**** Do you like Japanesque? ****

Last Update: January 4 2010



I finally find out the essense of the Japanese attitude toward Modernization, WA-KON-YOU-SAI, which means WA = Japasese, domestic, national, KON = soul, spirit, der Geist, YOU = western hemisphere, SAI = knowledge, science, technology, i.e., "Study the western science and technology, while maitaining your Japanese spirit". It is not a contradiction but an engineered process of subtle chemical reaction for them.




Odawara Castle

Overview of the Odawara Castle whose commanding tower ("Tenshukaku" in Japanese) is partly seen in the upper right portion. The design of my current hospital, which is located in the same city, is of course quite different from this clasic architecture of the Samurai Era. People of Odawara City seems very proud of this castle and mentally still associated with its conservative tradition. Although the path encircling this moat is reputedly an ideal dating spot at dusk for young lovers, you must remember that rumors spread rapidly like an arrow in the local town. ;)


"The Rule of Security: The likelihood of a secret's being blown is proportional to the square of the number of people who're in on it." (By Tom Crancy. The Hunt for Red October, p.39, Naval Institute Press, 1984)

"The dark side of the sense of the community is the lack of privacy, the lack of freedom to speak your mind. You can't openly offend anyone, because you're going to see them the next day - and for the rest of your life." (A professor of history and native studies at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada, in "A World Apart No More", National Geographic, May 1998)

"Here you might not like somebody, but you go to the funeral" (Lloyd Goodrich, a resident with a master's degree in engineering in Mentone, Texas - population 15, more or less -, in "ZipUSA79754", National Geographic, September 2000)



Small Town Odawara
(Minolta Hi-Matic 7s serial # 535939,
see E-bay Item #347914415, A/A, KodakGold ASA 100)

Actually, I too love Small Town America philosophy (Ref. Small Town America. By David Plowden. Henry N. Abrams. Inc., New York, 1994. ISBN 0-8109-3842-1). I would like to capture immortal and elegant images of small town Japan populated by people before they vanish.

"'No hay pierde,' the campesinos say, giving directions, 'there is no loss,' meaning the trail, or the road, or memory." (By Paul Salopek, in "Sierra Madre Pilgrimage", National Geographic, June 2000)

Odawara Municipal Hospital (analog image)
(Minolta Hi-Matic 7s serial # 535939,
see E-bay Item #347914415, 1/125/A, KodakGold ASA 100)


Odawara Municipal Hospital (digital image)
(Nikon D3000 serial # 2001042 + Ai-mount Nikkor-SC 50mm, manual focus/exposure)




Fuji Sengen Shrine
(Minolta X-700 serial ???, programmed AE, FujiColor Print ASA100)

Located at the east foot of the Mount Fuji, it is pristine and solemn. It was built after a major eruption in 13th century to quiet its violent activity. We are paying a new year visit 1998. Avirex G-1 antiq lamb may be a bit mismatch for this landscape.




Quadruple spiral
(Nikon FM-2 serial# N 745507, Nikkor *ED 300mm serial # 226570, F4.5, FujiColor Print ASA100)


T-4 at the ready
(Nikon FM-2 serial# N 7455057, Tamron 35-70mm Ø58mm)

Air Show (1) - HAIKU Aerobatics Team

"BLUE IMPULSE", a flight demonstration team of the Japan Self Defense Air Force (JSDAF), which is based at Matsushima AFB in the northern Honshu Island, is flying their show at Iruma AFB near Tokyo on November 3 1998. They are performing a superb barrel-roll with four T-4 jet trainers, leaving a quadruple spiral of smoke. Neat, crisp, but a bit under-powered from the western standard (cf. Blue Angels and Thunderbirds). Like HAIKU.



Air Show (2) - Good Old Boys' Ad-lib Team - SHIBUMI
(Nikon FM-2 serial# N 745507, Nikkor *ED 300mm serial # 226570, F4.5)

Members of the seasoned samurai pilots are flying antique T-33 tandem jet trainers, packed in standard diamond formation. It is announced that the total ages of them exceed 400 years (2 old guys x 4). Auld lang syne.


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version 3.02 2018/12/20
The photo of Odawara Castle is from the non-copyrighted publication by the Odawara Municipality. Other photos are copyrighted by Akio Hasegawa, but you can use free if it is not commercial use which needs the prior written consent of the author.
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