside my apartment was the perfect excuse to dust off my macro lens recently. I'm reminded every time I....
Small dogs appear all over the place when the sun is out. They get an easy ride though with owners taking them out in their bikes and prams. Soon dogs will evolve to have no muscles in their legs and have desires for....
Last week was "Golden Week" here in Japan, so called because..err...well we have three national holidays in one week resulting in a 5 day weekend. Clearly the....
This is from one of my wanders through Shibuya. The motorbike was begging to be....
There's a bit of digital trickery going on here as you might be able to tell from the strange perspective. The colours have been drained but apart from that can you tell....
Well unfortunately it's been a while since I took my camera out, and even more unfortunately there's been plenty of great photo opportunities whilst I was cameraless. There's still a few shots in the very slowly moving upload queue, which....
Well I got a few strange looks whilst taking this shot, but I like it. Tokyo is a concrete jungle, but nature can be found if you look hard enough.
In other news I ran a 10k race...
The light was lovely at this time of the evening at the beach in Kamakura. I'll be honest - I moved the shell....
I realise this looks like I made this up using photoshop, but I assure you this is a real sign. I'll be honest....
Another popular Sakura spot as you can quickly drive past it on....
Meguro River is lined with sakura trees which means it is beautiful at this time of year. People love to....
Last shot from Okutama for now. At the base of the hill, the streams converge and....
One of the three waterfalls we saw at Okutama. This shot doesn't convey how....
Another shot from Okutama. It was a beautiful day despite a little....
In Okutama a little way outside of Tokyo are some lovely hill walks to be had. This is towards the base of one of the hills where a tiny winter rose....
There are many of these stairways on the outside of buildings in Tokyo. There just isn't room....
These guys really know how to break out a beat. They feed off....
A break from the black and white penchant I've been going through recently, and another from Yoyogi....
Back to Yoyogi Park for the next series of shots. In the same spots every week....
Those guys just don't give in. They rock as hard as their slowly detriorating....
The Rolling Stones were the mystery rockers last Friday. A cracking gig despite me....
On Friday a load of people from work made a last minute trip to the Tokyo Dome for a gig. I'll reveal who it was tomorrow, but it was a great atmostphere....
Pls hlp me play my music. Its 2 cold 2 sit here alone... pls hurry....
It takes a while to notice the vent in the wall given the detailed graffiti....
This is a very distinctive high rise building in Shinjiuku, just north of....
The beauty of Shibuya reflected by this parabolic curve....
There is always someone watching you. I wonder if Japan has as high a concentration of CCTV....
A beautiful day today yesterday despite the silly amounts of wind and I wanted to get a shot that showed off the shadows the....
A cheap and cheerful shop in Japan called 3 Minutes Happiness sells a bunch of women's clothes and accessories as well as home....
Around the Tokyo bay area is obviously very industrial....
The cherry blossom season is beginning to bloom. The odd tree here and there are showing their beautiful petals and given how stunning a single tree....
First proper outing on my shiny new bike this weekend. It is good to see how all the 'towns' of Tokyo fit together by cycling around the area. It's a shame Rainbow bridge....
There is something I always find majestic about statues no matter what condition they appear to be in....
Ochanomizu has a wealth of ski and snowboard shops, and closer to the JR station a wealth of guitar, violin, piano and other musical....
On the side of a university building in Ochanomizu there are several sculptures which could have easily been designed by Escher. From across the square it's very difficult....
I've walked past this statue many times but never noticed it before. I blame the distracting fountains next to it. Still I'm glad I noticed it this time, I think....
There was something very film noir about this plant and the lighting effect it created. There is an appropriate starkness to this photo given....
Strange cabbage looking things are planted all over town. My guess is mainly for their bright colours and their durability through the frosty winter....
The neighbours weren't complaining but given the number of hifi, tv and dvd systems on display and the volumes they were at, perhaps they....
I like this one to carry on the "best of the rest" series, despite the lack of clarity or focus. There's enough to tell what it is, although of course I....
Often around you see many things other people don't necessarily consider lethal....
I really enjoy getting to see the detail of everyday objects. I hope you enjoy me sharing....
It's that day of the year where romance is in the air, chocolate fountains are flowing and restaurant bookings become hard currency. Happy Valentines Day!....
A close up view of the steady decline of a (clearly?) Japanese sign. I suppose....
Another shot from yesterday morning's brief visit from the snow fairies....
Overnight there was a brief flurry of snow which had already started to melt come morning. I did get this shot....
At one end of Yokohama there is an amusment park called Cosmo World. It has an impressive ferris wheel, two roller coasters, a logflume and a the usual assortment of horror rides and....
Do you ever get the feeling some of the international corporations have succeeded a little too well? That sometimes they've set up franchises in places....
A break from China town and time for the lens baby to make another appearance. Sometimes people need to paper over....
Around Chinese new year time the colour red is meant to bring you luck, and the number of red....
The landmark tower stands out across the many bays around the Yokohama bay area. With so much water....
There are many such small street food places in Yokohama's China town. They serve dumpling-esque food stuffs containing....
delete as appropriate... I see a [tall/short], [young/old], [dark/fair], [handsome/ugly]....
Yesterday was of course Chinese new year (happy new year!) and a few of us took a train to Yokohama which has one of the largest China towns in the world. There was a parade with several dragons and lots....
It's fun playing around with these images in the GIMP. I've got lots of them now, but....
With all his talk of marriage, I dedicate this shot to Dan! I want to take more photos like this. They are so unpredictable but hopefully I'll end up with something like....
There was between 6cm and 10cm of snow in Tokyo yesterday depending on who you believe, and also which area of Tokyo you were in. It started snowing during the night and continued....
This is one of the comparison shots I had in mind. I'm guessing most of you will be able to tell which is the London Underground station at Canary Wharf and which is the Yamanote....
I was going to go with a shot that wasn't so obvious what things were, but in the end I preferred this one. I'll refrain from describing it precisely until....
One of the many extravagant buildings in Omotesando. This one belong to a chap named Christian....
The art of caligraphy practised on a wooden post. I think this is the kanji for the number 5, please....
The cigerette, perhaps the universal litter, as it rested in what looked to be like a set of tracks in stone that could be used for divining....
I'm pleased with how this one turned out. It seems to be as if the cyclists....
Omekuji (pronounced oh-meh-koo-ji) is essentially a fortune paper which are normally found around shrines and temples. The way to select your fortune is to shake the hexagonol metal....
It is unusual for a festival or event of any kind not to have a gathering of food stalls nearby and....
The following day at Asakusa was just as busy despite the rain. As always the Japanese are serious about their events and are not afraid of a sea of....
On the approach to the main shrine the crowds were a little thinner. I'm assuming this area was also swarming with people earlier in the....
This shot gives a better idea of the number of guards that were at Meiji shrine on new years day. I hope....
As promised we're back to Tokyo now. At the start of a new year many Japanese like to visit a shrine to pray and donate a few coins to bring luck....
Since it is bad luck to still have decorations up after the Epiphany I'd better post this one today to be sure to not....
The new Spitalfields Market in the heart of the city has several new and varied sculptures. These large size letters fit well with yesterday's image, so I posted them even though I didn't get a shot of them....
Other passers-by seemed incredibly non-plussed by the towering Christmas tree complete with decerations and topped with a lethal looking star....
Perhaps this innocuous little sign in a London shop front was the cause of the entire iPod revolution. Or perhaps the artist meant something entirely different. What do you think?....
Something festive for the last post of 2005. Large lighted baubles in the trees underneath Canary Wharf....
If you want to ice skate in London this winter there are a multitude of rinks to choose from. Canary Wharf, Liverpool Stree and Tower of London to name but....
On the plane heading towards London I put my shiny new macro lens to work. Crystals often get formed on the windows....
It's amazing where leaves will find themselves as they fall from the trees. This one managed to place itself in a perfect....
Another shot from the park in the drizzle. Did I mention....
After seeing so many fantastic shots of water and other liquids (not fluids for those pedantic chemists among us) at sites such as round-here.net (this shot being one of my favourites), I've been wanting to try my hand at such photography....
The Roppongi Hills building as seen by a lensbaby....
I thought it was about time for me to break out the Lensbaby again. These christmas lights are constantly changing colour from....
...and here is one them up close and personal. Don't be scared, be uplifted....
Another scultpure outside of Aoyama Theatre. Lots of brightly covered faces pointing in every direction and each with a big grin....
Even Angels are jealous of other people's shopping! Hopefully they've blessed it with their cupid's arrows....
On the 52nd floor of Roppongi hills is a viewing area overlooking most of Tokyo including this section around the Tokyo tower....
A few days back I wombled past Aoyama theatre which has a few scultpures outside and this one high up on the outside wall. It....
Meet Katy and Jill. They are part of the Cos Play Gang and like to hang out in Harajuku at the weekends with their strange clothes, piercings and rather freaky contact lenses. Actually I've no idea what their names are, but they were kind enough to pose for me....
The unique cos-play-gang are a large group of teenagers that hang out in the Harajuku area at weekends. They dress in strange mix of goth and s&m and attract many a tourist and photographer....
A lovely fresh autumnal weekend, the leaves were blowing round everywhere and piling up where ever they could.
This weather always reminds me of that Scene wiTh the carriEr bag blows around like a raG doll. I'd love to tAke aN artistic photO as Good as that befoRe Autumn runs out - PerHaps it is mY time?
Lovely sunny day yesterday. Autumn is nearly....
As I haven't been out taking many snaps lately (*insert excuses here*), here is another from Kyoto. The sun is nearly down as the last straggers rush up the hill to try and catch a glimpse of one last temple for the day.
It'll soon be the time of year when the maple leaves start....
Those lucky people that have been following my escapades on thelandofbob for a while may remember the photo of a dry garden....
These samples must have arrived to a full red carpet welcome. They are afterall very important...
The Golden Pavillion in Kyoto. When last I was here it was raining particularly hard and the sea of umbrellas made it a very different visit. This time around the rain wasn't far away....
After a long weekend in Kyoto i'd thought i'd set ...
Since I didn't have any food, the fish were either trying to eat my camera or....
Another shot from a temple in Kamakura. The low walls with such simple design but yet intricate detail compliment the natural beauty in the surrounding flora.
These are small statues outside of Hase shrine in Kamakura. Erie to see so many of them, as they are supposed to be paced there to watch over the soul of children lost to a miscarriage or abortion.
An hour's train right from Tokyo is Kamakura. It has several temples and shrines to walk around and has a similar atmostphere to Kyoto but on a smaller scale. The notable exception is this Great Buddha shrine....
Okay so one more sumo photo for now. Something different tomorrow I promise!....
You know that feeling when you realise you're going to fall over and there's nothing you can do about it? I wonder if people in the front row....
As part of the lengthy prepatation and rituals that precede each bout the wrestlers cleanse their mouth with power water, stomp their legs, slap themselves and throw salt into the ring to purify it....
How about this to get the sumo ball rolling? There is plenty of opportunity to take pictures during the build up to each bout as each fight....
I really need to come up with more imaginative titles for these photos. Went to a sumo tournmanent yesterday so expect the next few photos to be from there. I hope you don't get bored of them!....
Interested to know if anyone is using the RSS feed on this site. I've still got it on my todo list to create two further feeds: one with the full posts and one for the comments. Let me know....
Yoyogi park is a large area filled with wonderous things. On the weekends, especially the sunny ones, there is such a wide range of activities going on its hard to not be amazed. Here are just some of the things I've seen this afternoon....
Not much to say on this one really. Taken outside one of the many ladies trendy clothes shops in Roppongi Hills. Its where....
This is one of the not very good photos of the firework show that I was talking about....
It may be rush hour, but not everyone is heading to work....
I'm back on the grid at my apartment now so I'll try and catch up on some of the photos I've been taking.....
Although rather plain looking I like the angles and simple colours in this shot. It's obvious to me what it is - is it....
Imagine the following scenario if you will. You've just bought a happy meal. Six chicken nuggets, some chips and a cup of coke flavoured water. You go to open the nuggets and then you realise you've also been blessed with the rarest, coolest, must-play-with-now toy....
The amount of bikes in Tokyo may even rival that of Cambridge or even Amsterdam!
Once we reached the top of Mount Fuji at around 03:00 in the biting cold winds a look over the edge back down the way we'd come....
Even in old, solidified lava life can still sustain itself. Bravo to the many plants that....
Morning view of the peak from the 5th station where we started and finished our climb.
On the descending route there were the occasional 'tunnel' such as this one. To protect....
Sunset at 3,000m - above the clouds - is a beautiful sight. As more and more clouds turned....
It seems the easiest way to climb Mount Fuji is to get someone to give you a lift!
I've not had a chance to take many pictures of Tokyo that I'm ready to post, so rather than not posting for ages like I'm prone to do, I'm posting one....
Just out of shot is a great big spinning lantern with three contestants and a large crowd clapping like....
I liked these lanterns - guess there isn't much more I can say. The repeated patterns and colours...
Needless to say I'm a lot happier with this shot compared to yesterday's. After starting the long gruelling road signposted "house hunting", three of us took a trip to the Yutenji (a temple/shrine)...
This is clearly not a photo I'd normally post. I don't particularly like it in any way, shape or form. It is also all nothing to write home about. Wait. That is exactly what I'm using....
Back to Canary Wharf for this entry. A little crop is all the post processing that's....
Somthing didn't quite ring true with this scene....
The Manneken Pis is a delightful statue/fountain that has become a iconic figure in Brussels. These are....
The weather in Brussels wasn't exactly calm, sunny blue skies. The wind was pretty strong and some....
Well it's now been over a month since I've posted anything to landofbob, but I've been busy. I've bought....
This is me after a mere 10 miles of road pounding. As you can tell from this picture I'm still quite fresh and quite pleased to see Alan, despite knowing I already had....
Ladies and gentlemen meet Amy Wadge. At a quaint little very personal gig down in Putney a few days ago I learnt that you do in fact pronounce....
A view of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, New York seen in the view finder of a....
Sat serenely watching the Brooklyn bridge in New York, New York....
The next birthday party required a cake to equal the Pig Cake, and I think Harriot Hedgehog....
I visited the London Apple shop yesterday, and what a marvel it was. Almost trying too hard to be trendy it had a small lecture theatre style area where a sales guy was describing....
Jailhouse Greens - shadowy lines....
On Tuesday night in Scala at Kings Cross I saw this gentleman, James Blunt, play an excellent set. It was a very different gig....
I'm not really sure what I like about this picture, but I do. Perhaps the metallic look of the puddle. What....
A Parisian twist to the Japanese capital....
Ueno, Tokyo; business people leave the gardens and head for the shrine....
This is my amazing pig cake! Everything was going to plan until I ran out of icing sugar. I did the best patch....
Dogs and trees. Got to love them both....
Another shot from our walk in the Imperial gardens in Tokyo....
Monday morning sun rise to start the week.
Another old photo I've been saving for a rainy/uninspired day....
Boat party photo taking fun
This tree was truly dwarfed by One Canada Square, and it gave the impression it was cowering beneath the high rise, losing it's leaves in deference to it....
Pointy, shiney buildings make for nice subjects
Potzdamer Platz - Berlin....
This weekend was the Berlin Marathon and although I wasn't running or skating I was still there to cheer on those who were. There were....
After a nice relaxing day of playing guitar and go in the park we were....
DJ Sasha in all his mixing glory at Sankey's Soap in Manchester. A three hour set to see....
West India Quay really catches the light well at sunset this time of year. The sun goes down right between two buildings and the warm hues of sunset seem bounce around between the sky....
Like the white flower, but a bit more out in the open and a little less in a hotel wash room!
Sleeping On The Ceiling - A poem by Elizabeth Bishop. It is so peaceful on the ceiling! It is the Place de la Concorde....
a walk through the tunnel....
The large ferris wheel in the Jardins des Tuileries in Paris....
Welcome to a new regular feature on the Land of Bob entitled "Wait a minute... its you!" where we put one of Bob's trustees in the spotlight. This week it's Alex and his....
Welcome to a not very busy Canary Wharf in the rush hour....
Sometimes I forget how great the view from my flat is. Consider this a public reminder....
Using the darkness to get that authentic vanishing lines effect.
What you can't see from this photo is that Andy from Sevenball is singing along with his guitar. Looking forward to their next gig in London....
Although I wasn't running at this years event I did get to have a brief wander around the park whilst the race was underway. This is a shot of one of the prepared tables....
In a battle of good versus evil, who will win?
It's amazing how differently you see thinks when you're out wandering with a camera. This circular grill seemed like the perfect opportunity to get an....
Even if it's raining particularly hard, Canary Wharf still has a certain charm to it....
Whilst recently on one of my aimless wanders through town I happened upon this lovely example of an old London side by side with the new....
A look at my Go board and a couple of stones at sunset. Although you can't really tell it's sunset from....
Sticking with the nature theme for today's photographic offering. These flowers were sitting next to so many mirrors it took a while for me to get a shot without my....
My first foray out into the thelandofbob with my new camera and I very quickly found my first beasty....