(Some) Summer Images

Summer 2007 in Japan is almost over - almost time for classes to begin once again. Where did the time go? Here are some nice folks showing us how to dress for the Japanese summer. Foreigners in yukata never looked so good... Has anyone else noticed how often mannequins in Japan are foreigners? This might make sense for western style clothing, but for traditional Japanese attire? This might be an interesting topic for a Visual Anthropology project...

As it has been a while since I posted any pictures, here are some more summer images. What kind of images would you choose to represent summer culture in Japan?

Summer is synonymous with baseball. Here are some images from Koshien Stadium, home of the Hanshin Tigers.

Hanshin Tigers fans, perhaps the greatest/
craziest/most loyal fans in the world ("perhaps" erases any possible bias...)

Aloha.

Summer skyline over an undisclosed metropolis. Notice the layer of brown "air." A nice rain will usually wipe out the brown for a while. Much of Japan suffered from an incredible heat wave in August. A new record high of 40.9 degrees C was recorded in Gifu and Sendai.

It seems as though there is a fireworks festival every night. I myself did not attend one this summer (this photo comes from a friend); the closest I came was when I returned home from a trip abroad. I got back at night and immediately opened all the windows in the house for the first time in two weeks to get some much needed fresh air. But the neighbors were having their own little fireworks show and the resulting smoke filled my house...

A trip to the sea is also usually required in the Japanese summer. One can capture sea creatures (here's a little octopus) and barbecue them right on the spot.

Osaka Castle at night.