2008 Pictures

Like last year I'm posting one image for every month of last year. There's no overarching theme here; some I've selected because the event is significant, others just because I like them. Also check out MTC's monthly pictures, the inspiration for this post.


January

Homemade kuromame, a traditional new-years dish. Not that many pictures to choose from in January; I was somewhat preoccupied with other things at the time.

February

If January had few pictures, February was an embarrassment of riches. We five glorious winter days in Hokkaido in northernmost Japan with beautiful scenery and wonderful weather. Most of my favourite images from last year were taken during this trip. Blog post part 1, part 2 and part 3.

March

"Evil Scientists For a Better Tomorrow". Our student Baris posing with two of our robots and a bit of creative lighting.

April

Cherry blossom season, and we take out a colleague's renovated old Corvette for a few pictures under the trees. The major trick was to find a moment without throngs of people around.

May

The Doujima river along Nakanoshima island.

June

In June another trip, to Helsinki in Finland and Stockholm in Sweden to visit friends; and to my parents to celebrate Midsummer. A couple of bikes parked in an alley in the Old Town of Stockholm.

July

Tsuyu is the heavy rain period just before the real summer heat hits. Here a squall taken outside the Osaka Daimaru department store with my new Yashica.

August

August is Obon and fireworks. Here's the Yodogawa fireworks seen over the rooftops south of the river.

September

September was busy. We took an overnight trip to Aomori to visit a friend of Ritsuko. The weather didn't really cooperate, giving the trip a rather calm, subdued atmosphere. Here a hotel guest is catching a breath of air.

October

Kobe Harborland area. Kobe is a place we come back to over and over again, whenever we feel like a change of scenery, or want some Indian food, or visit Ikea on Port Island. The city feels completely different from Osaka; despite being fairly large it comes off as a small, cozy town.

November

November, and another trip, this time a daytrip to Kanazawa. This is restaurant Ōtsuka, an instant favorite of mine. People come there to eat a bite, have coffee or beer and lounge in the worn, dingy dining room with a manga volume or a newspaper. This is one case where the wide format of the Viogtländer really works for me; a square-format image would not have conveyed the atmosphere in the same way.

Short trips like this one to Kanazawa or to Aomori are great: you don't need to take time off work; they don't cost very much; since the time is short you can pack the days full to the brim and yet not be exhausted; and with just a day or two you never risk growing bored with your destination. It all means you can take a chance with a less famous or off-beat destination and not worry that you'll waste precious vacation days on a dud.

December

December, and time to clean house in preparation for the new year. Or clean laboratory; here window cleaners are attacking the window walls at the ATR lobby.