*loach*s Photo Diary

[*LOACH*]

I live pretty close to the Tama river (Tamagawa). It is the border between Tokyo and Kawasaki and has been nicknamed the Tamazon because a lot of aquarium fish are released by their owners there. The tropical fish can survive the winter due to the warm water released by water treatment facilities. I have heard it is not uncommon to find gar fish over 1 meter in length in the Tama. I actually took a few photos when I went for a ride yesterday.

There is a small man made pool next to the river which people use for fishing. I am pretty sure that someone just releases buckets full of fish in there and catching a fish is about as difficult as putting on a pair of pants.

Some poor fish that was angled out of the aforementioned pool and then fed (alive) to one of the areas many cats.

The cats are "owned" by some of the many homeless people that live in shacks alongside the Tama river. Some of the shacks seem pretty nice - like a sort of beach house I guess.

I have only shown the bad side of the Tamagawa. It is actually a pretty nice place especially considering the amount of nature there is. Keep in mind that this is in the middle of the most populated metropolitan area on the planet. The river used to be pretty polluted but the government/councils got it cleaned up so that a variety of bird and fish life has returned to the area.

[darksky34]

thanks for the pictures and writeup loach. really interesting about shakeys pizza (yes this is all i got from your posts) for ~10AUD all you can eat?! WTF.

was last in tokyo a few years ago, must go again very soon, possibly end of this year. you a ramen (tonkotsu) ramen fan?

[*LOACH*]

thanks for the pictures and writeup loach. really interesting about shakeys pizza (yes this is all i got from your posts) for ~10AUD all you can eat?! WTF.

was last in tokyo a few years ago, must go again very soon, possibly end of this year. you a ramen (tonkotsu) ramen fan?

No worries mate, it is great to know someone is interested.

I love ramen, cold ramen in summer is the awesome. Tonkotsu is my second favourite of the 5 standard ramens (tantanmen, tonkotsu, miso, soy sauce, salt). In Aichi I had a tonkotsu-tantanmen ramen, it was gazmo, wish I could find it in Tokyo. I have also had tantanmen with milk in the broth - also delicious. On Monday I had a vinegar tantanmen, also nice but not in the same league as some of the other tantanmen derivatives. A couple of months ago I had a tantanmen with really thick noodles, that was fantastic too. In Gifu there is a great little shop that sells my favourite chashumen (lots of meat). I think they roast the meat for a long time then refridgerate it before reheating it - so amazingly delicious. I even love the cheap ramens - tantanmen from Sugakiya, Lawson 100 cold ramen (105yen FTW).

Hmm I didn't realise I had so much to say about ramen...

Edit: I am just going to keep recalling more ramen now. Latest addition - another great shop in Gifu that sells Goma (sesame seed) based ramens. Amazingly good.

Edited August 15, 2013 by *LOACH*

[darksky34]

HAHAHAHA that was just a tiny bit hilarious reading you list out your ramen. I think i'll either need you to take me around to eat ramen when i'm there or at the very least, get the locations off you.

There was this amazing tonkotsu one i had when i was there, i cannot for the life of me remember the suburb where it was, which absolutely pisses me off because i remember what the place + suburb looks like but NO FREAKING NAME.

Keep the updates coming, look forward to living vicariously through your camera until i get to go again myself.

[*LOACH*]

No worries mate. Yeah you will have to let me know when you get here and I will take you to some ramen shops.

I wish I remembered to take my camera on my bike trip today. Went to Akihabara and saw an R34 Skyline - Otaku spec, big anime wrap covering the sides. Wouldn't own an Otaku spec myself but I do like the look of them.

[*LOACH*]

Sitting at home and felt this earthquake:

Occurred at (JST:)09:19 JST 04 Sep 2013

Latitude: 29.8N

Longitude: 139.0E

Depth:400 km

Magnitude: 6.9

Region Name: Torishima Kinkai

[elrodeo666]

Yeah the are fun when they rock the house

[GH05T]

i loved japan, such a nice place to be.

[darksky34]

Paul, I will be in Tokyo late Nov with a mate! woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooopppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[djr81]

Possibly a Ferrari but not sure. What I do know is that as I was lowering the camera from my eyes after taking the final shot of this car another, much newer, unmistakable Ferrari passed in the opposite direction before I could take a shot. I said a bad word.

Is a Boxer. Think of it as the model before the Testa Rossa. Basically the same car just less crap although it isnt a patch on the Daytona.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_Berlinetta_Boxer

[*LOACH*]

Thanks. It looked a bit like a fibreglass kit car from where I was standing so I wasn't sure if it was a Ferrari. I have never seen one before, thanks again for the info.

[djr81]

Thanks. It looked a bit like a fibreglass kit car from where I was standing so I wasn't sure if it was a Ferrari. I have never seen one before, thanks again for the info.

The difference between 1970/80's Ferraris and kit cars is not as much as people would imagine.

Space frame chassis with fibreglass panelling. Tick.

Awful driving position. Tick.

Horrible reliability. Tick.

Hardly anyone drives them hard. Tick.

Etc etc etc...

[*LOACH*]

The difference between 1970/80's Ferraris and kit cars is not as much as people would imagine.

Space frame chassis with fibreglass panelling. Tick.

Awful driving position. Tick.

Horrible reliability. Tick.

Hardly anyone drives them hard. Tick.

Etc etc etc...

Hehe fair enough. I still wish I was in a position to buy one though

[*LOACH*]

Paul, I will be in Tokyo late Nov with a mate! woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooopppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Just saw this post, for some reason I am only getting notified on a random basis of posts. Anyway PMing after I post this.

[*LOACH*]

I went to an art aquarium exhibiton today. So many goldfish. The exhibition finishes soon so I don't have to feel guilty about posting a bunch of photos.

Polyhedron shaped tank.

The triangular tubes are kaelidoscopes. Looks dodgy until you put your eye up against it and a fish swims by. Amazingly beautiful.

3 meter diameter collection of tanks which flow into each other. Most of the bowls are convex so the fishes appearances are distorted.

Close up of some of the above tanks.

Rectangular tanks with a lace pattern covering the sides and a central light supposed to make unusual shadows. I didn't really notice it.

Big shallow tanks which flow in to each other. Lighting changes colours.

One of the above tanks close up. My camera doesn't take photos too well in the dark so I deleted many but I kind of like this one so will claim it as art.

More unintentional art.

Big tanks of koi with projection mapping to show the four seasons.

A rectangular tank with a silhouette of a kimono and projection mapping. Some of the most beautiful colours I have ever seen when the projection mapping reflects off the goldfish scales. Next to it is a real kimono.

Close up of above tank.

Smart Four2 with Golfish vinyl wrap.

[darksky34]

wow they sure do love their goldfish. not entirely sure that i'd appreciate that exhibition, so what brought you to go there? Also, your mention of a kimono reminded me, i really want to buy a yukata! I wore one the last time i was in Hakone at a hotel...it was magical

[*LOACH*]

wow they sure do love their goldfish. not entirely sure that i'd appreciate that exhibition, so what brought you to go there? Also, your mention of a kimono reminded me, i really want to buy a yukata! I wore one the last time i was in Hakone at a hotel...it was magical

A workmate told me about it and I was interested so I went. I really enjoyed it. The goldfish seemed to be in good condition. I was concerned they would have been stressed by it but they seemed ok. I like goldfish (any animals really) plus I am interested in art. The artist who designed it has a great interest in fish as well as cars. He has been a Ferrari concourse judge and also been involved in some aspects of automotive design.

Yeah yukata are pretty comfy.

How is Hakone? I haven't been there despite having worked in Yokohama.

[darksky34]

Maybe because I'm trying to experience an art exhibition from photos rather than in real life, that's why i'm finding it hard to appreciate! I myself do like art, perhaps you should google Dale Chihuly if you haven't heard of him, amazing stuff!

Well, i went with my family back then. To a hotel with onsen on the open air balcony. It was winter. And it was pretty awesome, because being in an onsen (even though i felt like i was being boiled alive) looking up at the starry sky, little light pollution, with the quaint japanese architecture (buildings) in the distance...it was quite an experience. And the hotel itself had this amazing dinner, it was like a 10 course traditional japanese dinner, small portions but a wide variety, you'd never get anything like that in Australia. And the best bit as mentioned before was wearing a yukata and sleeping on tatami. Hakone is a great relaxing place for a day or 2, you should spend a weekend there!

[*LOACH*]

Went to the Tokyo International Film Festival yesterday and also to this restaurant. I had a Japanese set meal with what was possibly the best pork I have ever tasted. The kimuchi was delicious too. Great shop that is walking distance from Roppongi Hills.

[darksky34]

How was the pork cooked, why was it so good? Itching to go to Tokyo, will be there soon!