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Jim on Japan

@jimt.onjapan.net
114 followers 340 following 107 posts

Ito, Shizuoka, JAPAN US JP SG NZ Heath H8/H89 & Atari 1600/ST/TT design teams Machine-vision urinalysis. CD-ROM drive design. A @TLUG.jp founder. OERu early adopter. A Time Person of the Year (2006) Python Moonbit Go Forth Lua Microcontrollers

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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 06/08/2026
Exploring using OpenDisplay on the Xteink X4 to plot hourly energy consumption over the past 4 days with data pulled from Octopus Energy Japan's API. Unfortunately, there seems to be a significant time lag between the smart meter readings and the data showing up in their GraphQL DB.
The small (800x480) Xteink X4 E-ink ereader repurposed to run OpenDisplay, showing a bar graph of hourly energy consumption.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 25/05/2026
Drainspotting in Matsuyama, Ehime.
Painted manhole cover showing pink flowers on green leaves.Painted manhole cover with pink and red flowers on green plants.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 14/05/2026
#Drainspotting Takamatsu, Kagawa
A decorative manhole cover in Takamatsu, depicting the Battle of Yashima (1185). The samurai Nasu no Yoichi is on horseback in the water, drawing his bow to strike the fan of the enemy boat.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 10/05/2026
I got to meet #Banio, the #mascot of the Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden. It started in the 1950s growing bananas, but has added 17 different species of alligators. #japan
Two people flanking "Banio" the mascot of the Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden. He is showing off his "lucky banana."
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 10/05/2026
Our local railroad company organized an express train excursion to the Taiwan Lantern Festival in Atagawa, Shizuoka. There were lots of food booths, a taiko performance, and hundreds of lanterns.
A night view overlooking the park near Atagawa Station, Shizuoka, Japan illuminated by hundreds of Taiwanese lanterns.Taiwanese lanterns along the entranceway to Izukyu Railway's Atagawa Station.The onsen footbath near Atagawa Station. The open-air roof is hung with many red Taiwanese lanterns.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 16/04/2026
The scent of grapes was nearly overpowering as I crossed the plaza this morning in Ito, Japan.
Purple wisteria in blossom over Ito's Matsukawa plaza
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 10/02/2026
My snowperson is learning to limbo in preparation for their dream vacation to Trinidad. (Over the weekend, Ito got its first significant snow in six years.)
A crude snowman that is leaning over rather than falling apart as the temperatures return to normal for the Ito, Japan area.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 21/01/2026
Walking along the Ito River on a cool and very quiet evening.
Night view of the illuminated river walk in Ito, Shizuoka, Japan.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 22/11/2025
The feijoa season has arrived in Japan. This is the (first) bag we received from a farm near Osaka.
A clear plastic bag full of about 2kg of smallish feijoa.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 16/11/2025
I was back in my old Kichijoji / Mitaka neighborhood and noticed there is a new vending machine offering gyoza, steamed buns, sesame balls, and more.
A large vending machine with photos of its gyoza, sesame ball, and steamed bun offerings on the front.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 10/11/2025
It is November, and that means "Butt Sumo" (尻つみ祭り) time again at the local shrine here in Ito, #Japan. Contestants stand back-to-back on a raised dais and, at the signal, attempt to bump their opponent off. The winners are sometimes surprising.
Two contestants back-to-back on a small circular platform.  At the signal, they use their bottoms in an attempt to knock their opponent off the dias.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 22/10/2025
Halloween 🎃 is appearing more and more in Japan.
Store display of manikins in jeans with Jack o'lanterns for heads.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 17/10/2025
Yesterday's silliness involved replacing the garish LENOVO BIOS logo on my old ThinkPad with the Tokyo Linux User Group emblem.
A Lenovo ThinkPad laptop with the boot logo showing the Tokyo Linux User Group emblem of a cartoonish penguin on a red circle background.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 13/10/2025
School kids have been practicing their drumming for the past two weeks for their ride in the float. Our community's dashi was hit by an elderly driver while making the rounds on Saturday, putting one neighbor in the hospital with broken ribs. We sat out most of Sunday's festivities.
Our small, two-story wooden float adorned with lanterns and the name (Koji) of our district.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 13/10/2025
It was festival weekend in Ito. More than a dozen illuminated floats with musicians are pulled and pushed around the neighborhood.
A two-story float adorned with illuminated lanterns is pushed across a bridge by residents in colorful happi coats.The Ito, Shizuoka shopping arcade lined with decorated and illuminated wooden floats, each with drummers and often flutes and hand-held gongs creating a very loud atmosphere for the residents participating in the festival
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 27/09/2025
Wow, it's been years since I encountered a "you can only use this site with MSIE" alert... except now it is Safari or Chrome.
Web site alert preventing buying rugby tickets without Safari or Chrome.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 26/08/2025
JG1GPY showed off a clever, compact multi-band antenna at the SOTA JP booth at the Japan Ham Fair this weekend. A switch allows selection of direct feed (for 1/4 wave on 40m, with trailing counterpoise) or through a 49:1 transformer for end-fed on higher bands.
JG1GPY antenna with 49:1 matchbox mounted on the side of a fishing reel wound with wire.JG1GPY fishing reel antenna with a flying lead from the matchbox to the wire where it exits the spool.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 10/07/2025
I'm pleased that someone at Helsinki Airport was willing to have fun with their airport code.
A lost luggage video display headlined "Where in HEL is my baggage?"
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 30/04/2025
Continuing my series of unusual post boxes, this penguin awaits your letters between the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium and the Antarctic Museum/Research Ship Fuji.
Cartoonish penguin-shaped mailbox at the Port of Nagoya Acquarium
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 23/04/2025
NZART (The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters) is the only amateur radio organization I am a member of that still insists on publishing its magazine on paper. The March issue has just arrived. It still punches above its weight for a small organization, but I wish it were digital.
Front cover of Break-in for March/April 2025 featuring a photo showing ZL2LEO operating an ex-military radio atop Coopers Knob
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 17/04/2025
Ito is hosting a ramen festival for the next four weekends. Within a five-minute walk, I can try 28 different kinds of ramen from around Japan.
Ito Ramen festival 2025 poster, along with photos showing tables set up along the river and stalls being constructed
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 16/04/2025
I managed to get my @washingtonpost.com Keyword score back under 7. (It is harder to work on the average time statistic, since this is a "second screen" game.)
Washington Post Keyword game scoreboard, showing 6.97 avg. guesses across 615 days.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 25/03/2025
A (modern) programmer may own the parking lot around the corner since it is 0-indexed.
A parking lot with spaces numbered 0, 1, 2, 3, ...
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 21/03/2025
It was a lovely but cool day for the vernal equinox at Jogasaki-Kaigan Station in Ito.
Jogaski-Kaigan station on the Izukyū line as seen from the pedestrian over-crossing. The mountain cherries blossoms are past their peak, but still form a nice backdrop.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 18/03/2025
My Atari Portfolio hard disk adapter prototype. The only problem was that the hard disk's power consumption was higher than the computer's, but it was fun to play with.
Photos of the front and back of a hand-wired hard disk prototype for the Atari portfolio, featuring a rats nest of yellow wires.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 02/03/2025
The JARL Ham Fair 2025 will return to Ariake GYM-EX (an Olympic venue repurposed into an exhibition hall) on August 23rd and 24th. www.jarl.org/Japanese/1_T...
Ariake GYM-EX, a Tokyo Olympics venue that now serves as an exhibition hall
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 12/02/2025
Old rail car at Daiyuzan Station with a plaque celebrating Valentine's Day. The line will be 100 years old in October.
Old railcar at Daiyuzan Station
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 09/02/2025
I enjoyed the food and folk dance at the Soga Plum Festival in Odawara, but the cold snap has delayed the blossoms so most areas still looked barren.
white plum trees in bud but with few blossoms in Odarara on 09Feb2025
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 26/01/2025
I enjoyed a percussive lunch today at the festival here in Ito: first, the local steel drum band, followed by a taiko ensemble.
taiko performers mid-performance on stage at Wisteria Square, Ito, Shizuoka, Japan
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 31/12/2024
Happy New Year from Ito, Shizuoka
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 06/12/2024
I am starting to doubt my choice of amateur radio and retro computers as hobbies. Dr. Kazuo Moribe, a ship's doctor, traveled the world and ate 1.2 tons of chocolate to build this wrapper collection on display at the ROYCE' Chocolate Museum.
Corridor lined with chocolate bar wrappers collected by one man at ROYCE Chocolate Town
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 04/12/2024
I saw my first wild Japanese fox yesterday. Wild might be overstating it, though, because he was standing at the intersection of two prefectural roads. When I pulled over to get a closer look, he trotted over to the driver's side and seemed disappointed I didn't offer any food.
Japanese fox standing in the road
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 04/11/2024
From The Hermitage, Mt. Cook.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 30/10/2024
Most people aren't as eager to visit the dentist as this cat.
White cat yelling to enter the dentist office
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 05/10/2024
Sault Ste. Marie Bridge silhouetted against a brilliant sunset.
Sunsset behind the Sault Ste. Marie bridge from the Canadian side
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 15/09/2024
A new personal record with a consecutive perfect week of the @washingtonpost.com Keyword. Either I have finally learned how to play, or the puzzle-setter has been taking it easy lately.
Screenshot of a second perfect week and bonus round of the Washington Post Keyword game.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 24/08/2024
The Japan Ham Fair has moved to a new venue this year. It is being held in Ariake GYM-EX, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Gymnastic stadium that has been converted to an exhibition hall. #hamradio
Ariake GYM-EX: formerly the 2020 Olympics Gymnastics Stadium, now an exhibition hall and site of the Ham Fair 2024
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 09/08/2024
Launching paper lanterns in the Ito River on the first night of the Adams Festival in Ito, Shizuoka, #Japan
A temporary ramp was built into the Ito River, allowing people to launch candlelit paper lanterns on the first night of the Adams Festival 2024.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 22/07/2024
Nice view of the moon tonight over the bay in front of Ito #Japan
View of the moon and its reflection on the bay in front of Ito, Japan.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 20/07/2024
The roof of our carport. Not our cat.
Unknown orange and white cat sprawled out on a carport roof under an old cherry tree.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 07/07/2024
Today was the annual washtub race down the Ito River. This "sport" was imported from our sister city in Italy. There are events for both individuals and teams (strings of 4 roped-together tubs).
A team washtub race on the Ito River, Ito, Shizuoka 2024-07-07. Teams paddle strings of 4 washtubs roped together down a section of the river.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 10/05/2024
An urban view of Mt. Fuji today. #Japan
Mt. Fuji as seen near Numazu Station
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 17/03/2024
A lazy Sunday morning for this #cat
Photo of a cat snoozing on a hammock suspended under a chair.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 14/03/2024
This Kanazawa manhole cover has a nice Poké Ball theme. #drainspotting
Poké Ball themed manhole cover in Kanazawa, Japan.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 01/01/2024
Climbed the hill to the temple in the minutes after midnight to witness the bonfire cremating last year's amulets and people queuing to offer a prayer for the new year.
Minutes after the start of the new year, people queue to pray at the temple above Ito, Shizuoka.  A bonfire cremates last year's amulets.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 14/11/2023
Yokohama #Japan tonight
Yokohama, Japan night view
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 28/10/2023
Hamamatsu, a city known for its eel, has reimagined the #Python snake logo with their eels. #PyConAPAC
PyCon Shizuoka logo from Hamamatsu with the Python snake logo reimagined wit their famous eels
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 20/09/2023
The majestic view of Mt. Fuji as seen from Mt. Kasuragi today. Yeah, I couldn't see it in the haze either, even though I was only 40km away.
A panorama in the direction of Mt. Fuji from Mt. Kasuragi on a very hot, humid, and hazy day... making the famous silhouette completely invisible.
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Jim on Japan @jimt.onjapan.net · 31/08/2023
Kyoto has a riverside shaved ice stand for tourists in their rental rowboats.
Tourists in rental rowboats pull past a riverside shaved ice stand.
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