The best places to view the Milky Way in Japan

A survey conducted by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) shows the best places for viewing the Milky Way in Japan.

Survey Result

However, the survey did not count the result from certain prefectures (namely Shiga, Nara, Shimane, Saga, Oita, Miyazaki, Okinawa) as the number of sample was too low to determine the result. As a big fan of Nagano(for good reasons) when it comes to outdoor activities (Snowboarding, camping, star gazing, etc..), I've decided to narrow down on my choices regarding places to shoot astrophotography with a result of greater than 70%.

Prefectures with result greater than 70%:

Aomori, Akita, Fukushima, Gunma, Niigata, Fukui, Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka, Mie, Kyoto, Wakayama, Tokushima, Ehime, Kagoshima.

I'm surprised that Hokkaido didn’t make it into the list.

But then, the survey is based on random participants reporting the clarity/visibility of

the night sky from various locations in the respective prefecture. Therefore the local weather & the level of light pollution can greatly affect the visibility of the Milky Way galaxy.

With that said, the viable choices for me will be Yamanashi, Gunma, Niigata, Shizuoka,

and Nagano. With a bike, Kyushu & Hokkaido will definitely fit in the list as well.

The next step is to find out where exactly in each prefecture is suitable to camp & shoot the night sky. I shall start with nearby places such as Shizuoka, Yamanashi, & Gunma.

Let's hope after shooting I won't be too lazy to edit & post the shots here!

Dumbell Training

6 month program

-Starting program (8 weeks/2 months)
  First Stage (2 weeks): Basic form
  Second Stage (3 weeks): Getting used to the weights
  Third Stage (3 weeks): Muscle growth

-Ideal body program (Standard type)

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-First Stage-
1) Dumb Bell Press
2) Squat
3) One Hand Dumb Bell Roll
4) Hip Lift
5) Side Raise
6) Trunk Curl

Conditions:
RM: 15
Reps: 10
Set: 2
Rest: 1 min
Workout Time: Approx. 30 mins

-Second Stage-

-Third Stage-


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Staggering number of tourists visit Hokkaido

The record breaking number of 54mil people! The number includes the tourists who went there on a day trip as well. That's a 1% increment compared to last year and it's the 3rd consecutive year of increase. Foreign tourists increased by 34%, while the increase was less than 1% for local tourists. Japan's decreasing population is the main factor for the disappointing figure.

The weakening yen and the loose visa policy are believed to have contributed to the increasing number of foreign tourists. Out of 54 mil tourists, 1.54 mil were from overseas and the rest were the local. How they categorized foreigners who reside in Japan and went to Hokkaido remains a question, although the number is insignificant.

The Chinese are the predominant visitors, which increased 2.1 fold (340k), way ahead of the runner-up, which are the Koreans (200k). South East Asians landed the third place slightly below 180k. American tourists increased 25% to 40k.

Sapporo, Noboribetsu, Hakodate, Kutchan, and Kamigawa are the top 5 places with the most stays by foreigners.

The administrative of Hokkaido expects the number of tourist to increase after the launch of the bullet train in March 2016, which connects the northern island with Honshu.

Food for Thought

I've compiled a few links for future reference as how to eat healthy. I will update this list from time to time.

In the end, moderation is the key here, no matter how healthy is one particular food, by eating too much it will have a reverse effect on your body. Drinking too much water can kill you. Don't believe me? Wiki dilutional hyponatremia.

Superfood list
Oats, blueberries, apple, green tea, flaxseeds, yogurt, broccoli, olive oil, beans, cinnamon.

Illusion of Lights

Time Lapse Movie

I discovered this brilliant trailer while searching for tips to create a time lapse movie. Planning is the most important part of the whole process. Besides getting the right equipment and picking the right date for shooting (which is part of the planning process). It is also crucial to know the sun rise/sun set, moon rise/moon set time, the difference in sunlight according to the time of the day, and whether the moon is up high during the time of shooting. I experienced an epic fail in Jan 2015. Drove all the way to the top of a snowy mountain in Akagi, Gunma after watching the news that showed that there's a meteor shower for the next couple of days. However, I carelessly forgot to check the lunar calendar and after reaching the top, I can't see a squat because the moon was up there shinning so brightly! Yeah, epic fail!

Unless you want to shoot the moon, otherwise pick a date during the new moon, or just before or after the new moon when the sky is the darkest in the month. Keeping a lunar calendar can come in handy in these situations.

Anyway, I can't wait to pass my motorcycle license and get myself a ride. I'm planning on getting one of these:

Such a solid looking mother f$%ker!

Looking forward to my solo camping trip and shooting session with this hot ride!

There is really such thing as falling the wrong way

2 simple rules about falling when snowboarding. 1) When falling backwards, absorb the impact with your ass. 2) When falling forward, absorb & distribute the impact with your forearms, instead of using only the wrist. Using wrist protectors will greatly reduce the risk of fracture.

Fall Painlessly

Useful Stretches before shredding

Snowboard Stretches
Since I hurt my medial collateral ligament (MCL) in Feb 2015, I realized how important it is to stretch before hitting the slopes. I can still feel the discomfort in my right knee after a few months of rehab. I think it's here to stay.

The link above provides some great stretching instructions to prevent injury and increase flexibility. I will incorporate this into my workout as well.