Atlantis

photo taken by (C)mkyg

Atlantis is not somewhere else but could be in our close future.

The increase of CO2, carbon dioxide, in our atmosphere is causing a global warming that leads climate changes all over the world. Many scientists and climate experts are claiming 350ppm concentration of CO2 in the greenhouse gases of our atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity but currently is already up to nearly 390ppm.

The greenhouse gases are important for us because when we receive the heats from the sun, the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere prevent them going out to the space, and keeps them on earth to provide warmth for living creatures to survive; in other words, without greenhouse gases, a lot of creatures will die because the average air temperature on earth will be around -18C. However, what we are facing now it this precious gases are continued to being thick, or we can say condensed , the heats are overly staying on earth and that is causing the global warming.

It is because 70% of the greenhouse gases are CO2, and its emission has been increased since 18th century after the human started to rely on the fossil fuels for their energy. Majority of the CO2 are created when we create the energy from oils and coals. Most significantly, one research showed that among the over 190 countries, only few countries are high emission countries such as America and China, almost 40% of all the emission, and followed by Russia and Japan, nearly 10% of all. And another research shows the average emission for per person in the developed countries like America, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Russia, German, Japan, UK, Italy and France are 3 times more than the one in the developing countries. It is clear that the people in some countries are using much more energies on their livings than the others...

Here are some of the possible effects of the global warming:

1) Glaciers
Glaciers everywhere will melt and disappear faster. This invokes the loss of land and lack of drinking water. For the island countries, loss of land means a loss of country. And source of many headwaters of rivers or spring waters, those provide us drinking water, are the glaciers.

2) Plants & Animals
The ecosystem will be damaged. When the ocean temperatures become higher, many marine species, for example corals, will have difficulty surviving. All in all, the ocean will not absorb CO2 as much as before. The animals will relocate to find the new land with enough food but some could not find a new home will be disappear from the earth. The mosquitoes pandemic will distribute new diseases to the countries where used be a cold weather.

3) Human
The effect on agriculture will be obvious. The farmers are hard to predict the weather, temperature, as a result, they cannot utilize the existing farming routine or methods, as well as the product to grow will be limited. In addition, the increase of natural disasters promotes increase of diseases, deprivations and depressions in human societies.

The first step is, I think, to know it better..

WWF International
http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/

COP15
http://en.cop15.dk/

350.org
http://www.350.org/about/science

... and discuss with your friends & family.

Shinjuku Typhoon (JuJu)

In Spring, there's a lot of days that particularly fine, warm and windy.
I was walking Shinjuku street to do some preparation shopping for moving to Dubai, UAE.
My last long stay in the foreign country was Canada 2004-2005, I was preparing tough boots and thick long socks, now I'm preparing breathable athletic shoe and thin short sockes ;-)

When I walked pass the south entrance of Shinjuku station, I was luckily found fantastic guitarist again. The JuJu's soothing blues rock guitar instrument were cutting through the strong spring wind. His sound reminded me Joe Satriani as he writes in his brochure that he had influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Steve Morse, John McLaughlin, Eric Johnson, Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, Chet Atkins, and etc... well, who doesn't like them if you are blues rock lover :P JuJu were there to promote his guitar class held in his house. But not only a teacher, he also plays in the band called SPIRAL, the Japanese style progressive band by guitar, bamboo flute, electric keyboard, and vocal.

He was such a comfortable subject to take photo. I could allow myself to let out my passions through the lens when I encounter the passionate subject.
It was a weekday afternoon, yet still caught the people walking.

JuJu
http://fweb.midi.co.jp/~juju/

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photo taken by (C)mkyg

BBBB (Black Bottom Brass Band)

Black Bottom Brass Band ;-)

I encountered a Jam Session at near the JR Takadano-baba station(2nd station from Shinjuku by Yamanote-Line, towards Ikebukuro) yesterday.
Some from Waseda University near by, some from weekend musician, and from the BBBB!
Tamotsu who plays sousaphone in the Black Bottom Brass Band, caught my eyes by the size of his instrument(yup, the "B", "B ", "B", "B", logo on the sousa, too ;-) and his air of cheerfulness. People in the session were looked a little tense, the firm expressions in their face and sounds.. could be because they just had started when I walked pass. My lens received strongest energy from Tamotsu in the group when I was there.

The Black Bottom Brass Band plays all over Japan. Good luck!
BBBB http://www.j-welnet.com/bbbb/

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photos taken by (C)mkyg

Yes, Hi-Lites (Hi-Lites)

It was last Sunday I met Hi-Lights on the street in Akihabara. They were about to start photographing. As I always do when I encounter the strong energies, I pointed my camera at them. It was really interesting to see how they being taken, how the assistant use the reflector while the photographer was back on the ground. The photographer asked them for several expressions like "smile", "angry", "relaxed", and so on. I've been watching similar situation for past 6 month. I really missed the days of shooting with an amazing photographer.
The name of Hi-Lites, according to their home page, is came from the name of cigarette. They were united in May 2005. At that time, 3 members out of 4 were smoking the cigarette called "hi-lite". They also said it compounds the meaning of "brilliance". I'm planning to go their live in April.

Hi-Lites

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photos taken by (C)mkyg

Wind-chill (Uta-tabi-bito Cima)

This is just my opinion.
I met a guy this afternoon. His name is Cima. At first glance, to be honest, I thought he is homeless man. His hair was heavy and greasy, the skin was dark and wrinkled. The chipped front tooth and stubbly chin. But once he started to play his guitar and sang, surprisingly he was skilled musician. Yet, more surprisingly, people didn't stop and listen to him at all.. why? because of the place? time? or his appearance?? The place was near the station right beside the crossing. The time was about 2:30pm. It was cloudy but not raining. I had no idea.
When I got home at night, I found one thing from the photos I took. In some photos, he looked so cool and confident, but others were exact opposite. He was more anxious about people around him than his play. His eyes were keep moving, trying hard to get attention by talking than playing. It was pity that he has great voice, fine techniques, yet seemed to have a difficulty in concentration. People tends to turn away when they felt hung on to them.
Uta-tabi-bito(song pilgrim) Cima. He's been playing on the street for 11 years now. Also works as an assistant director of TV programs in Kyoto film studio, and security guard in Tokyo. You'll find him along the JR Chuo-Line, eg. Koenji, Asagaya, Nakano in Tokyo, and Koyoto, Fukuoka. He hitchhikes when he traveling. He showed me both sturdiness and frailty of the human heart. I liked his song.

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photo taken by (C)mkyg

The Heaven Artist

The Heaven Artist is an "official recognition system" of street performer founded by governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, in 2002. It is part of his Tokyo art town plan, and the "license holder" is also called Heaven Artist. The purpose of the system is to promote and foster the high-quality street performer who provides the amusement to the citizen. The model of this is from France. The license is issued to the artist who passes in the audition by the cultural bureau of Tokyo, and only who acquires the license is permitted to perform in a specified places in Tokyo.
The name "Heaven Artist", I suppose, came from historical background of Tokyo street performers. There was huge movement in 1980's in Harajuku, the road used to be pedestrians' paradise(vehicle-free promenade) every Sunday, gathered so many artists, dancers, musicians, and all types of performers. This pedestrians' paradise was called Hokousha-Tengoku(Hoko-Ten). Tengoku means both paradise and heaven.. yes.. Japanglish. Tengoku Artists in 21st century is the heaven artist.
What I most like about the street performance is its high degree of freedom. On the street, we can walk around and enjoy the various views, come and go anytime you needed to. Moreover, we could enjoy the expressions from both the performer and its audience.., generally, hard to see both if we were in the seat. . ;-)

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photos taken by (C)mkyg


These photos were taken in Akihabara, but you can also find them other places in Tokyo. eg. Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Yoyogi, Hibiya, Odaiba, Akasaka, Shibuya, etc. The schedules are found in the following URL.. sorry written in Japanese only for now..
"Tokyo Bureau of Citizens and Cultural Affairs"
http://www.seikatubunka.metro.tokyo.jp/bunka/heavenartist/

Tapping, Slapping, and Body Hitting (Otofuke KENTA)

This is not a violence gossip ;-)
Tapping, Slapping and Body Hittings are rather new guitar techniques. Otofuke, the acoustic guitar unit by Kenta and Ishii, was organized in April, 2003. They started as a street musician, sold 2000 CDs in 6 months(about 80 CDs per weekend :-). After the performance in the CMJ Music Marathon, NY, USA, in October 2004, Otofuke went into a brief while hibernation. An year later, October 2005, Kenta restarted Otofuke as a solo musician. His works are used in TV ａｎｄ Radio, and had performed in the widely known annual music festa "Summer Sonic 2006" last year.
Ｎｏｗ he plays on the streets again, in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. every weekend. There was great atmosphere with passions and positive energies from Otofuke(Kenta) and his audience when I saw him near the south entrance of JR Shinjuku station.

Otofuke's 2nd Album "butterfly effect+" sound (feel the tapping, slapping, and body hitting ;-)


photo taken by (C)mkyg
http://shinjuku.keizai.biz/headline/159/index.html


photo taken by (C)mkyg