This is a slideshow produced for the young volunteers of the July 19th, 2008 Obuse Mini Marathon, held in Obuse, Nagano prefecture, Japan. We appreciate their hard work passing out water to thousands of athletes… getting drenched in the process. Enjoy the show!
Check out our previous “The Best of Obuse”: http://bltnetwork.com/2008/07/15/2008-obuse-field-of-t-shirts/
Tags: Add new tag, Japan, Nagano, Obuse, running, sports, volunteer
Here is a promotional video we produced for the 2nd Annual Obuse Field of T-Shirts Exhibition, July 18th-28th, 2008. The exhibition is held in the scenic town of Obuse, nestled in a valley amongst Nagano’s famous mountains. If you are not familiar with Obuse, you may want to check out the official Obuse Town website and the Field of T-shirts website for more information (sorry, both are only in Japanese). Here is a simple Japanese map you can print out and bring with you to show someone if you get lost. Organic t-shirts designed by amateurs and pros alike will be displayed on lines draped over a field of organic cotton plants. There will be a t-shirt design workshop on July 20th from 1:00pm. Kids will love it! Bring ¥3,000 to cover the cost of the organic t-shirt and art supplies… ¥3,000 is a real deal if you have ever shopped for organic clothing. Hope to see you there!
See episode 1 of “The Best of Obuse” here: http://bltnetwork.com/2008/07/08/the-best-of-obuse-iwasaki-bakery/
Tags: おぶせ 小布施町 ながの 長野県, organic t-shirt design contest workshop Obuse Nagano
In this first episode of “The Best of Obuse,” I’d like to introduce you one of my favorite food places in the town… Iwasaki Bakery. Here is a rough transcript of the video:
Way back in 1987 as an exchange student, a friend showed me around Obuse and happened to stop by the shop. There I found some cookies that were so good, I could have sworn that they were my grandmother’s. I later discovered the reason for that.
Ms. Iwasaki, the 5th generation proprietor, revealed that the bakery’s founder was originally a Japanese confectioner. Sometime before World War II, the family started producing bread for school lunches. Foreign staff at Obuse’s New Life Hospital, Japan’s only Tuberculosis Sanitorium, provided a wealth of information on western recipes. The head nurse, Ms. Lilius Powell, was especially helpful in teaching the Iwasaki’s how to make the famous Chelsea Bun. Ms. Powell indicated that the recipe came from her Grandmother, who had lived in Chelsea, England.
In addition to the Chelsea bun, you can find more favorite baked goods including:
Seasonal strawberry rhubarb pie
Cinnamon cake
and Banana cake.
Iwasaki Bakery is located near the Rokugawa Minami intersection. The street address is: 620 Obuse, Obuse-machi, Nagano-ken 381-0201 Japan.
Telephone: 026-247-2200 Fax: 026-247-6404. The shop is closed Wednesdays.
Thanks, again, for joining this episode of Best of Obuse. Don’t forget to visit BLTnetwork’s homepage at: http://bltnetwork.com. Check out our last post: How To Reuse A Box.
Tags: おぶせ 小布施町, obuse Japan food bread bakery tourism culture
A friend recently upgraded his TV and, rather than throwing the relatively new wide-screen 28-inch model in the trash, he instead asked if I would like to have it. Being the environmentally-conscious person that I am, I quickly accepted knowing that I would nobly keep it out of the waste-stream. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I could now watch wide-screen movies without having to squint at my old 17-inch screen. I tried not to drool while unloading the TV in my living room. My children watched excitedly as the new electronic device emerged from the box and took its place in the media center. After I had finished setting everything up, my oldest child approached and, wearing a huge grin, asked an unexpected question. You think he asked if he could watch TV, right? Wrong! He asked if he could HAVE THE BOX!
After a few moments of surprise, I managed a nod and watched as he dragged the box into the adjacent playroom. Within moments, laughter and shrill screams of joy pierced the silence. “What could possibly be more important than watching TV?” I asked myself. I grabbed my video camera and taped what I saw. I used one of the clips to produce this humorous environmental Public Service Announcement. Let me know what you think of it.
Thanks, again, for joining this post. Don’t forget to visit BLTnetwork’s homepage at: http://bltnetwork.com. Check out our last post: Music On My Mind.
Tags: おぶせ 小布施町, cardboard, child, environment, recycle, reduce, reuse
Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako visited Obuse town this afternoon. It was the first visit for the couple; however, locals said that the prince had visited with his parents around 40 years ago. Large crowds of spectators gathered at around 3:00pm to view the arrival of the couple’s motorcade. The Crown Prince and Princess ended their tour of the town at around 5pm. Please enjoy this short video of their visit.
Thanks, again, for joining this post. Don’t forget to visit BLTnetwork’s homepage at: http://bltnetwork.com. Check out our last post: Just Bad Timing.
Tags: おぶせ 小布施町, おぶせ、にほん、royalty, Japan, Obuse
This is a 60-second film written, filmed and edited in one day for a Japanese festival, under the theme “Encounter.” It’s not a pleasant story with a happy ending, so don’t get your hopes up. The intention was to create something other than the typical “guy meets girl” scenario. Building a story from scratch and having it come alive in only 60-seconds of viewing time requires an emotionally intense situation with which viewers can identify.
Thanks, again, for joining this post. Don’t forget to visit BLTnetwork’s homepage at: http://bltnetwork.com. Check out our last post: Japanese Fox Festival.
Kent Hylton appeared as the young bridegroom in Obuse town’s annual Fox Festival. The event was created nine years ago to help rejuvenate the spirit of community. Since then, it has continued to grow, attracting the attention of media and distant visitors. Please enjoy the short clip of the festival.
Thanks, again, for joining this post. Don’t forget to visit BLTnetwork’s homepage at: http://bltnetwork.com.
