Japan: Osaka by Night from the HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel
Not only is Osaka by night a pretty sight, there’s a fairly unique way of taking it in available: from a ferris wheel on the seventh floor of a shopping mall. The HEP FIVE building in Osaka’s Umeda district is largely a fashion centre, but the top floors are dedicated to amusement with arcades and, yes, a big red ferris wheel that provides a great view of Osaka from 106m up at the apex. HEP FIVE is just a few minutes from the JR Osaka and Hankyu Umeda stations, and is pretty easy to find since it’s the only building with a ferris wheel on top.
Loot: Anime Merch and More from J-List
After some delays caused by technical errors, I had a bunch of stuff from J-List show up at the end of last week. This order has been kind of a long time coming, not just because of the aforementioned delays (which were handled well by the J-List staff once I brought the issue to their attention, for the record) but because I’ve been eyeing off some of the items for a while, waiting to put them all together in a bigger order to save on shipping. I’m really pleased with everything that made it into the order, which covers a small cross-section of the pretty wide variety of products that J-List offers.
Japan: Odaiba, Tokyo Bay
Odaiba is an artificial island in Tokyo Bay, originally created for defensive purposes in the late 1800s and expanded upon late last century. Now the island is mainly host to commercial and leisure landmarks, including the headquarters of Fuji Television, the Big Sight exhibition centre and a variety of shopping and entertainment options. My visit there was quite short, but there’s plenty to do if you have the time and there are a few reasons in particular to make the journey across the bay.
Japan: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (or City Hall for short) is located in Shinjuku’s skyscraper district, and is made up of three main structures. The tallest section of the building splits into two towers at the 33rd floor and both continue up to a height of 48 stories. Both of the 48th floors are open to the public free of charge and offer panoramic views of Tokyo, making it one of the best ways to take in the city from above.
Japan: Nara Park
Nara Park is home to quite a few nice sights, all conveniently in walking distance of one another. While I’m going to highlight a few of Nara Park’s offerings, it’s really Todai-ji (Eastern Great Temple) that makes this a must-visit if you’re in the area. The temple boasts numerous impressive structures, the most of which being the Nandai-mon (Great South Gate) and – the main attraction – the Daibutsu-den (Great Buddha Hall) and its contents.
Japan: Fushimi Inari Shrine
Fushimi Inari Shrine is located in the South Kyoto ward of Fushimi-ku and is, apparently, often overlooked by tourists. I must say that it would be a huge mistake to visit Kyoto and not see this part of the city. The only possible downside is that it’s so easy to spend a lot of time there, so if you’re short on time you’ll want to keep an eye on the clock, but really… if that’s the only downside, you know this place is worth visiting.
Lumix GF1: 20mm ‘Pancake’ Prime Lens
When I bought myself a Panasonic Lumix GF1 last year, I opted for the 14-45mm zoom lens kit instead of the 20mm prime. I’ve been very pleased with the camera and that lens decision, but decided a few months ago that the two kit lenses would complement each other nicely so I put an order in for the 20mm ‘pancake’ lens. After a somewhat lengthy wait, I picked up the lens today and thought I’d give you some early impressions and a look at some of my test shots.
First Impressions: Panasonic Lumix GF1
It’s finally here! I got a call today to say that my Lumix GF1 had arrived in store so of course I rushed off to pick it up. While I haven’t had a chance to really play with it yet (the battery is charging), I can give some early comments on the build and handling. … Read more
