Posts Tagged ‘Japan’

Big in Japan

Friday, February 22nd, 2019

The first post of 2019, and the year is slipping away as we almost enter March, the daylight now extends into the evening and the birds are starting to make their nests…

I’ve been re-visiting memories of Japan, when we visited in 2011, the year of the earthquake and then tsunami in Japan (whilst we were holidaying there!), why you may ask?

Read on.. for many years I’ve been trying to find a software package which would import all the clips automatically from a Sony DV Tape HandyCam using Firewire (IEEE 1394) to easily create a 1 hour holiday video.

The problem is that Firewire (IEEE 1394) was retired by Apple in 2012, and has since been abandoned.

BUT, I noticed a Firewire port on my current Windows 10 laptop, and the device drivers were loaded (Device Manager), “Would it be possible that if I simply connected my HandyCam to the firewire port it would be automatically recognized by Windows 10?”

I connected my HandyCam to the firewire port and to my amazement, the Sony DV Tape VCR appeared within Device Manager.

Now to find, a software package, in the past I used to use a Sony laptop, and it’s own DVLink software, but it only ran on Windows 95, and it kept crashing.

I downloaded a trial of Vegas Movie Studio, and it does it exactly what I needed!!!

So the tape currently in the HandyCam, was a Tape from Japan!

So here are a few trailers…

Post to Twitter

Andysworld! Advent Calendar – Dec 17 – Festive Treat – Japan Photograph Album Complete! – Online Here

Saturday, December 17th, 2011

japan

A few have been asking for a while, and it’s only taken me 6 months to complete this! But it’s been a fanastic reminder of our Holiday to Japan in March 2011! Some of you will have already seen a few photographs, but this is the first time, I’ve uploaded the entire album (these were the photographs that have made it into the album!).

If you’ve not worked out how to access the Holiday Photograph Album Click the Photo above.

Post to Twitter

Me and Kofuku the Maiko

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Whilst in Kyoto, Japan I had the pleasure of meeting Kofuku, a Maiko (trainee Geiko or Geisha).

Me and Kofuku

Me and Kofuku

Post to Twitter

Never short of a soft drink or coffee in Japan!

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

More photos from the Japan holiday archive.

Coca-Cola vending machines in Asakusa District, Tokyo, Japan

Coca-Cola vending machines in Asakusa District, Tokyo, Japan

Calpis, Sapporo and Asahi vending machines in Asakusa District, Tokyo, Japan

Calpis, Sapporo and Asahi vending machines in Asakusa District, Tokyo, Japan

In Japan, everywhere on the streets, they have vending machines serving hot and cold drinks from the same machine, from Coca-Cola, coffee, tea, pancake syrup drinks and beer!

So you never short of a drink, anywhere you travel in Japan! (very handy if you have a Coca-Cola addiction!), and the umbrella I’m using was free, people leave them on buses and trains for the next person to pick and use. Now that’s Recycling! Very kind!

and that does say Calpis!

Post to Twitter

Microsoft Cloud Power in Japan!

Sunday, June 12th, 2011
Cloud Power - Microsoft advertising in Japan

Cloud Power - Microsoft advertising in Japan

I spotted this on the Shinkansen (bullet train) in Japan in March! When was the last time you saw a nicely framed advertisement on a British Train! (and this was not in First Class!)

Post to Twitter

Andy at Nagoya Castle, Japan (again!)

Thursday, June 9th, 2011
japanme

Andy at Nagoya Castle, Nagoya, Japan

Lindsey mentioned that people viewing this probably would not have seen the significance on the picture, so here it is again, zoomed in and cut!

and I’ve still not cut the hedge, cut the lawn again, or finished that damn border, it’s been raining….tomorrow (yes tomorrow!) I’ll get round to it!

Post to Twitter

Andy at Nagoya Castle, Japan

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

As you may or may not know, we had to leave Japan from the Central Japan International Airport, Nagoya and not Narita International Airport, Tokyo because of the earthquake, or because Lufthansa, had decided not to fly from Narita International Airport, Tokyo. So on the penultimate day, we left Tokyo on the bullet train again to Nagoya for one last day and night.

Whilst in Nagoya, we visited Nagoya Castle, and had a very long walk around the Castle Moat, trying to find the entrance, after exiting the tube station! As a taster to the Japan photograhs to come shortly, here’s a photograph that made Lindsey laugh!

Andy at Nagoya Castle, Japan

Andy at Nagoya Castle, Japan

(I’ve not really be cloned three times! One is bad enough! I asked Lindsey to take three different exposures, and then I’ve overlaid them for the effect!)

Post to Twitter

A Souvenir of Japan

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

This was the item I purchased to remind me of Japan! I purchased this 4GB USB Flash drive from the Apple store in Ginza, Tokyo.

LaCie iamaKey v2 USB-Stick 4GB

LaCie iamaKey v2 USB-Stick 4GB

Ginza is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffee houses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world. Many upscale fashion clothing flagship stores are located here, being also recognized as having the highest concentration of western shops in Tokyo. Prominent are Chanel, Dior, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. Flagship electronic retail stores like the Sony showroom (four floors of tech!) and the Apple Store of course! (a four floor building, MacBooks and iPads – 1st floor, chargers and accessories – 2nd floor,  TV from around the world – 3rd floor, technical support and repairs – 4th floor).

Sony Building in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan

Sony Building in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan

Lindsey purchase souvenirs of chopsticks, bags, Japanese doll….

well I am the computer geek!

Post to Twitter

Tokyo Council Building, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Friday, April 1st, 2011

Well I think it’s better known as Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, located in Shinjuku, Japan was the tallest building in Tokyo. Shinjuku also has the busiest train station in the world! (and it’s busy!).

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building

It has a two panoramic observation decks, one in each tower on floor 45, we went there one evening 7 days before the big one of March 11, and we also had dinner in the resturant.

View from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building

View from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building

View from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building At Night

View from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building At Night

and just to prove we were there, here’s a screenshot from an Ipad, using Assisted-GPS (it annoys me when people keep telling me they are using GPS with an iPad or iPhone!) of Google Maps in the  Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

Google Maps view on iPad with GPS at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building

Google Maps view on iPad with GPS at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building

Post to Twitter

Big in Japan

Thursday, March 31st, 2011
Snow Monkey in Onsen in Nagano

Snow Monkey in Onsen in Nagano

The link from the last post yesterday is… for the last four weeks I’ve been craving Ambrosia Devon Custard! (hence not many posts for March)

Harajuku Girls

Harajuku Girls

7 days ago we returned from Japan, where we’ve travelling around Japan for 3 weeks (and if you didn’t know, yes Lindsey and I were there, when the Big 8.9M Earthquake Hit and all the tremors afterwards!) – we are okay – and the holiday wasn’t affected – other than the occasioanal room and bed shake! Overall a Fanastic, exciting time in Japan, and I’m looking forward to going back soon!

We’ve travelled over 2000km around Japan. Tokyo to Nagano, Nagano to Matsumoto, Matsumoto to Takayamma, Takayamma to Kanazawa,  Kanazawa to Hiroshima, Hiroshima to Kurashiki,  Kurashiki to Kyoto,  Kyoto to Togendai, Togendai to Tokyo, Tokyo to Nagoya.

An evening (1hr) with a maiko (an apprentice geisha) called kofuku, in Kyoto, visiting the Snow Monekys in Nagano, riding Shinkansen (bullet trains) at 182mph (confirmed and verfied!),  eating conveyor belt sushi, visting temples, japanese gardens, road cable cars and pirate ships, witnessed a rare site of Mt Fuji over two days, visited outdoor art, Henry Moore, Barbra Hepworth, and Pablo Picasso sculpture and art, and saw the plum and cherry blossom.

plum blossom

plum blossom

Lindsey has taken lots of digital photographs which will be uploaded soon. I’ve almost finished ‘An evening with a kofuku DVD’. But also have another 180 minutes of Japan to edit.

Shinkansen (bullet train)

Shinkansen (bullet train)

Post to Twitter