Upon returning from a day trip to Tokyo yesterday, I stumbled upon a matsuri in my own backyard. Apparently, the small park in which it was held is not long for this world - at least according to an advertising brochure I received from a nervous man working the crowd. The trees are coming down, and an apartment block is going up. I wonder if the developer organized the festival to advertise (or, for that matter, apologize)?

Yesterday’s trip took us to the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower, Ginza, and up to Akihabara. We passed on the Sumidagawa Fireworks on account of the ridiculous crowds; about a million people stream into eastern Tokyo and line the banks of the Sumida River to enjoy what is without a doubt the most exciting annual fireworks show in all of Japan. Unfortunately, this means that, if you expect to see anything, you have to arrive very, very early.

Robin and I plan a return to Tokyo this afternoon to visit the Meiji Shrine and nearby Harajuku. It’s Sunday, so the freaks and cosplayers should be out in full force.

Trash pickup is Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The days were posted on a sign above the collection site - I just never looked closely enough to notice. Since I can only read a limited amount of kanji, my brain doesn’t immediately interpret the scratchings as useful information. It’s like some vandal savant came along and painted the streets with abstract art.

Apparently, I’m supposed to write my address on my trash bags before releasing them to the wild. That way, the garbage police can track me down and deport me for mistakenly placing a banana peel in the “unburnable” bag or a plastic bottle in the “small, sort of shiny but not quite, light colored plastic tray” bag. Unfortunately, I still haven’t nailed down my exact address (I’ve figured out bits and pieces), so I guess I’ll just sneak down to the collection site in the middle of the night, drop my bags, and run like hell.

I’ve also figured out the mechanics of my little washing machine (that is, I pushed a bunch of buttons and observed what happened in response - very scientific, I know). I’m on my third load now and have yet to destroy any clothes, so I suppose I’m in the clear.

On second thought, I’ll share my (not quite) typhoon experience tomorrow. I’m too tired tonight to bother with something so dull.

When I woke up bright and early this morning in Choshi, a small port in very rural Chiba-ken, I flipped on the television to the Fuji TV morning show. Apparently, I did so just in time for the entertainment segment, and was treated to a piece on a young female singer who just released a new single. I wasn’t paying close enough attention to catch her name, and even though I know most of the popular Japanese music artists, she didn’t look particularly familiar. My initial thought, however, was, “Wow, she has a nice voice!” (well… actually, my first thought was “Holy shit, she’s incredibly cute!”), so I made a mental note to investigate further once I was back in town.

Of course, I forgot about it completely.

When I arrived home this evening, tired, beat, and sweaty (the temperature was hovering near 100 degrees F when I left the office), I wanted nothing more than to eat something substantial for dinner. My neighborhood is actually a pretty quiet place, with only small shops and a limited number of restaurants in the area around the station. A quick glance at a map revealed what looked to be plenty of shopping around Tsudanuma Station, a short 4 minute train ride to my west. So I struck out in search of dinner.

Upon arriving in Tsudanuma, I was surprised to find much, much, much more than I expected. To say there’s shopping there is an understatement. Rather, there’s a giant six story mall, surrounded by roughly five blocks worth of shops and restaurants in every direction. By that time, I was feeling more hungry than adventurous, so I ducked into McDonald’s (I made a point to order entirely in Japanese, at least), swallowed a fish sandwich, and hit the street to explore. As I stepped outside, however, I was accosted by a familiar sound… my unknown singer from this morning.

With my memory jogged, I set out in search of a CD shop. Unfortunately, every time I thought I found one, it turned out to be a bookstore (a gaijin walking into a Japanese book store draws some funny looks). Bookstores everywhere, as far as the eye can see. It’s like I had wandered into some suburban counterpart to Tokyo’s Kanda-Jinbocho. Eventually, I tried the large shopping mall directly across the street from the station, searching through its two towers of six floors each, up and down escalators, finding everything under the sun but a CD shop.

Of course, I eventually found one as I reached the final floor (what, you thought I’d finish the story empty-handed?), and was welcomed by my mystery singer once again as I first walked in. Clearly, this girl is a sensation at the moment. I followed my ears to her display, grabbed a copy of the new single and her recently released “greatest hits” album (for good measure), and made my way to the cashier. I parted with my 3,799 yen (about $34 USD), made my way back to the station, and returned home. Craving something sweet, I ducked into the conbini at the end of my street, grabbed some sort of tiramisu/pudding concoction, a sandwich and banana for breakfast in the morning, and a bottle of green tea. Total trip time: an hour and a half.

Anyway, I suppose I should share the identity of my mystery singer: Oku Hanako. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I just finished importing both CDs to my iPod, so I’m going to pop my headphones in and chill for the first time in what seems like ages.

Back in Chiba. Back at the office. Very tired and hungry.

I’ll post a full write-up for yesterday’s “chase” this evening. At the moment, I’m waiting for Robin to arrive, after which we’ll get some lunch and decompress. Unless someone objects, I’ll try to sneak out early this afternoon. The tropics look quiet for for at least the next week, so I might cut down on the amount of time I spend at the office. There’s no point in being here if I don’t have any work to do.

The sky is crystal clear now that the storm has passed; it’s the first time I’ve seen the sun since arriving last week. Unfortunately, with the sun comes the heat, and even though subsidence behind the departing storm has dried the lower levels a bit, it’s always humid here near Tokyo Bay.

I’m currently perched near the window in my hotel room in Numazu, leeching off an open wireless network somewhere in the neighborhood. Tropical Storm Banyan continued to weaken overnight, and now looks like a non-event in the making. Unfortunately, I suspect I’m the only person in the country aware of this fact.

I don’t know what our plans are today. The center of the storm (what’s left of it, at least) should make landfall early this afternoon a little west of my location. The strongest convection appears to exist in the storm’s outermost bands, which passed overnight. The weather near the center of the storm may prove least interesting, to be honest.

Anyway, it’s just about time to head out, so I’ll wrap things up. Hopefully, I’ll be back in Tokyo tonight; I don’t see much point in chasing this thing very far up the coast.

I’m leaving tonight for the Izu Peninsula, a couple hours south of Tokyo. Tropical Storm Banyan will likely make landfall in that area tomorrow afternoon. The storm is actually in pretty bad shape, and will probably be weakening further by the time it reaches me, so I figure I’ll just be getting very, very wet.

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what I’m supposed to do once I arrive. I’m producing content for mobile subscribers, but what that content will be, I can’t say. Robin will be traveling to another location in the morning, so it looks like I’m on my own.

Robin and I set out for Ichikawa a few hours before sunset in search of the elusive matsuri. Upon arriving at Ichikawa Station, however, we found everything to be business as usual. Thankfully, we had observed what looked to be festival preparation just outside Motoyawata Station (one stop before Ichikawa), so we hopped back on the train and went back the way whence we came.

The locals were still in the process of setting things up when we arrived, but a rock band of sorts had taken advantage of the gathering crowd to strut their stuff. We explored the neighborhood for a bit, grabbed a bite to eat, and waited for the festivities to begin.

At 6 o’clock sharp, a bell rang and the pounding of the taiko drums commenced. A throng of yukata-clad little old ladies streamed into the courtyard in front of the station, circled the drum platform, and began to dance in near perfect unison. With time, other locals - young and old - joined the circle. The children were constantly one dance move behind the rest of the crowd, eliciting many smiles and much laughter.

It’s small, but it works.

There’s a six mat living space, a narrow galley kitchen, and a small bathroom. It’s probably about 200 square feet total. I can’t complain, really; if I’m going to be in Japan, I might as well live as the Japanese do.

I’m a few blocks away from Makuhari-Hongo station, in what appears to be a standard working class neighborhood. There’s an assortment of shops near the station, and a conbini on practically every corner. An expressway actually runs right by my building, but thanks to a fairly elaborate sound wall, there’s little noise.

The office is actually a few miles away in Makuhari New City, which is serviced by the JR Keiyo line. Makuhari-Hongo, however, is on the JR Sobu line, so I have to travel to and from the office via bus. I haven’t had much trouble navigating the transportation network thus far; as goofy as it may sound, I learned a lot from watching anime. When I took the train into Tokyo for the first time yesterday, I breezed through the station without trouble.

Anyway, I’ve spent the morning sorting my trash (unfortunately, I haven’t figured out the pick-up schedule yet), cleaning and organizing the apartment, and resting my aching feet. According to my taxi mate from last night, there’s a matsuri (summer festival) in Ichikawa this weekend, so I might check that out tonight if I feel bored. I’m not entirely sure where it’s located, but I suppose I could just ride to Ichikawa station, look for young girls dressed in yukata, and follow them from there.

I made the long train ride into Tokyo today, my ultimate destination being Akihabara. Electric Town. Mecca.

I didn’t do much more than walk, shop, walk, take photos, shop, walk, and walk some more (until my feet screamed). At some point, a significant earthquake occurred in Chiba, shaking the very ground on which I strolled. Somehow, I didn’t feel a thing.

Unfortunately, the earthquake shut down all of the train lines in and around Tokyo, leaving me - and thousands of others - stuck in Akihabara. As I loitered in front of the station, contemplating my dilemma, I made the acquaintance of an Australian fellow who happened to live in Ichikawa, a few stops before me in Makuhari-Hongo. With no idea how long train service would be out, we opted to split a taxi in order to get home. The total fare was 13,000 yen ($117 USD), so it’s fortunate that we bumped into each other.

I’ll share some more stories and photos tomorrow, but for now, I need a hot shower and a good night’s rest.

Not much to share thus far, as I’ve been at the office all day. I’ve gotten about 4 hours of sleep in the past three days, I haven’t eaten a substantial meal since I stepped off the airplane, and I’m suffering from a painful infection of sorts (I won’t go into details) that makes sleeping and eating an ordeal even when I have the time or desire to do so.

That said, I haven’t been hit by a car while crossing the street… yet. I suppose Japan has been kind to me.

Thankfully, I have the weekend off to recuperate. If I feel up to it, I might hop a train into Tokyo. No particular reason, really - Makuhari is pleasant enough, but it doesn’t really lend itself to exploring.

Our first typhoon of interest should be approaching southern Japan by the middle of next week. It doesn’t look to become a major storm, but we’re here to chase typhoons and a typhoon it is. So, we’ll probably be on the road again soon.

I’m here. The flight was remarkably pleasant, at least until the ninth hour or so. Considering I only got three hours of sleep the night before, I’m amazed I’m still functioning as well as I am. Darkness has fallen here in Chiba, however, so I’m sure I’ll be out cold soon enough. My thanks to “Tomoko” for the “free” wifi. It’s a weak signal, but it seems to be working fine for now.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to figure out how to get the air conditioner working (it’s very, very humid here), take a much needed shower, and then lay down on a flat surface for the first time in… hell, I don’t know how long. I’ll post photos of the apartment and the neighborhood once I get a chance to explore. For now, you’ll have to settle for the lovely view from the veranda.

I suppose everything is in order. Only the packing remains. Ugh.

I’ll be leaving Omaha midday tomorrow, with a very short layover in Minneapolis before my afternoon flight to Tokyo. I was lucky enough to snag the last aisle seat on the plane, and, last I checked, the seat directly beside me was unoccupied. In fact, of the few unsold seats on the flight, most are near me. Hopefully, I’ll have some room to stretch out.

I should arrive at Narita around 5:00 PM local time (some god-awful hour Omaha time), and will continue on to wherever I’m staying directly from the airport. As far as internet access is concerned, I don’t have any specific contingency plan. I should have access at the office, but outside of that, I’ll be dependent on coffee shops and unprotected wireless access points.

So, as we say in storm chasing, I’m out the door!

A few weeks ago, Google Maps quietly added satellite image support for Japan. Mapping support was lacking, however - until now.

The Weathernews Global Center is located here, at the Makuhari Techno Garden in Makuhari New City in Chiba City. Kaihin Makuhari Station is right next door, 40 minutes away from Tokyo Station on the JR Keiyo Line. I assume our lodging will be near the office, but can’t be certain.

Packing for this trip will no doubt be an adventure. Obviously, I’ll need to carry a wide range of clothing, from formal business attire to tramping gear. If there’s anything I feel I might need over the course of the next two months, it’s important that I bring it with me. Japanese clothing stores don’t exist to accommodate 6′3″ foreigners with size 12 feet.

But, I also have to consider what type of equipment I’ll need during typhoon intercepts. Rain gear is a must; cheap works, as a $300 Gore-Tex get-up isn’t worth much more than a disposable poncho in horizontal rain. And, of course, I wouldn’t want said horizontal raindrops punching holes in my eyeballs, so safety goggles are a necessity. Rain boots? Overkill, most likely, as I don’t expect to be standing in storm surge (since the Japanese coastline is often marked by steep rises, standing in storm surge essentially means standing in the ocean itself). Tennis shoes will dry… eventually. Besides, I don’t want to figure out how to pack yet another pair of footwear.

Protecting camera equipment from water is a bit of a dilemma. I don’t do underwater photography, so I don’t own any sort of waterproof camera housing. An Aquapac would come in handy, but with a $200 price tag, I think I’ll settle for my homemade “double Ziploc bag/rubber band/lens hood/UV filter” protection scheme.

I suppose I should start thinking of an explanation to give the baggage screener.

The final details for my trip to Japan have been coming together the past few days. It looks like I’m leaving next Wednesday, July 20, with a return date of September 15.

I won’t be traveling alone. Rather, I’ll be joined by Robin Tanamachi, a doctoral student in meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. Robin is studying under the venerable Howie Bluestein and has participated in a number of field research projects over the years, so she’s clearly an experienced chaser and forecaster. Of course, when it comes to typhoon chasing, I’m sure we’re both in for a learning experience.

There’s still much packing and preparation to be done, but I’m anxious to get over there and get to work.

This toad lives in a little hole underneath the rose bush just outside my front door. This is actually only the second time I’ve seen him. Last time, he ran. This time, he stuck around and posed for the camera.

I poked him with a pen, and all he did was puff up a little. Following the second poke, he got pissed and left.

I guess I should’ve tipped him.

Yet another hazy Summer evening here in eastern Nebraska. I actually had to make a steep climb up a mountain of dirt in order to get this shot. I was a little worried I’d lose my balance and pitch face first into the soybeans below.

The stupid things I’ll do for a photograph…

It seems a barn owl has made its home in an unfinished house down the street. Walk outside late at night, and you can hear it calling - like a baby unleashing a blood-curdling scream that resonates throughout the entire neighborhood.

It can be a bit unsettling (to say the least) if you’re not expecting it.

The sunflowers are getting tall, but only a few have managed to bloom so far. I found this young bloom while out for a walk yesterday evening.

Dennis ramped up to within striking distance of Category 5 intensity overnight, but has since weakened ever so slightly as the circulation encounters somewhat cooler sea surface temperatures and ingests a fetch of drier continental air. Unfortunately, the storm’s forward motion has increased, leaving little time for pronounced weakening before landfall. Dennis will likely come onshore as a Category 4 hurricane.

The storm has been wobbling to the north over the past few hours, and should this trend continue, Pensacola may be spared from the dangerous right front quadrant of the eyewall. This may mitigate the amount of water being pushed into the city from Escambia Bay (at the moment, the Bay is still experiencing winds blowing offshore). On the flip side, Ft. Walton Beach and Destin Beach will likely take a beating as Dennis makes landfall in the vicinity of Santa Rosa Island.

UPDATE: As sometimes happens, Dennis has weakened in the last hour or so before landfall. Maximum sustained winds are now 120 mph, and the pressure has risen 11 mb in three hours. So, it looks like Dennis will come onshore as a Category 3 storm. Furthermore, as is typical with weakening storms at landfall, the strongest winds in the eyewall are likely lifting off the surface somewhat. This is good news (relatively speaking) for those with property in the path of the storm.

Looking at radar, Dennis has clearly made landfall now on Santa Rosa Island.

Just getting my ugly mug off the top of the page…

Unfortunately, my prescription changed just enough that I’ll be running into walls and falling down stairs for a day or two.

I find myself looking over my glasses to read nowadays, so the narrow lenses make for less effort in that regard. I wasn’t quite sure how the rectangular design would look on my face, as I’ve always worn more ovoid frames; thankfully, everything worked out fine.

And, no, I generally don’t shave on the weekend… or, for that matter, during the week if I can get away it. Good thing I’m not married.

I’m a little behind the curve with regard to Hurricane Dennis. For now, landfall along the United States Gulf Coast looks certain, with special focus from Mobile Bay eastward. Unfortunately, this is the same area ravaged last year by Hurricane Ivan.

My interest in chasing hurricanes is academic at best. Living in Nebraska, a trip to the Gulf or Atlantic seaboard is no easy task, and having never participated in a hurricane intercept before, I’d no doubt be woefully unprepared. Furthermore, getting in and out of evacuation zones has grown more and more difficult over the years. Should local law enforcement find you driving around without proper credentials, you’ll likely end up riding out the storm in a holding cell rather than on the beach.

Major hurricanes are serious business, especially when poised to strike population centers. Placing yourself in harm’s way and expecting everything to magically work out is reckless and irresponsible.

So, why the hell am I going to Japan in a couple of weeks to chase typhoons?

Thankfully, the average typhoon in the northwest Pacific doesn’t amount to much by the time it makes landfall in Japan (Okinawa excluded). Even last year’s Typhoon Tokage - the worst storm to strike Japan in over a decade - only had sustained winds of around 90 mph (144 kph) when it made final landfall in Kochi Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku. Yet, despite being the equivalent of a mere Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic Basin, Tokage somehow managed to kill 67 people. How the majority of these deaths occurred, I don’t know. My assumption is that storm surge, flooding, and mudslides were the primary culprit.

From a chasing point of view, however, storm surge, flooding, and mudslides are pretty easy to avoid. Furthermore, sustained winds in the neighborhood of 90 mph aren’t too big a deal provided you’ve taken the proper precautions. I’ve experienced stronger and more unpredictable wind speeds at times chasing supercell thunderstorms here in the United States. So, I’m not particularly concerned for my safety.

And should a typhoon like no other strike Japan this year… well, I guess I’ll just be reckless and irresponsible and hope everything magically works out.

This is a one and a half minute exposure, looking out over the neighborhood. There must be something in the water.

Fire levels Bellevue construction site

From the article: “It concerns us that there would be a fire in an empty structure with no electricity in it,” [Fire Department spokesman] Ted Szymanski said.

Perhaps they should consider the fireworks stand sitting out front. Just a thought.

The neighbors have gone fireworks crazy. I’d like to think they’re celebrating my birthday, but I suppose the birth of the nation takes precedence. I’ve grown bitter and resentful in my 27 years.

That said, I got an iPod. Take that, America!

Now that it’s been confirmed, I guess it’s time to share the news…

In just under three weeks, I’ll be traveling to Japan to begin a three month assignment chasing typhoons for Weathernews Inc.

Seriously.

What exactly I’ll be doing while over there has yet to be figured out (well, except for the “chasing typhoons” part), but it should primarily be content production: photography, videography, writing, and so on.

I’ll share more details as they become available.