iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I am not a photographer. Phone technology makes us all photographers. But I really like this shot I took in August 2025 on the grounds of Takkoku-no-Iwaya, a Buddhist/Shintō locale in Hiraizumi, Iwate.

At Buddhist/Shintō location in northern Japan. Running through is a narrow pond with ferns and other leafy plants on the banks. In the mid-distance is a small footbridge arched and painted in vermillion. In the distance is a vermillion Torii gate indicating that it's a Shinto shrine. To the left is a building that is a Buddhist prayer room. The bridge and torii are reflected in the narrow pond.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

On the Hayabusa to Tohoku last summer. The person in front of me set these cute acrylic stand displays on the window ledge. Later saw a beer and some snacks on the ledge, too.

Shows a blurry Japanese acrylic stand display of anime characters on a shinkansen window seat window tray to oversee the passenger in front of me have a beer and some snacks.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I like this photo because it looks like a married couple who have been facing the ocean for thousands of years.

Near the northern-most point of Iheyajima, Okinawa, August 2025.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The stuff you can find in a garage sale that's actually in a large truck-repair garage. It's such a shame that I no longer have my turn-table, amp, and speakers.

An old music album called "music of yugoslavia: dalmatia," and features three women in traditional garb of lamp-shade-like hat, black dress with some red and gold ornamentation.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Was going through photos and came across a trip to Nikkō with students in 2018. I forgot about this sign. It's a saying of Tokugawa Ieyasu (the Tōshōgu shrine there was built as his mausoleum). It roughly says: "one's life is as a person carrying a heavy burden over a long distance--do not hurry."

Sign board at the shrine dedicated to first Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Behind a mossy stone fence amongst tall cedar trees.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I think we can find a way to force-feed people with them:

Blue disc gun for children with red, green, and yellow small discs; a popular toy in the 1980s and beyond.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I took this one of a dentist's office in Tokyo last summer:

Dentist office in Shinagawa, Tokyo on a boiling-hot day Aug. '25. Shows the Japanese hiragana for 'ha'. So it's a visual pun for laughter but also 'ha' means 'teeth/tooth'.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Wakey, wakey, time for your morning walk!

white lab mix dog with black eye patch and black ears peeking out from behind two pillows, one with red ticking and the other blue ticking fabric on a blue sofa.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

If so, I hope they rebuild with a similarly unique design. I loved walking on the ocean front. So many cats!

Feral cats on ocean-front walk in Nago City, Okinawa.

Folks greeting feral cats on ocean-front walk in Nago City, Okinawa.

Cat on a second floor rail outside a home in Nago.

Statue of the Ryūkyū "agu-" pig in Nago. The pigs had become mixed with non-native varieties, but local research institute was able to isolate more or less pure pigs to breed in order to save them.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

There are some good coffee shops in NH, but they're few and far between. I wonder if this is why.

A map showing per capita number of Dunkins for each state in the US. I'm not surprised that NH is #1.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

On the list this morning for shopping at Market Basket: I was told to get 'single carrots.' Were-Rabbit bait. The photo can't do it justice: all at least 2" diameter.

Massive carrots at supermarket between broccoli on the left and brussels sprouts on the right.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Sent to me by son recently. At Ōshika, Nagano. 息子が送ってくれた夕焼けの写真です。長野県の大鹿村にて。

Photo of a sunset in the mountain village of Oshika in Nagano, Japan. Orange and blue sky with a small stream reflecting orange as it winds between mountain foothills.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

If you see this, post an archer

A guitar effects pedal made by J. Rockett Audio Designs; gold with maroon image of a centaur as an archer and the name "Archer Ikon" on it.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

秋田での田沢湖マラソンを走った時の写真です。岩手日報駅伝にも参加させていただいて、チームはビリだったけど、盛岡でみんなが最後まで応援してくれて感謝！

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

They live (or at least sometimes dwell) in a space between the concrete step to our home and the front door. Here are two chipmunks conspiring on how to torment our dog by scampering into the crack at the last momenttwo chipmunks

two chipmunks on a door step looking to be in conversation; to the left is a garden trowel of no relevance to the scene.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Did you see this guy? Wonderful place, isn't it ? It's great sitting in front of that big tank with the whale shark and the rays--so captivating; and in front is the stream of kids pressing up to look as they parade by.

A giant moray eel pops its head out from below a boulder-like object to grin at the camera at Okinawa's Churaumi Aquarium.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

息子の大卒は土曜日です。降水確率７５％だそうです。

The image shows a Casper-the-ghost-like figure made of tissue paper with a distinct head and flowing body. The head has black dots for eyes and a smile; on the body is written 5/23 Ithaca. This is a Japanese teru-teru bōzu which children put up before outdoor events to ask that the rains be held off (by supernatural force) during the event.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

I never miss an opportunity to post this rice field tribute from when I visited his home town last year:

LA Dodgers player Ohtani and his dog painted into a rice field in his hometown in Iwate, Japan.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

A Noh mask given to us 27 years ago. It was a bit lighter in color. You can see in each pictures how the mask's expressions change depending on the angle presented--part of the art of being a Noh actor.

A demon mask from Japanese Noh drama. It has horns but looks almost sad in this photo.

A demon mask from Japanese Noh drama. It has horns but looks a bit fearsome in this photo.

A demon mask from Japanese Noh drama. It has horns but looks more demonic in this photo. From above you can see white teeth obscured in other angles.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Getting into the mood of the day:

A jar of Hellmann's Mayo in the sink. Get it?

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

I think this says it all:

Image shows Bugs Bunny impersonating Rod Serling saying "Imagine if you will" as a way to induce viewers to accept that there is such a thing as a talking bunny who does things like seducing Yosemite Sam in drag or fast-talking a duck into saying it's duck hunting season or that a duck could impersonate Rod Serling.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Gave the dog the recommended dosage of gabapentin and trazodone for her vet appointment and it barely made a difference. But the combo of meds and stress has her now curled up and snoring loudly. She's now in senior territory, so we're happy that she's still in good health.

White w/ black markings lab/pit mix dog curled up to sleep after vet appt. She has one of my wife's slippers under her head for comfort. She's in good health, we're told.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

So, is this the Easter Bernie?

An almost-lifesize figure of a human in a pink bunny costume with bunny slippers but a face with glasses that looks suspiciously like Bernie Sanders (just a guess). It's standing in someone's front yard--you can see a porch with white fencing in the background.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

What was with all the No Basquiat signs recently?

The No Kings crown with red X-mark through it. Looks a lot like the crown mark of the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

#青空ごはん部お昼です。なかなかいい写真撮れないんだけど、サッポロ一番塩ラーメン＋キムチ、ネギ、もやし、チャーシュー、卵。体に良くないかもしれないのですが、まー、いいんじゃないですか、たまに。

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Related to the mural, this is a photo I took of rice-field art in Ōtani's hometown in August 2025.

Rice-field art in Shohei Ohtani's hometown in Iwate Prefecture from 2025. Shows Shohei in Dodgers Blue (dark) uniform watching a long hit with his dog to the right of him watching as well.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

特にこの作品は気に入った。

This is a textile art work by the Japanese artist who goes by the name mina perhonen. It features small swaths of varying shades of blue to make a sea-like pattern with lighter shapes that suggest swimmers (to my eye).

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

A bit off topic, but I was reminded.

Bizarro comic with Adam and Eve titled The First Lawyer: Adam yells "But without actually having eaten the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, we could not have known it was "wrong" to disobey you."

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Got a text with just this image from my son. I asked him why. "Went to [south-central NY state city famous for glass] and found it in a record store." Me: "but you don't have a turntable." "My girlfriend does." Well done, my son. Well done.

Image shows Marshall Crenshaw's first eponymous album. My son knows that it's a personal favorite.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Repost with a photo of yours that would make a good album cover.

Shows interior of an outhouse on a farm with a plastic bouquet of flowers above the toilet. In the upper left is a sign reading "all employees must wash hands before returning to work." Photo marred or enhanced by shadow of me from the morning sun behind on the rear wall of the outhouse.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

なかなかいい写真撮れなくて、すみません。昨夜のご飯のメインは赤飯で、今夜はこの豚ミンチ・うどん料理でした。両方とも久しぶりでした。とてもおいしかったです。#青空ご飯部

Last night was sekihan (rice with adzuki beans) as main dish.

Tonight we had spicy ground pork on udon noodles topped with sprouts, green onion and cucumber. Drizzle vinegar if you wish.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

This morning's oshōgatsu breakfast: osechiryōri (which I confided yesterday I'm not particularly a fan of, but the mochi was good); toshikoshi soba (this evening's meal, a day late), and decorations.

Japanese osechi New Year's meal. Black beans for diligent attention in daily affairs, konyaku in braids like horse/ox reins, gobo for length in life, namasu (vinegared daikon/carrot with celebratory colors).....

This morning's mochi (ozoni). Carrots cut into flowers, spinach, mochi in a clear broth to which was later added dried bonito flakes.

A fun little alter my wife made with maneki-neko on the left, kagami-mochi cakes with mikan orange, and horse statue on the right for year of the horse. On top is a small pine branch associated with long life.

Year-crossing (toshikoshi) soba for long life ("I'm gonna live forevah, they will remember my name"). Upper left fried tofu and daikon; upper right is sea trout because we can't get salmon these days.

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

At a yakiniku place in Nago, Okinawa.

Sign in a restaurant in a men's bathroom shows a child on a toilet and says "standing and peeing ended with the Heisei era" (ended 2019).

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illimij @illimij.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Ha, ha. You got me. No, I was not there.

Famous cartoon of Hitler as groom and Stalin as bride after their non-aggression pact cleared the way for them to divide Poland. Caption reads: "Wonder how long the honeymoon will last?"

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