It’s been a bit warmer around Osaka lately, and like this semi I’ve been able to shed down a layer and enjoy the crisp air. Hopefully Spring will come early this year. It’s a sad and beautiful thing, to know that this year may well be my last opportunity to enjoy Hanami in Japan. It’s a shame that there aren’t any cherry trees around the Yodogawa though.
Heh, it’s only January and I’m already thinking about drinking under the gentle rain of cherry blossoms…
Update (Jan. 19th, 3:33 PM): Never mind, it’s snowing again…

I take these pictures because I truly respect the resourcefulness that these homeless people possess. Using scavenged materials and simple blue tarps, the Yodogawa homeless population has built a community next to the river. By doing so, they have secured themselves one of the best views available in Osaka
The homeless of the Yodogawa don’t bother anyone- I have never heard of anyone being molested or even bothered for spare change. Often they hang out, have a couple of drinks, and barbecue. At other times you can see them tending gardens, fishing, practicing their golf, clamming (yes, people do eat clams from the river!), or walking their dogs.
Their dogs are dangerous, though. There are wild packs that roam the banks, and it is best to be wary if you are walking around this area. It is best not to venture out around this area alone, especially at night time, and certainly if you are a female.
Anyhow, for the duration of my stay, I will be posting pictures of these amazing homes as I take them. As I don’t want to upset anyone, I’ll only be able to take a few at a time or risk being obvious.
Honestly, these homes are amazing- the homeless have accumulated or fabricated everything that they need (refrigerators made out of coolers, outdoor kitchens, and furniture among many other things), and maintain a relatively comfortable life. You can check here for periodic updates.

Most of the tags that people throw up around the city are ugly and uninspired, but if you look hard enough and explore the less frequented areas you can find some really good stuff. I’ll be posting pictures of the better works here, so check back once in a while if you’re interested.

I never noticed it before, but the Sky Building is really just a huge tori.

Last year, Huw and I went on a hike through the mountains of Kobe, starting from Ashiyagawa and ending in Shukugawa. Along the way, we saw many signs with wild boars on them, but saw no real wildlife to speak of, only other hikers. This sign stands right in front of the Hankyu train station, warning the people of Ashiya about the dangers of wild boars that sometimes come down from the hills to get run over by BMWs and Mercedes Benzes. If you’re going to get run over, Ashiya is definitely the place to do it!

The little kid yells “Dame!” at her dad as he gets attacked as a result of feeding the boar. Ah, this brings back so many colorful childhood memories, notably the one where my dad chased after a female black bear and her cubs in order to snap a picture. I’m just disappointed that he didn’t get the picture…

Signs warning hikers against feeding or playing with the boars were more common than one might expect. Personally, if I saw a boar I wouldn’t want any part of it after watching Old Yeller but I guess not that many people have seen what happens when you screw with a boar. You either get gored and end up being shot by your best friend, or you kill the boar, eat it, put its head on a stick and worship it as the God of the island. And then you kill Piggy and use his glasses to make fire.

This is a bit late/early depending on how you look at it, but I wanted to say that I’m really happy for you guys. It seems as if you two have been married for over a decade already to me, so it’s fitting after waiting so long that you should get married with such a massive undertaking. Hopefully there will be many more pictures to post later.

This is a really strange legacy to leave behind, a malignant tumor that won’t die.

A big green 0 was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes this morning. Within 10 minutes I was to the door. Snow blasted my face, and I ran through the blizzard, taking the time to snap a few pictures on my cell phone:

Osho, in Higashi Juso, is starting to accumulate a mantle of snow.

A shot of Juso Eki between the Eastern Mr. Donut and the entrance to Hankyu railway station

The train tracks and the area around the Yodogawa quickly accumulated a layer of snow. I wonder how the insulation of the residences of the homeless population, who live in the shanty town along the length of the Yodogawa river, compares to the average Japanese apartment.

I usually ride on the first car from track number 6 on my way to Osaka. This morning was the first time I remember being able to hear the conductor talking on his radio. Though muffled through the barrier that separates the cockpit from the cabin, I was able to make out the words ?concerned?, ?dangerous?, and ?please check?. A maintenance crew quickly entered the locomotive, as the passengers disembarked.
I?m glad nothing went wrong. Riding in the first car is the most dangerous place in a train to be in case of an accident. After the train crash on the JR line in Amagasaki, I remember reading in The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel that if you know that a crash is imminent, it is a good idea to get to the rear of the train. Most of the casualties in Amagasaki were riding in the first two cars. Well, I didn?t start running to the back of the train when I heard the conductor?s concerned exchange on the radio. It would have been impossible to maneuver my way through, as all of the cars were packed like sardine tins.

I remember watching his stand up two Christmases ago, and hurting from laughing so hard. For whatever reason, it’s too bad that he didn’t finish the 3rd season. Whether it has any truth to it or not, this is worth reading.