Pictures of Morioka, etc

Ok, in order, here are some selected pics. Will probably not have the luxury to post as often in the days to come, since I'm leaving for Fukuoka. The problem is not finding Internet, the problem is rather to find a computer to which I can have full access (compact flash drive, pics resizing...).

Btw, you should really check the sidelinks for all the non-selected pics. At the very bottom, I also post videos (click and save, open with Windows Media Player or other movie viewing program - even if it's possibly not the right extension).

Running after the train, again. Caught this one by two minutes. With city trains in Tokyo, it's not a problem: you miss one, and the next arrives like five minutes after. :D But this is Murone (Uri's tiny village). You see us cutting to the pier, on the rail tracks. Living life dangerously eh.

The best snacks evar. They're ~120yens each. The better alternative to the pack of chip for the late afternoon hunger (or breakfast, as in this case). Balls of rice, filled with a mystery meat (or non-meat), to the non-Japanese speaker anyways.

Clickable!

In-your-face poster of Junichiro Koizumi. Elections were last fall, as far as I know. Bleh. And funnily, both candidates had slogans promoting new-ness. I guess that's their sort of cool. In Canada we fall for healthcare funding promises, and over there it's "newness". Whatever, b/c Junko has only been the hip Prime Minister to Japan, and not much of the rest.

My lunch. I was wandering around the basement of a multi-floor department stores where the sort of food court was. This is rice, with a few cold Japanese things. ~600yens.

All the other buildings are ugly. Here, to confound you.

Morioka's really cool for shopping. It's the prefectural capital of Iwate after all!

Outside Morioka JR Station.

I didn't totally understand how banks work in Japan, but you can apparently withdraw money from ATMs in post offices...

A Green Tea Frappuccino from Starbucks. Also called "Matcha" frappucino in Japan. Only available in Starbucks coffeeshops in Asia, it was the forte of the Asia 2002 trip...

Denkodo is an electronics chain thoughout Japan. The "Max" version is pretty big, bigger than "Super" Denkodo, but smaller than supershops found in Tokyo (like in Akihabara, and Ikebukuro, I'm venturing).

Morioka Station this morning...

As you get off the train in Tokyo Station from Iwate (Tohoku Line, platform 22).

Yoshinoya is a fastfood chain in Japan specializing in Japanese junk food (udon, soba, tempura, curry rice, deep-fried patties, etc). Didn't eat there yet, but the orange is tempting (all-present in Hong Kong too, but didn't eat there last time...).

Commercial street near Iidabashi station. This area is populated with expats, it would seem. French, mostly.