Discovering Kibune: A Tranquil Retreat in Kyoto, Japan

A Scenic Journey to Kibune Nestled in the mountains just north of Kyoto, Kibune offers a peaceful escape from the bustling city. To reach this charming village, we embarked on a scenic journey. From Kawaramachi Station, we took a train to Demachiyanagi Station. From there, a bus ride took us to Kibuneguchi Station, the gateway… Read more »

Glitch Coffee Osaka: A Specialty Coffee Connoisseur’s Dream

Love specialty coffee? This video takes you inside Glitch Coffee Osaka, a haven for serious coffee lovers in Osaka, Japan. Here’s what awaits: Prime Location: Easily accessible from Osaka Station via Dojima Chika Center (Exit C93), right next to the Conrad Osaka Hotel. Exquisite Coffee: Immerse yourself in a world of over 20 different varieties… Read more »

Earfun Air Pro 3: Budget-Friendly Wireless Earbuds with a Bass Boost

From Budget Buds to Immersive Audio: My Journey to the Earfun Air Pro 3 My journey began, like many others, with a pair of bargain-basement, $30 bud-style earphones. These little guys let all the ambient noise flood in, so while I could hear my music faintly, it disappeared entirely in loud situations. These earbuds simply… Read more »

coffee beans spilling out of white cup

Decaf Triumphs at US Brewers Cup: Is This the End of Caffeinated Coffee’s Reign?

In a seismic shift for the coffee world, the 2024 US Brewers Cup witnessed a decaf coffee take the crown. Weihong Zhang, wielding a decaffeinated Colombian Typica, brewed a cup that wowed the judges, shattering the perception of decaf as a flavorless afterthought. This isn’t a mere blip – it’s a tremor that could trigger… Read more »

Recycling Nespresso Pods Thumbnail

Recycling Nespresso Coffee Pods

Coffee pods are a simple and fast way to get consistent, quality coffee in an instant. However, there are common issues against coffee pod machines. To reuse coffee pods with my own fresh coffee beans, I need to pay attention to the grind size and dose. Grinding the coffee too coarse will result in water… Read more »

Yokohama Chinatown, Classic Neg Film Simulation

Street Photography with the Classic Neg Film Simulation in Yokohama Chinatown, Japan This is a street photography series using the Fujifilm Film Simulation “Classic Neg” shot in Yokohama Chinatown, Japan. Classic Neg Classic Neg is a film simulation mode developed by Fujifilm that aims to replicate the look of classic color negative film. Classic Neg… Read more »

KansaiGlicoman

Kansai in Kodachrome – Street Photography in Japan

New Japan Street Photography Series A new photo series inspired by Fujifilm Film Simulations. This time I’m capturing street photography in the Kansai region (around Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe) of Japan using the Kodachrome film simulation, so the theme is “Kansai in Kodachrome”. When I switched to a Fujifilm camera, I decided on a challenge to… Read more »

fujifilm X100V

Fujifilm X100V vs X-E4

Fujifilm X100V and X-E4 Head to Head The Fujifilm X100V and Fujifilm X-E4 are both digital cameras with similar features. They have identical image quality because they share the same 26.1MP X-Trans BSI CMOS 4 sensorX and X-Processor 4 Image Processor. However, there are some key differences between the two cameras. The X100V has a… Read more »

Filter/Immersion Coffee Method – with a Generic Drip Machine

This is my favourite coffee brew method. It gives me consistently better results than V60 Pour Over or French Press. It’s a mix of both of those brewing methods; Filter (Percolation) and Immersion. There are specific coffee brewers made for this, but you can achieve a similar brew with a generic drip coffee machine using… Read more »

fireworks

Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival 2022 Video

Introducing a Namtastic Video in Osaka, Japan – The Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Festival was held for the first time in 3 years on August 27, 2022.   The 20km Fireworks Video Challenge This is a video of the finale taken from 20km away in Hyogo Prefecture. From the viewing area I was at, people were… Read more »

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  • Shioya Umeda 潮屋梅田店 – Birthplace of Croquette Buckwheat Noodles コロッケ蕎麦の発祥

    Shioya Umeda is a stand up Udon/Soba restaurant known to be the birthplace of “Korokke Soba” or a Croquette in buckwheat noodles. You can find Shioya in the underground maze of restaurants near Hankyu Umeda. At the bottom of the escalator from Hankyu look for McDonalds, then enter the underground maze. This place is standing… Read more »

  • Jetman Dubai Video

    Two “Jetmen” wearing individual jet packs using carbon-fiber wings for flight appear flying with an EMIRATES A380 airliner in this promotional video. I presume this is marketing to get more funding for the Jetman project and exposure for Emirates. Looks like an extremely expensive, but effective marketing project and aerial stunt.

  • Rawtherapee Film Simulations

    Rawtherapee, an open source alternative to Adobe Lightroom/CameraRaw has become my first preference for image editing. It has everything from simple to very advanced enhancements and unlike Lightroom it doesn’t require a computer with a lot of memory and processing power to run. It’s also completely free, unlike Adobe’s alternatives that require a monthly subscription…. Read more »

  • Brooklyn Roasting Company Kitahama ブルックリン ロースティング カンパニー 北浜店

    Brooklyn Roasting Company Kitahama ブルックリン ロースティング カンパニー 北浜店 The Brooklyn Roasting Company is a trendy cafe in Kitahama, Osaka. You can access Kitahama from Yodoyabashi station on the Mido-suji subway line, or it’s a leisurely 20minute walk from Osaka Umeda. The layout is nice. There’s an embedded flower shop to the right as you walk… Read more »

  • Site Update – Disqus Comments installed

    Installed Disqus comments today. Wasn’t as easy as expected, had to make a moderation page/community whatever that is. Still don’t know how to use it, but it’s all trial and error.

  • Riding the Third Coffee Wave

    Fact or Marketing Fiction, I’m riding it There have been 3 so-called “waves” or movements in coffee. The first was the mass production of coffee and it’s exponential growth as a commodity in the 18 and 1900s. The second wave was experienced as a result of the growth of chain stores in the US such… Read more »

  • Hakata Ikkousha Ramen – Fukuoka, Japan

  • Binge watch your favorite TV shows with Google Play Movies & TV app

    An update to look forward to. PCWorld: Google Play Movies & TV app now helps you binge watch your favorite shows. http://google.com/newsstand/s/CBIwpfKK1SY

  • Toei Studio Park Kyoto “4D” Projection Mapping

    Toei Studio Park Kyoto (Uzumasa Eigamura) – 4D Projection Mapping This projection mapping at Kyoto Eigamura was limited to the summer night opening. It’s called 4D because smoke etc is used on the audience. I really liked the use of the nearby tree as a dragon and the real life actor. Very impressive performance. 東映太秦映画村ナイターまつり… Read more »

  • Pull Up Challenge on Coach.me

    Started a Pull up challenge on Coach.me, a great productivity based app and community. Pull ups are very challenging for me, I can barely do 2. I’m aiming to be able to do 10 after this challenge. This is the video that accompanied the challenge. The preliminary exercises all look excellent. In particular I was… Read more »