[Kenneth1704] A Photo A Day 2015 (Mobile Version)

[Kenneth1704]

#24
Cash Withdrawal
[2015/1/24]

BG Info: Almost all the ATM looks like this in many banks. Some banks have collaborations with other banks, such that you are able to withdraw cash from Bank A with Bank B's machines. But these are limited to branch listing as well. Other banks might have services only limited to their own company. I think the most friendly machines at from the "Seven Bank" managed by 7-11. You can withdraw money from major banks all over the world, and you are only restricted by the bank's exchange rate.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#25
Gachapon
[2015/1/25]

BG Info: Gachapon is totally jackpot for kids. Adults go for jackpot or pachinko, then kids will go Gachapon for toys. I would say that Gachapon is addictive. Sometimes you get rare items, then you will want to continue trying your luck. However, sometimes when you are very lucky, you can get very rare items and it might fetch you high cash return when you post it on ebay or some other online auctions.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#26
Monday Morning Rush Hour
[2015/1/26]

BG Info: Monday crowd is usually the slow moving kind. Very seldom I see people running about and rushing everywhere. except alighting from train or boarding train. Generally the crowd on Mondays can be considered sluggish, maybe because of the weekends and people are still tuning their minds for work, transitioning from the weekends to the weekdays.

 

[hjbyeo]

Cold treatment on #26 is really appropriate!

 

[pinholecam]

I like your narrative that gives a good glimpse of life in Japan.
Thanks

 

[Kenneth1704]

Cold treatment on #26 is really appropriate!

Thank you! I really liked the movement captured in it too.

 

[Kenneth1704]

I like your narrative that gives a good glimpse of life in Japan.
Thanks

Thank you for your comment!

 

[keithwee]

#25 Gachapon [2015/1/25] BG Info: Gachapon is totally jackpot for kids. Adults go for jackpot or pachinko, then kids will go Gachapon for toys. I would say that Gachapon is addictive. Sometimes you get rare items, then you will want to continue trying your luck. However, sometimes when you are very lucky, you can get very rare items and it might fetch you high cash return when you post it on ebay or some other online auctions.

Wouldn't be surprised if Gachapon brings in tonnes of money too

 

[Kenneth1704]

#27
UFO Catcher
[2015/1/27]

BG Info: Almost anything cute or collectable can be found from UFO Catcher. The average cost is 100yen per try. Unlike Gachapon, you can see the prize that you will win upon successful catch. A long time ago, the UFO Catcher required you to use the claws to pick up the prize. The modern machine requires you to push the prize at specific spots to upset the centre of gravity. For regular shaped items, it is deemed as "easier". As for odd shape prizes, like big sized soft toys, they have guides pasted on the glass panel explaining where is the centre of gravity, and the recommended spots to push for higher possibility of win.

 

[Kenneth1704]

Wouldn't be surprised if Gachapon brings in tonnes of money too

Probably they do. Just that I didnt explore into that part of the internet yet. It goes to the same for UFO Catcher as well.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#28
Pasar Malam
[2015/1/28]

BG Info: This is actually quite a rare scene. Normally, they have a stage set up for festival-like events. But what I found today was that, they have flea market and bazaar. On one side, they have a flea market set up to sell second hand goods. The other side is a bazaar for new items going on half the price.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#29
Warm, and Comfortable.
[2015/1/29]

BG Info: So, I was out of the office again for a meeting today after lunch. The meeting ended with some time to spare, but it would have no meaning to travel back to the office because of the distance. By the time I reach the office, it would be time to knock off from work. Some cases like this, we would have "early dismissal". It is so cold outdoors, so for now, I am just hiding in one of the nearby hotel lobby with warm surroundings, waiting for my friend to knock off from work to meet for dinner.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#30
Heavy Snow
[2015/1/30]

BG Info: The snow this morning was quite heavy. This is the first time that it has snowed so heavily for this year's Winter. It started snowing at about 3am and it has small pile of snow in some areas. Generally, the snow is very wet, when it reaches the ground, it becomes water, just like how the rain makes the ground wet. When I was going out of the house this morning, the snow was still quite light, as the morning progressed, the snow also got heavier. It looked as though someone was throwing soft ice cubes from the top.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#31
Snow Remains
[2015/1/31]

BG Info: Today is already the last day of January. It will be a start of the new month tomorrow. The weather is surprisingly warm today, with the sun high up in the sky. Most of the snow has already melted through the night, but there are still some leftovers. These patches of snow makes everyday scenes more beautiful.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#32
Train Captain's View
[2015/2/1]

BG Info: Although I am not a train fanatic, sometimes it is interesting to see the things people do. Looking at what the train captain does brings a new experience. The standard work procedures and safety confirmation steps are quite different from what I normally would expect. In Japan trains, one can normally see through the control room at the head cabin of the train.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#33
Dawn of the Day
[2015/2/2]

BG Info: The sun seems to be rising earlier now. Looks like the onset of spring has started. The sky has no clouds this morning and carries a series of blue gradient which looks surprisingly calming. First Monday of a new month, and I am stuck in a week of courses again. This will probably be the last of everything.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#34
Feeding Time
[2015/2/3]

BG Info: The pigeons probably know this old man by name. He has been feeding them every morning for a good period of time. At times, I see that before he even reach the spot, the pigeons will start to crowd around him. Despite all these, further down the road, there is a sign that states that no feeding allowed, because the pigeons, with the pigeons' droppings can cause nuisance to the public.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#35
Scamming you for iTunes Card?
[2015/2/4]

BG Info: Japan is largely still using a "credit-based" system. Many of the Japanese have credit cards. Many retails, shops and departmental stores encourage their customers to use credit cards for point rebates. So, what if you do not own any credit cards? They have the gift-cards/webmoney, or even temporary credit cards. These prepaid cards are sold in denomination of 1000 yen to 10,000 yen. These cards comes with a unique passcode at the back of the card which can be registered for the amount stated on the card. For the web money, you need to have accounts associating to the company and after which, you will be able to use it as normal cash credits. As for the temporary credit cards, the pre-stored values can be used like a normal credit card for swiping, or normal payment. When the credit is finished, you can top-up the credit or choose to get a new card.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#36
WebRTC Conference Japan 2015 (Day 1)
[2015/2/5]

BG Info: It is snowing again this morning. The snow in Tokyo is actually very wet, compared to other regions. The dry snow is more bearable, wet snow is just like normal water droplets dropping on you. On a side note, I am not in office today, helping out as a staff for WebRTC Conference Japan 2015. WebRTC is an upcoming technology that simplifies communication protocols. For those interested in this field, please read up as there are many examples and videos that might interest you.

 

[Kenneth1704]

#37
Japan's Fast Food
[2015/2/6]

BG Info: Japan's concept of fast is a little different. They have many of this kind of standing food joints littered in many parts of Tokyo. People come in and make their orders at the counter, they can expect to receive their food in less than 3 minutes. After which, they will bring their food to the table and enjoy. The lack of sitting space means you will be eating while standing, which people finish their food quickly and then leave the place. This was where I had my first dinner when I reached Tokyo back in late March 2014. I was expected to reach the hotel, checked in by about 7pm. However, there was some major traffic jam from the airport which leaves me on the coach for a journey of 3.5hours from the airport to Ikebukuro. By the time I reached the hotel and checked in, it was already about 9pm. And this was the only place that was still opened for business, so i settled my late dinner there. The menu has changed many times, I still frequent the place occasionally.