A video I shot this morning whilst sorting the washing
Archive for July, 2009
(This is a repost of what I’ve just posted on Japan Podshow but should interest Mumbler’s too!)
Just a very brief update to bring you a couple of photos of the solar eclipse as seen from Mount Fuji.
The full adventure story will be included in the next episode of Japan Podshow [iTunes] [RSS] – in which you’ll also hear about George’s trip to China to see the eclipse.
As most of our energy went into live streaming the event, we didn’t have much time to take photos. To be honest, it was the communal atmosphere up there that was the most memorable thing – we were united by the sun and moon (how cute). But still, here’s a couple. We were fortunate it was cloudy as we’d taken the wrong filter with us, and thus had to shoot the sun ‘raw’!
It was an amazing adventure. It had all the making of a great movie
- extreme hardship on the night climb
- despair and dissapointment as we are advised to get off the mountain before the storm worsens
- an amazing final triumph as having climbed down the most difficult section of the mountain we look back and see blue sky: despite total exhaustion we once again scale the heights to finally see the solar eclipse!
There are about 8 videos shot live on Mount Fuji available here
Here’s the main video taken during the eclipse. It’s 40 mins long. Sorry about the wind noise! It cuts off at the end when I try to go down to Mt/ Fuji’s crater
As you probably gathered from the title of this post, this is a re-post from the Japan Podshow blog.
I’m now in the process of charging batteries, getting plasters together, and trying not to think about the torrential rain that is forecast!
With us luck!
In this special short (relaxed) episode of Japan Podshow (which is not episode 8!) we find George and Joseph sitting in a park in Ikebukuro talking about the Total Solar Eclipse on the 22nd July 2009.
Listen to the show here 12mb, 13 mins, MP3
Download it direct here, Subscribe and listen in iTunes or Listen via our RSS feed
George will be heading to China to witness the eclipse in its full glory, whilst Joseph will be scaling the heights of Mount Fuji to attempt to set several world records including:
- The first live broadcast from the top of Japan’s 3,776 metre Mount Fuji utilising the just-launched DoCoMo 3G network
- The first podcast to have been recorded on top of a live volcano under a solar eclipse
- The first time that The Sound of Music has been performed in the crater of a volcano causing it to errupt
Japan podshow has created a special page where you can follow all the action as it happens:
Special live feed page for the FujEclipse hike: http://japanpodshow.storytlr.com/
We’ll be using Twitter (@japanpodshow @tamegoeswild) Flickr YouTube AudioBoo and possibly (network allowing) uStream.
In the event that we are able to use uStream to stream live video (it all depends on the speed of the network on the summit) that will be available here:
The weather looks set to be terrible, so it should be a lot of fun!
You can participate by sending twitter tweets containing the tag #fujeclipse
George and Joseph also talked about their new mini-podcasts, Japan Podshorts – read about that and subscribe here.
Look forward to seeing you there! (in a figurative sense).
Normal Japan Podshow service will resume when George is back from China at the end of July.
If you follow other Japan blogs you’ll be only too aware that there is a life-size Gundam in Odaiba. It’s part of a ‘Green Festival’ in a lovely little park on one of the manmade islands down there. A green park that is now packed with people – and somewhat brown.
One way to see Gundam that enables you to avoid the crowds is to join your friends on a birthday boat trip organised by and in celebration of Stu.
That way, you get to eat, drink, be merry, and see a side of Gundam that most people will only be able to take in up close.
Incidentally, taking a boat trip around Tokyo Bay is a lovely way to spend a summer evening, and I thoroughly recommend it. The boat we went on was a very special one, taking us wherever we wanted – and even allowing the birthday boy to spin us around in circles! You can hire a boat for 70,000 yen. Thank you Stu for a wonderful time!
Here’s some photos and videos, in a special order designed to stimulate your mind.
Intro video
Gundam from behind
Video: Gundam from the boat
Rainbow Bridge
Night lights (illuminated sign and residential flats)
People working at the container port wave to us as we sail by
The container port from afar
One of my favourites from the evening
The Fuji TV building
Stu, whose birthday it was
Don’t know him
Friends
and for Gundam freaks, here he is up close… (for the best photos, see these taken by Shibuya246)
Tokyo Photo Run: Setagaya
Jul 20
This morning I did my second random photo-run, this time heading north of home. As with my last run, I stopped along the way to take photos – many at a Buddhist shrine.
You can view this trip in 3D, with embedded photos, by opening this file in Google Earth. This is very cool!
Photo jog Setagaya
Widget powered by EveryTrail: Share GPS Tracks
Photo run over, I decided to make a little video in our local park.
I laughed when I saw the name of this place: “Total Housing” – and they still seem to be in business!
Japanese coca-cola sign
A Tanuki
Memorial for the kamikaze pilots, covered in paper cranesx
