Best of 2010 - Part I

It's that time of year again. Time for the Best of 2010 memories. This year I lived exclusively in Tokyo, Japan. I went Japanese language school for 1 year. Lived in the same house for 1 year. My illustration career improved. I ran a half marathon. Making this list is a good way for me to take in all I have done in a year and appreciate it. It also give me a burst of energy and the drive to keep going, because I can see in a cliff notes kind of way all I have accomplished in a year.



my daruma finally got his other eye. it was my dream to live in Tokyo. now that i've done it, now what? What do you do when your dream has been realized? I guess you get a new one. Maybe Europe will be my next goal/dream....



I recovered from my taxi accident and a month later I had my first run. it took my skull 3 months to heal though.



the 2nd most fun party i've been to in Japan was at Ucess the lounge. it was a rock party which i don't even like really but somehow it was super fun. maybe its because i was with marco and miyoung and we all were new to tokyo and we all were ready to have fun.



Chinatown in Yokohama. the 2nd year that i haven't had to do this for my Kung Fu school.



we saw DJ Krush at Unit, a huge club. their sound system was capable of handling DJ Krush's super bass lines. Everyone was there for the music



Hashimoto sensei from my Japanese school. what a crazy and goofy guy.



private screening of "The Cove" at Ai's yogo school. It's that documentary about that town that kills tons of dolphins and whales made by Americans. me and marco were the only non japanese there and i was scared that i was gonna be harpooned because I am one of those taking things out of context dolphin loving hippie americans. but in the end everyone there was not down with the dolphin slaughter and were hippies themselves. i mean they go to yoga school geez jason.



then i tried whale meat for the first time with my roomate. look at it, its like sea beef. it was good though.



Debbie, Foo, Salih, and Jenn came to visit from NY



this is one of my most cherished memories of Japan, this day. perfect weather, blossoms in full bloom, everyone is tipsy, flushed, happy, babies are laughing, no one is fighting. there was not one bad vibe in the air. This is the best of 2010, and maybe the best of Japan



Kyoto, zen garden at ryoan ji. every few minutes a few petals would slowly fall, upping the zen or watever to the next level! it was a surreal, serene 10 minutes.



first time to the fushimi inari shrine in kyoto. its my fav now



the night time version of cherry blossom viewing in kyoto also competes for the best of 2010 and best of Japan. Could there be a more bitter sweet fleeting moment that mirrors the beauty and fleeting moment-ry of the cherry blossoms themselves? Add in that special something that is in the air in the springtime, that thing that makes every living thing on earth anxious. Add in the surrealness of being in a foreign country, foreign city with your friends, knowing that this moment can only be for short while, yet its perfect. the stuff dreams are made of right here.



a real life geisha and a real life client or friend of a client! She got the red carpet treatment.





tsukiji fish market is recommended. just don't wear anything nice. you can get the best sushi you'll ever have here.



I shared a booth with Fumiko at design festa in the spring. it sucked. going there as a visitor and being able to look at everything is fun, but standing there for 2 days in your little booth while people buy postcards from you is not so fun.





T-shirt design for Nike that got killed.



Iga Ninja festival with Fu-ballz. Ninja climb! Ninja snarl!



Tanuki Mura with fu-ballz and family. If you love tanuki's and their big magical balls then you will love this Tanuki town where most of the Tanuki statues you see come from.