NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

In my “Hot Noodles in Gokayama” post the other day, I ended with this photo....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Interior of Restaurant “Yohachi”
Gokayama Village, Toyama Prefecture, Japan

... and posed the question as to what the tall slanted wooden brace was for. Of course, it's a set of stairs, but I thought the incredible steepness might throw some off.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/25 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Closer to a Leaning Ladder
than a set of stairs

The stringers on these are obviously new, but the house dates to the 1880s, and these stairs match perfectly the contemporary description in Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings by Edward Morse (published in 1886, based on observations made from 1877-1880). In it, he writes:

A stairway incorporated into the structure of a building and closed below I have never seen in Japan; nor is there any approach to the broad, low steps and landings or spiral staircases such as we are familiar with in American houses. If the house be of two stories the staircase assumes the form of a rather precipitous step-ladder; that is, it has two side-pieces, or strings, in which the steps, consisting of thick plank, are mortised. This ladder is so steeply inclined that one has to step sideways in ascending, otherwise his knee would strike the step above. Rarely is there any convenience to hold on by: if present, however, this consists of a strip of wood fastened to the wall, or a rope is secured in the same way. The front of the step is open, — that is, there is no riser; but if the back of the steps face an open room, then slats of wood are nailed on behind.

(My gratitude to Peter Barnes in Wales, my blog's resident botanist, for recommending this book to me. It's been a delight to read, and I will be posting about it sometime soon.)

The only difference with these stairs is that there is no wood nailed on to the room-facing back, because the houses in Gokayama Village – as I mentioned in the introduction – are built without nails. Similar to the construction in the big wooden gear I once posted about, all of the steps are mortised into the risers, but four of them extend partway through to allow a linchpin to hold the riser fast.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/40 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pegged

One could dismantle the stairs in very short order: just knock out the four wooden pins and pull the riser away. I don't suppose this would happen often; perhaps only when moving the house or repairing the stairs, so maybe every hundred or so years? I don't know.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Yohachi”
— the best soba I've ever had —

Back outside, Anthony again reveled in the snow.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 62 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/10, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Just Outside the Restaurant

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 56 mm — ¹/125 sec, f/10, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Posing for a Photo Op

Continued here...

NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Shenanigans Before Mass
Five-year-old Kyoko-chan uses Anthony as a human coat rack

Anthony received his First Communion at Mass today, along with his friend Joe. They'd been meeting with Fr. Graham McDonnell (an American priest who has been in Kyoto for more than 50 years) on Saturdays for the past few months, and he thought they were ready. He suggested that they serve Mass, so that with their street clothes covered by their cassock, they'd not have to bother about getting dressing up. 🙂

Anthony has been serving Mass on and off for about two years, while Joe's been doing it for two and a half years.

Joe's little sister Kyoko (seen joshing around above), who turns five years old tomorrow, has been serving for several months. Other kids who normally serve more often also showed up, and Fr. McDonnell's not the kind to turn anyone away, so there turned out to be a total seven acolytes.

Also seen above is Gabriel, an extremely good-natured young man who always takes the younger kids under his wing.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pre-Mass Instruction

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dress Rehearsal

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Just Prior to Entrance

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200 mm — ¹/100 sec, f/4.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Assisting Father

Even though he's now taller and can see over the altar with ease, the shot above looks similar to this shot two years ago where he could just barely see over, because this time I was sitting when I took the shot, so the angle makes him look shorter.

Fr. McDonnell specifically asked me to take some pictures. I suppose it's hard for anyone to believe that I'm ever reticent to use the camera, but that's not what Mass is for, so when I do photograph during Mass, I do so with reserve.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 160 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Anthony Receives His First Communion
while Kyoko and her brother look on

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 160 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
moments later,
Joseph Receives His First Communion

After Mass, in the basement, we thought to take an impromptu group photo, and immediately the two boys started doing some silly Power Ranger poses and whatnot. It was funny and all, but I suggested that perhaps they could try a somewhat more pious pose. Everyone was still mid-laugh (and Joseph still had half of a funny face) when I got this shot....

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos

The tallest boy is Gabriel's brother, the pair being half of a quartet of siblings who are all kind, good natured young men of such a high caliber that it's my aspiration for Anthony to turn out like them. If you can't be a kind and considerate person, no other successes in life really matter.

Joe's parents let him pick where he wanted to go to celebrate after Mass, and much to their consternation, he picked McDonald's. But it was his special day, so McDonald's it was. We tagged along.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Not Our Average Sunday Brunch

The McDonald's near Kawaramachi and Sanjo Streets is three stories tall, but was still so crowded that we couldn't all sit together. It was the first time any of us had been in a McDonald's in a very long time, which made it a treat for the kids, and gastronomical distress for the adults. It'd been so long for me that I actually forgot to get the Happy Meal (with its all-important accompanying toy) for Anthony. But Anthony did get ice cream later on. My order of 14 ice-cream cones was somewhat of a shock to the kid behind the register, but with the help of Gabriel and his brothers, all the cones reached their intended recipients waiting up on the third floor.

We had already promised Anthony an ice-cream treat as celebration, and tagging along to Joe's lunch didn't count. Fumie wasn't feeling well this evening, so Anthony and I headed out for dinner and a big parfait. It was so big that Anthony couldn't even finish it, but being the loving Daddy that I am, I made the sacrifice to help him with it.

NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 48 mm — ¹/60 sec, f/4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Steaming Hot Noodles
Soba

Yesterday's post about our visit to Gokayama Village in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, ended with us about to stop in a cafe for lunch.

Inside, the soba was the best I'd ever had... the soup was just amazing.

The house was also amazing, with the same no-fastener construction seen on the outside of the houses in my introduction to Gokayama post. Here's part of the ceiling near our table, with straw stuffed in crevices as insulation...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 38 mm — ¹/30 sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Anthony didn't care about that.... he cared about...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36 mm — ¹/60 sec, f/4, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Yum

Inside it looked more like someone's messy house than a cafe, because it was both, but apparently more of the former than the latter. Here's a view from the opposite corner, with our table just out of frame...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1400 — map & image data — nearby photos

Notice how tall the ceiling is... the doors, about six feet tall, aren't even halfway up the wall, so the ceilings are about 14 feet up.

Those not familiar with Japanese architecture may wonder what the floor-to-ceiling beam in the left half of the frame is for. I'll leave that as a quiz, though entry is limited to people whose name is not “Peter in Wales”. 😉

Continued here...

NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 58 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/6.3, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
The Oppressive Crowds of Times Square
Gokayama Village, Toyama Prefecture, Japan

So, it's been a week since “Introduction to a Snowy Gokayama Village”, and though I intended to pick up where I left off right away, I got sidetracked with related posts “Rosy Cheeks”, “Japan's Deep-Rooted Ethos of Fire Prevention”, “Snowy Mountains”, and “Shutter Speed's Effect on Falling Snow”. So, picking up where I left off in the Introduction post, more on our stroll through this picturesque frozen countryside...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 66 mm — ¹/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ice Buds are Blooming

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fumie Photographing a Pretty Scene
out of frame to the right

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 26 mm — ¹/800 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
My Attempt at the Same

I'm really disappointed with this last shot... the scene offered so much potential, but my composition here is just pathetic. Would like to return in time to that spot to try the shot again. I haven't seen Fumie's phone-camera shot yet... it probably better.

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 36 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/5, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos
More Construction Detail

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32 mm — ¹/160 sec, f/5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
House of Some Sort

The house above looks to be someone's private residence, as most of the houses in the village are, but I seem to remember that this one might have been turned into a museum of some sort, and if so, it seems to be both closed for business today, and lacking in the signage department.... both of which the photographer in me appreciates!

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Practice Makes Perfect
red car tries a second time to get up the hill

We saw only one car in the village the whole time we were there, and we saw it twice, as it had issues getting up the hill seen between the two houses in the shot above. He got up halfway the first time, got stuck, reversed all the way back down, then got a running start and the second time he seems to have made it.

It's about this time that Anthony climbed up onto a snowy rise and I got the Rosy Cheeks shot, and most of the shots in the Shutter Speed's Effect post.

Up the hill (that the car had troubles with) to the left is a private residence that now has a cafe in part of it...

Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 60 mm — ¹/500 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
About To Head Up Hill
to a warm, dry cafe

The railing seen at right is around what looks like a small swimming pool... a reservoir of water for fire-fighting purposes, as described in the Deep-Rooted Ethos post.

Continued here...

NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.

So I watched the unveiling of the Apple iPad event. I was not surprised about the product, but I was very surprised at Steve Job's performance. Normally he's a really dynamic presenter who quickly grabs the audience and takes them on a thrill ride with him, but I guess his health issues have left him hollow, because he was flat out boring. He would offer some fact, then tell us that it's “amazing” or “incredible” or “unbelievable”, instead of letting the fact speak for itself, egged on by the thrilling way he would tell it. I was as embarrassed for his presentation skills as he would be of my bank account.

But how far he's fallen on the sound-bite stage was most apparent when he revealed the price. He mentioned that the pre-announcement speculation put the price at about $999, and he showed a slide with that price writ large, and all I could think was that he should say:

That would have had impact, and try as I might to will him to say it, alas, it didn't work, and he just came out and gave the price with as much excitement as a DMV worker telling you to wait in line. At least in his defense, his price was 50 cents lower than the two-for-$999 price I had tried to will him to offer.