I spent a few hours here watching this blacksmith craft a few different knives and swords. I had a translator with me and asked him a ton of questions. I’m an amateur blacksmith myself, and, by that, I mean I only perform blacksmithery in role-playing video games. I tried to explain this to him and he was so confused. Finally he understood and laughed the loudest laugh I have ever heard! And then I got the international high-five and that made me feel better. Just one of the many awesome people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in Japan.

The Blacksmith in Osaka

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-11-10 07:33:36
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/50
• Aperture6.3
• ISO3200
• Focal Length12.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

This was like a little Japanese Anime show made real! I ended up at this cool blacksmith’s place in Osaka where this guy was making Japanese knives and swords in the traditional manner. I almost bought one, but I wasn’t sure how I could take a sword home on the plane. Maybe I should have just gotten one and had it shipped down. Yes, that makes a lot more sense to me now.

The Swordsmith

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-11-10 07:19:29
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/100
• Aperture
• ISO1600
• Focal Length
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

I can see why people in Japan like photography so much – there is always something interesting to shoot! I often wonder if because it’s such a photography-driven culture that the buildings and environs are designed to be more photographable. Know what I mean?

Walking Around Osaka

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-11-11 10:13:51
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1.6
• Aperture6.3
• ISO100
• Focal Length24.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

I’ve been lucky enough to take Ethan to Japan twice… I’m glad he has fallen in love with the country as much as I have! When we were in Osaka, we got into a pretty extreme street fight, since these kinds of things happen a lot in Japan. Unfortunately, Ethan lost the fight because I was too busy taking photos. I feel kind of bad about that, but he’ll always live on in my memory.

Ethan in a Street Fight in Osaka

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2021-02-22 13:55:37
• Camera
• Camera Make
• Exposure Time
• Aperture
• ISO
• Focal Length
• Flash
• Exposure Program
• Exposure Bias

Oh man, seeing this photo once again reminds me of how much I miss Japan! I really want to get over to Osaka more to explore this area. I usually get stuck in Tokyo or far afield and I end up ignoring Osaka like it is a red-headed stepchild. I hope this doesn’t actually turn out to be true, if I end up with a red-headed stepchild. But if they live in Osaka, then I guess it’s a reason to visit.

Out and About in Osaka

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-07-19 10:26:06
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time1
• Aperture16
• ISO100
• Focal Length45.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

These two guys were totally fun and cool! They were out in the streets trying to get people to come into their restaurant and acting totally crazy. I like that they took their job so seriously, and not seriously at all. They were really happy to ham it up in front of the camera. I got a lot of shots if that, but then I sneaked back by at another time to get them in their more natural element.

Street Shooting in Osaka

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-11-10 09:53:42
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/640
• Aperture
• ISO800
• Focal Length
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

I’m probably being a bit hard on myself, but I find this photo to be a little bit boring. I was just thinking… if some rando showed me this photo to critique… I’d probably be a bit harsh and say that it is rather boring. And, it’s true! I don’t know. Osaka was such a cool and vibrant city and this photo feels rather staid. Okay, enough self-critique for the day. I’ll see if I can get out there and make something more interesting.

Boring Photo of Osaka

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-11-09 11:50:34
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time2
• Aperture4
• ISO125
• Focal Length20.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias

Osaka is one of the most underrated cities in the world! When people think about going to Japan, they think mostly about Tokyo. Hey, I mean, Tokyo is amazing, but it’s also worth it to jump on the bullet train and get over to Osaka. The nightlife is really quite unique and it’s fun to wander around and go into random restaurants and bars to see what is going on. It’s a good goal to try to visit five different places per night and not get stuck in one spot or another. It’s tough because each place you go into is so fun and interesting that you don’t want to leave!

Osaka at Night

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-11-11 13:53:21
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/4
• Aperture8
• ISO200
• Focal Length22.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

Here is a view of Osaka, a very underrated city in Japan! I’ve been here twice and the city has a crazy amount of energy. People in Osaka area also very proud of their city and how it is quite a bit different than Tokyo. Each time I was there, I was pretty swamped with work, so I didn’t quite get as much time to explore as I would have liked… that’s okay – another reason to go back!

Night in Osaka

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-07-18 10:39:32
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time0.5
• Aperture5.6
• ISO200
• Focal Length45.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias

To me, this tower looks way cooler at night. In the daytime, it kind of reminds me just of some construction scaffolding. I think it is because of the color patterns of red and white. Also, the shape of the tower can only be compared to the Eiffel Tower, and I think the shape of the Eiffel is more compelling. Hey, I know I’m being really tower-critical, but it is something that I’ve obviously spent too much time thinking about.

Tokyo Tower Just After Dusk

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-11-03 01:40:03
• CameraX1D
• Camera MakeHasselblad
• Exposure Time6
• Aperture4
• ISO100
• Focal Length45.0 mm
• Flash
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias-2/3