Top of Yokote Yama

As usual, the family took our annual ski trip to Shiga Kogen in Nagano. This year, started out with a really heavy snow and a windy afternoon that shut all the lifts on the mountain and put our fun on the slopes in jeopardy. Luck for us, the weather did break and there was some fantastic skiing over the next few days. After several lessons with the intermediate group, I even made it to the top of Yokoteyama and skied the run at Yokoteyama Shibutouge.

I am not an experienced enough skier to carry my DSLR up to the top for a few photos, so these taken with a Fuji XP50 will have to suffice.

Half of this lodge is located in Gunma and the other half in Nagano.

This is the sign in the bakery at the top of Yokoteyama. The highest Starbucks in Japan is located a short distance away.

Setsubun Oni! (or where are my beans)

I should have posted this before Setsubun, but I have been neglecting this blog lately (bad blogger... BAD!). Oh well, while I was in Tokyo Station, there was this large Oni (Demon or Ogre) with glowing red eyes standing guard just outside the wickets. Quick, where are my beans!

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f2.0, ISO 400, 1/125 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f2.0, ISO 400, 1/640 sec.

Year of the Horse

For those who follow these sorts of things, Happy New Year and Happy Year of the Horse or Kung Hei Fat Choy or Mǎnián dàjí.

Here's a horse spotted on what looks like a very large ema near the entrance to Nogi Jinja.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 24mm f/2.0 Nikkor AI @ f5.6, ISO 100, 1/100 sec.

Been busy... Happy New Year

I am sorry that it's been a while since my last post. The family took a short winter vacation and escaped to Saipan for some beach weather. Anyway, I hope to be back at it posting more photos. Happy New Year!

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f3.2, ISO 100, 1/4000 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF @ 80 mm, f4.0, ISO 100, 1/2000 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 35 mm, f4.0, ISO 800, 1/60 sec.