Decorative Hexagonal Origami Gift Boxs with Lids

Decorative Hexagonal Origami Gift Boxs with Lids, a photo by Dominic's pics on Flickr.

am selling some origami gift boxes by auction to help survivors of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

This message is being sent to all those people who have indicated a possible interest in the subject, through their comments or "favourites" to photographs in my flickr photostream which have documented various fundraising efforts in Brighton in support of victims of the disaster.

Publicity is everything. If you would like to help market the auction, a "cut and paste" message - which explains everything - has been appended to this email.

Thank you.

Best Regards, Dominic
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Subject: Origami Gift Box Auction to Help Japan Tsunami and Earthquake Survivors

From flickr.com/photos/dominicspics to lots of people...

Some Decorative Hexagonal Origami Gift Boxes are for sale by auction.

All proceeds - after some eBay and PayPal fees have been deducted - will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

The boxes - and links to each of their auctions - can be seen in better detail here:
www.flickr.com/photos/dominicspics/sets/72157626562622163/

Or go directly to the auctions here:
shop.ebay.co.uk/dominic_alves/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

The auctions close from midnight after 2nd June 2011 British Summer Time (UTC + 1)

Postage to most parts of the world is free.

Please consider promoting these auctions to your contacts and via groups that you know may be interested in participating in, or publicising, the auctions - including via facebook or twitter.

We are all cousins.

Krap Kawasaki

Krap Kawasaki, a photo by PoPBunka! 英会話 浜松市 on Flickr.

Krap Kawasaki by PoPBunka! 英会話 浜松市
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Shortly after arriving in Japan, I bought a motorcycle for $25 U.S. Dollars from a Navy buddy. I kept it a few months until I had to start getting off of the bike in order to get it to go up hills. The day the school bus of children went by and looked out the window at me like I was crazy was the limit. I got rid of the bike the next day--I sold it for $25 to somebody who said they knew how to fix the bike. The next time I saw them, they were pushing the bike up a hill, not at all happy. It was a "Krap Cycle" for sure.

hibernate - IMGP1937

hibernate - IMGP1937, a photo by chez_sugi on Flickr.

CHINATOWN ALLEY IN OLD YOKOHAMA 1961

CHINATOWN ALLEY IN OLD YOKOHAMA 1961, a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

ChinaShopAshiaJapan1953

ChinaShopAshiaJapan1953, a photo by wa7oec on Flickr.

When my friends found out I had a set of orders to Japan, they were quite envious of my new duty station and many asked me if I could send them home a set of Noritake China. I found myself way too busy having fun to go shopping for certain or specific floral patterns of China.
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Another excellent photo by Wilbert Bregar, taken during his tour in Japan while in the USAF. Thanks to Wilbert for the permission to exhibit his copyrighted photos in my BLOGABOUTJAPAN.

FredsPixAT6JapanAF53

FredsPixAT6JapanAF53, a photo by wa7oec on Flickr.

FRED WAS STATIONED IN JAPAN IN THE EARLY 1950S and has more than 50 photos of his tour in Japan while he was in the USAF. To see his photos on FLICKR, follow the link below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wl-bregar/3302404352/in/set-72157614009862487

THANKS TO FRED BREGAR FOR HIS SERVICE...

Two Bars' Doors

Two Bars' Doors, a photo by lioil on Flickr.

Why do I like this photo is the question after telling you about my experiences, etc. Sorry to be so self-absorbed and fail to comment on the qualities of your work.

The above photo has terrfic contrast, mystery, intrique and textures in materials. It is a photo that I would reckognize being in no other country but Japan.

There is just something about the Japanase spatial talents and ability to compress that makes for interesting subject matter.

sunset (Explored 12 May 11)

sunset (Explored 12 May 11), a photo by i_love_japan_27 on Flickr.

Hello, Chief..........this is one of the best. Don't believe I have ever seen both Enoshima and Mt Fuji in same frame or image. This is very rare--and very beautiful.

This is the kind of photo some will wait years to get just right. You got it. Time, air, everything about it is perfect. I especially like the way the lights twinkle in the sea air. I am presuming this is sunset or twilight time?
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Photo by Brad, Photostream: i_love_japan_27

KIRIN BEER EMPTIES IN ALLEY

KIRIN BEER EMPTIES IN ALLEY,

a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

Imagine my surprise when I saw Bun Oshita's photo of a case of empty Kirin bottles outside of a Yakitori restaurant in Yokohama. Immediately, I was reminded of the photo I took of a case of empty Kirin beer bottles 50 years ago in the same area of Yokohama. I had just purchased a new Petri 35 MM camera and began shooting photos in B/W and color slides. The year was 1961. I am thrilled to have found Mr. Oshita's Flickr Photostream. It is full of many great photos.

Yakitori restaurant

Yakitori restaurant, a photo by lioil on Flickr.

Photograph of a Yakitori Restaurant by Bun Oshita, a Yokohama gentleman whose photos I admire very much. There are many great photos of Yokohama in his Flickr Photostream. It is a personal joy to see such great photography of the Yokohama I loved so very much 50 years ago.

Alley in old Yokohama

Alley in old Yokohama, a photo by lioil on Flickr.

AN ALLEY IN OLD YOKOHAMA...Isezakicho Street
Photograph by Bun Oshita
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I recall this street when it was decorated with beautiful paper lanterns and real cherry blossoms during Sakura Season. It was a time of great celebration; sake and Sapporo beer, Asahi beer, Suntory whisky and sushi were free to all who chose to wander down this street of wonders,old Isezakicho Street. Hopefully, I will be able to walk down this most famous street again before I leave this earth.

Chitose6404

Chitose6404, a photo by asachitose on Flickr.

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR PHOTOSTREAM...makes me so sad that I did not visit Hokkaido while I was in Japan. But I shall, if it is possible, visit this beautiful island of Japan when I visit Japan once more sometime in the next year or so. Yes, it appeared so rural and natural from the 60s photos. I know I would have fallen in love with Hokkaido as I did the main island. You have a most fantastic collection of photos. Robert

Thank you for your permission to place a few of them in my BLOGABOUTJAPAN

Streetcar in Tokyo near Shinbashi Station, circa 1955

Streetcar in Tokyo near Shinbashi Station, circa 1955, a photo by Rob Ketcherside on Flickr.

Streetcar in Tokyo near Shinbashi Station, circa 1955
Mid 1950s Tokyo. A horde of pedestrians crosses in front of a 6000-series Tokyo metropolitan streetcar.

The sign in the foreground says that this is A Avenue and 10th Street. The US military imposed a system of street names on the major thoroughfares in Tokyo after the end of World War Two. Lettered avenues radiated from the Imperial Palace clockwise. "A Avenue" ran south from the southeast corner of the Imperial palace, on Hibiya Boulevard (Hibiya Doori). The numbered streets were basically major roads essentially ringing the palace. 10th is Outer Moat Boulevard (Sotobori Doori). So this is the Nishi-shinbashi Crossing, just south of Hibiya Park. At the time the neighborhood - and the streetcar stop - was called Tamuramachi (田村町). We must be looking east, because the sun is hitting the face of the building on the right.

It pre-dates 1957, when Tokyo's streetcars were repainted yellow. The lines which ran on Hibiya Doori through this intersection were 1, 5, 35 and 37.

Here's a zoom on a part of the map published by the US military in 1948 with the street names.

And here's the neighborhood on an interactive 1956 map of Tokyo.

Found in an antique store's photo bins.
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COMMENTS FROM ROBERT L. HUFFSTUTTER
One of the joys of having been stationed in Japan for over two years was that the dollar was worth 360 yen at that time, but it was the people, always polite, nice and helpful. Not once in 28 months did I ever have a bad experience and I wandered off into the depths of Tokyo in the middle of the night. The streetcars were almost like an amusement park ride, especially late at night around the Bund in Yokohama. They would get up some real speed, sparks would fly and the entire care would shake, rattle and roll. Yes, for ten yen I could ride all over. I just got on the streetcars and let them take me wherever. For a young guy 19, Japan was like one big holiday without end. Unfortunately, my tour ended. See my BLOGABOUTJAPAN for more about streetcars

Thanks to Rob Ketcherside for posting this found photo--it brings back some warm memories, though bittersweet at times because of the SAYONARA FACTOR....

Izakaya at road side

Izakaya at road side, a photo by nobuojp on Flickr.

IZAKAYA AT ROADSIDE BY NOBUOJP

This a perfect example of the Japanese sake bars I saw while spending a tour of joyful duty in Japan in the early 1960s. While these were for the local Japanese, whenver an American wondered in, he was treated with respect and offered sake. In Yamato, I had a favorite sake bar I frequented.

On more than one occasion, my Japanese friends made sure I made it home to my small apartment in Yamato. 50 years have passed, but I still have warm memories of my time in Japan whenever I see photos like these with many lanterns. Thank you for sharing this special photograph. Robert

Vintage Japanese matchbox label, c1920s-1930s

Vintage Japanese matchbox label, c1920s-1930s, a photo by crackdog on Flickr.

THIS IS ANOTHER CLASSIC IMAGE OF A JAPANESE MATCHBOX popular in the 1920s through the 1960s.

Crackdog's collection of matchboxes is awe-inspiring. While many are for bars and other establishments, subjects that make the issue a memory of some youthful joys, it is the designs that remain in my mind that I really appreciate.

Most of these matchboxes, or all of them, were created by Japanese advertising artists in the 1920s through the late 1930s and could be advertising any number of establishments that were part of a very large Japanese Empire.


It is the intrique and mystery of this historic era that fascinates me. I believe it is an era that has been shelved, more or less, because of the Imperialist nature.

As an American, let me be the first to admit that the United States was one of the main players in the game of colonialism and imperialism. From the time the U.S. declared the "Manifest Destiny" to the time we forcefully annexed the kingdom of Hawaii, we have subtly become very large realtors in world properties.

MT. FUJI IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS VIEW OF EDO

MT. FUJI IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS VIEW OF EDO, a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

MT. FUJI IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS VIEW OF EDO
UNLESS THE VIEWER IS INTERESTED IN HISTORICAL EVENTS, DOCUMENTS AND ART, these images might not stir one's excitement in the past. These engravings were not imagined, but were made from sketches by an artist who furnished them for the voyage.

Since there was no photography at this point in time that could capture old Tokyo as it was in the 1840s, we must assume that Tokyo, or Edo, or Yeddo, looked very similar to the above.

I would guess that the view might include what might be part of the Emperor's Palace.

Mt. Fuji under the Moon

Mt. Fuji under the Moon, a photo by Phijomo on Flickr.

Mt. Fuji under the Moon
It was a while ago, but thus far, I've only posted Mt. Fuji under the Moon (pt. 1). Yes, I skipped pt. 2. That'll come soon. Mt. Fuji (富士山) on a cold, cold winter morning, with a partially-frozen Lake Yamanakako (山中湖) in the foreground. I was quite surprised at the number of other photographers out here at 6 a.m. in -12º C temperatures. Single RAW exposure w/ 2 & 3 soft stop GNDs, post in PS CS3/4.
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ONE OF THE BEST PHOTOS OF MT FUJI I HAVE EVER SEEN. The last time I saw Mt Fuji was in the winter of 1963. It was a beautiful view, one I hope will not be my last.

Comparisons of Hiroshige and Van Gogh: Spanning Time

Comparisons of Hiroshige and Van Gogh: Spanning Time, a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

The Langlois bridge reminded van Gogh of Hiroshige's print Sudden Shower on the Great Bridge. Inspired by the Japanese wood block prints, van Gogh sought to integrate techniques from Japanese artwork into his own. In a letter that van Gogh wrote to Bernard about the Langlois bridge he said that "if the Japanese are not making any progress in their own country, still it cannot be doubted that their art is being continued in France." With a Japanese aesthetic, Van Gogh's bridge of Langlois paintings reflect a more simplified use of color to create a harmonious and unified image. Outlines were used to suggest movement. He used fewer shades of colors rather multiple subtle color variations. These approaches created a more powerful impact and depicted the simpler, primitive quality of the country lifestyle.

For a more technical revew and more information, refer to the Wikipedia link referenced above. Thanks to Wikipedia for their research and great volume of information on almost every subject one would seek knowledge

WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?

WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?, a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

It is very sad to remember how two nations fought to the death. It was not the people at war. It was men who could not relolve commerce in the 1930s; it was men who could not come to terms over exports. And then it graduated into anger and physical attacks. It ended with men from both nations who could not reach a peaceful settlement

No Smoking in Kabukicho

No Smoking in Kabukicho, a photo by PoPBunka! 英会話 浜松市 on Flickr.

I didn't think Japan would buy into this denial of civil rights like the USA has done. What a shame that this has been introduced to Japan. Warning to all Japanese smokers: If you enjoy smoking, if you enjoy your civil rights to smoke, now is the time to vote those out of offce who are writing such laws or you will soon be regimented like wards of the State. I have seen in happen in the USA.

Used TVs for Sale

Used TVs for Sale, a photo by PoPBunka! 英会話 浜松市 on Flickr.

NO WAY...UNBELIEVABLE. IN THE LAND OF THE SONY TELEVISION, where for years TVs were the primary export, there are used TVs for sale. If anyone has a yen for a TV, here is the place if you are in SHIZUOKA PREFECTURE. Thanks to Jeffrey Armstrong for posting this in his Flickr Photostream.
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Used TVs for Sale by PoPBunka! 英会話 浜松市

WAITING FOR VAN GOGH TO ARRIVE AT THE WEIN,

WAITING FOR VAN GOGH TO ARRIVE AT THE WEIN,, a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

WAITING FOR VAN GOGH TO ARRIVE AT THE WEIN,
Waiting for Vincent to arrive at a coffee house in old Motomachi. Channeling used to focus on Van Gogh's brief and secret visit to Japan in the late 19th century. See the set VAN GOGH'S SECRET VISIT TO JAPAN. A series of watercolors by Robert L. Huffstutter

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It was at the Wein where we met on Saturday mornings to begin our weekends. From the first time I met her and we decided upon a mutual place to meet, it was this coffee shop where we would meet, usually around 11:00 a.m. It was, to my best recollection, located in Motomachi.

Two Maiko in Gion - Kyoto

Two Maiko in Gion - Kyoto, a photo by The Moog Image Dump on Flickr.

Two Maiko in Gion - Kyoto by The Moog Image Dump
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An interesting and beautiful photograph. Learn more by following this link.