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Gary J. Wolff's BlogGary J. Wolff's blog is my mini-journal about garyjwolff.com. It...
Enjoy... Cheers, Recent website updates (at bottom of the page) Feel free to share your comments below. Jan. 25, 2015 - Danish archer video becomes internet sensationLars Andersen, a Danish archer who has studied historical descriptions of ancient war archery to re-discover their techniques, is now known as the “world’s fastest archer.” Over the past few years, he has fine-tuned his skills and is now able to fire three arrows in only 0.6 seconds.Two days ago he released a video demonstrating these forgotten techniques and how holding arrows in the firing hand and placing them outside of the bow allows archers to fire at speed and while running. The video hit its 1st million views on YouTube within 13 hours, was watched more than 4.5 million times in under 24 hours, and at the time of this posting had been viewed over 10 million times. WOW. To say this video has gone viral would be the understatement of the year!  Jan. 22,
2015 - Real-time, animated world hacking map
Feeling nervous about your PC getting hacked? Take a look at this real-time map
of global hacking attacks, developed by a St. Louis-based company
called Norse. At a glance, the color-coded world map shows in real time
the highest ranked countries which are both attacking and being
attacked, plus the type of hacking attacks. AMAZING! |
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The full 54-pic album is here:
Nighttime lightup of Rikugien fall colors, Dec. 5-6, 2014
More info on the Rikugien Garden:
teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/rikugien/
tokyo-park.or.jp/english/park/detail_08.html
Dec. 2,
2014 - Golden Ginkgo Trees, Tokyo, Japan
Gaien Ichou Namiki Dori (外苑いちょう並木 通り, Ginkgo Avenue) is one of my
favorite spots to view fall colors in Tokyo. Today the golden ginkgo
trees were spectacular, as they are every year this 1st week in
December.
Golden ginkgo trees in Tokyo
View 15-photo Flickr album here:
Golden Ginkgo Trees, Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 2, 2014
Google Map
My video from Dec. 2009
Nov. 30, 2014 - Christmas Sale on both of my mountain climbing eBooks!
  NOW ON SALE @ SMASHWORDS FOR ONLY $2.99 UNTIL CHRISTMAS DAY!! Buy for yourself or give as a present to that someone special by clicking on "Give as a gift." Either way, just enter the coupon code below @ checkout to get the discounted price: The View from the Top of Japan: UX49L Climbing Mt. Fuji: HR93T  These eBooks will make GRRRRRREAT stocking stuffers or can be printed out as coffee table books.... besides, they even cost less than a cup of coffee @ Starbucks! |
Nov. 26, 2014 - Preparing and Presenting Scientific Posters
Japanese university students are often called upon to prepare and present posters in their technical English classes. A tall, handsome university professor from Houston, Texas spoke Mon. Nov. 24, 2014 at the JALT2014 national language teacher's conference in Tsukuba, Japan to share online resources his 3rd-year university technical English students use to prepare their scientific posters.These resources included the design and layout of posters, sample poster templates, posters prepared by his former students, and also a sampling of posters presented in the poster sessions at this 4-day Tsukuba language teacher's conference.
If all that weren't enough, the presentation was captured in a breathtakingly exciting video (ha-ha!), which along with online notes & more details from the presentation (including all links) can be viewed here: Preparing and Presenting Scientific Posters
JALT2014 presenter Gary Wolff
Nov. 19,
2014 - Happy Birthday to ME!
Here's an absolutely hilarious video from my wonderful sis on the
occasion of my birthday. Check it out by clicking the image below!
Nov.
18, 2014 - World's tallest man meets world's shortest man
Sultan Kösen, 31, the tallest man in the world, is a Turkish farmer who
measures 8 feet, 3 inches (~251 cm) tall. On Thursday, for the first
time he met Nepalese weaver Chandra Bahadur Dangi, 74, the shortest man
in the world who is just 21½ inches (~55 cm) tall. The occasion was the
10th annual Guinness World Records Day, which celebrates record-setting
achievements around the globe. 
World's tallest & shortest men
(Photo credit: Daniel Deme/WENN.com)
Nov. 13,
2014 - Taylor Swift (テイラー・スウィフト) is HOT....even in Japan!
I spotted this ad for Taylor Swift's new "1989" album inside a Tokyo
train car on my way home tonight. Wow, go テイラー!! 
Ad in Japan for Taylor Swift's new "1989" album
Nov. 10,
2014 - My 1st mountain climbing book shows up in my doc's office
Maybe you can imagine my shock & pleasant surprise recently to see
my 1st mountain climbing book, "The
View from the Top of Japan," on the shelf in my doctor's office
waiting room. Wow! 
[OK, well in the spirit of full disclosure, I DID give this book to my doc back in the spring of last year, but it was great to see that he's sharing it with his other patients!]
Nov.
5, 2014 - Are you a Twit Face?
Nov.
3, 2014 - Fall colors (紅葉) in Nishizawa
Valley (西沢渓谷)
Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing one of Japan's top 100
waterfalls, along with some stunning fall colors. Yamanashi Prefecture's Nishizawa Keikoku (西沢渓谷), about a 90-minute train ride and 1-hr. bus ride west of Shinjuku, is one of the most beautiful valleys of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park and features several waterfalls, including the spectacular 5-tiered Nanatsugama-Godan-no-Taki.
It's particularly beautiful during the peak of the autumn leaves season in late Oct. & early Nov. The hike was organized by Jambo International.
Click thumbnails
below to open full-size images,
or click here to view entire 68-pic album.
Fall colors in Nishizawa Valley
My full 68-pic Flickr album is here:
Fall colors (紅葉) in Nishizawa Valley (西沢渓谷)
or click here to view entire 68-pic album.
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My full 68-pic Flickr album is here:
Fall colors (紅葉) in Nishizawa Valley (西沢渓谷)
My 2.5-min. Nishizawa Valley video
(If player above is not visible, you can view video @ YouTube here.)
Nishizawa Valley Hiking Map (in Japanese)
Nishizawa Valley Google Map
Oct. 29,
2014 - Happy Halloween from Tokyo Disneyland!
Halloween in Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disney Resort official website
(Photo courtesy: Nozomi Uchibori)
Oct. 28, 2014 - Merry Halloween!!
One cannot help but admire the brilliance of Japanese creativity.... in this case, celebrating the Halloween season with a sneak preview of Xmas.
Merry Halloween!!
Oct. 19, 2014 - NASA gets into Halloween spirit with jack-o-lantern pic of the sun
Jack-o-lantern sun
(Image credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO)
This image, taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 8, is a composite of two images of extreme ultraviolet wavelengths at 171 and 193 Ångströms (not visible to the naked eye), appearing gold and yellow to create a jack-o-lantern like appearance.
Blending together the 2 sets of extreme ultraviolet wavelengths shows the sun's most active regions, which appear brighter because those are areas that emit more light and energy.
WOW! Trick or treat!!
Oct.
14, 2014 - Typhoon Vongfong slams Japan; 2nd in a week
The 2nd powerful typhoon in a week has struck the entire Japanese
archipelago, leaving a broad path of destruction in its wake. Typhoon
Vongfong (a Macao Chinese word meaning "wasp"), also known in Japan as
Typhoon 19 (台風19号), has killed 2 people and injured at least 93
nationwide, with 1 missing. A 90-year-old man was found dead in an irrigation channel in Tottori Prefecture and a 72-year-old man drowned after driving his light truck into a pond in Ehime Prefecture.
Injuries include a 39-year-old American pilot whose light plane crashed in the city of Ibusuki in Kagoshima Prefecture, near the southernmost tip of the main island of Kyushu, and a man in his 20s and a 9-year-old girl, who in separate cases, both had a finger severed when high winds slammed doors shut.
On Oct. 7 Vongfong strengthened to super typhoon status with wind speeds of 180 mph (80 m/s) and a central pressure of 900 millibars, making it the strongest tropical storm on earth since Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippines last November with maximum sustained winds of 195 mph (87 m/s), killing over 6,000 people.
Although Vongfong weakened to a tropical storm before making landfall on the southern main island of Kyushu, the most notable impact of the storm was the nationwide rainfall amounts, as seen in the graphic below. In Satsumasendai City in Kagoashima Prefecture, the storm dumped 85 mm (3.3 in.) of rain during a 1-hr. period on Mon. morning.
As of midday Monday local time, the highest rainfall total from Vongfong anywhere in Japan was found in Kunigami (on the northern end of Okinawa Island) where 21.95 inches (557.5 mm) of rain were reported. Also, some parts of Okinawa, Miyazaki, and Kochi Prefectures received well over 400 mm (~16 in.) in a 24-hour period.
Sources:
- NHK World
- The Weather Channel Hurricane Central
Typhoon Vongfong nationwide 24-hour rainfall amounts,
as of 6:10 am, Tues. Oct. 14, 2014
(red bars indicate >100 mm (3.9 in.), many of them >400 mm (~16 in.))
(image credit: NHK)
Oct. 12,
2014 - Danny Macaskill rides Scotland's Cuillin Ridgeline
In general, I'm not a big fan of cyling in the mountains (especially if
they're on the same trail I'm hiking on),
but this remarkable video
shows one of the most incredible, daredevil feats I've ever seen. Danny
Macaskill took a death-defying ride on his Santa Cruz Bronson mountain
bike along the notorious Cuillin
Ridgeline in his native home on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Posted
just 10 days ago, as of today this video has been viewed over 15
million times. I believe my favorite parts begin @ the 1:44, 2:00,
2:17, 3:06, 3:37, 4:30, 5:17, 5:42, 6:08, & 6:19 min. marks. Mountain biking in Scotland: http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/activities/mountain-biking/
Santa Cruz bicycles - http://www.santacruzbicycles.com
Interestingly, I had the pleasure of riding my friend's $5,500 Santa Cruz Tallboy last month in Denver (Thanks, Tom!):
Oct. 8 -
The total lunar eclipse from Tokyo
Well, I got to see the 1st half of it....before the clouds moved in. And yep, in that 1st pic, I captured a
jumbo jet flying across the face of the moon!The partial umbral eclipse began @ 18:15 & the total eclipse began @ 19:25.
By far the best lunar eclipse I've ever seen, even though I missed the entire 2nd half!
 18:01 |
 18:07 |
 18:16 |
 18:25 |
 18:29 |
 18:34 |
 18:43 |
 18:53 |
 18:58 |
 19:09 |
 19:15 |
 19:16 |
 19:19 |
 19:21 |
 19:23 |
 19:30 |
Oct. 6, 2014 - Total lunar eclipse - Wed. Oct. 8
A total eclipse of the full moon will occur on Wed. October 8, 2014. For North America and the Hawaiian Islands, the total lunar eclipse happens in the wee hours before sunrise on October 8. For New Zealand, Australia and eastern Asia (including Japan), the total eclipse is seen after sunset on October 8. A partial lunar eclipse can be seen before sunrise, October 8, from much of South America, or after sunset, October 8, from western Asia.Here are the viewing times for Tokyo (& Houston):
Partial umbral eclipse begins: 18:15 (4:15 am)
Total eclipse begins: 19:25 (5:25)
Greatest eclipse: 19:55 (5:55)
Total eclipse ends: 20:24 (6:24)
Partial umbral eclipse ends: 21:34 (7:34)
More info: Earthsky.org
When to see it from your location: http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2014-october-8
Oct. 6,
2014 - Up in the east, down in the west
These 2 pics were taken within 5 min. of each other. Mon. Oct. 6, 2014 moonrise, 5:18 pm |
 Mon. Oct. 6, 2014 sunset, 5:13 pm |
Oct.
5, 2014 - Here comes Typhoon Phanfone. Watch out, Tokyo!
Category 4 Supertyphoon Phanfone (Typhoon 18, 台風18号), a Laotian term
for "animal," is already pounding islands south of Kyushu with
torrential rains and wind gusts of up to 101 mph as the storm heads
north towards Tokyo. Winds at Japan's Kita-daitō (North Daitō Island) gusted to 45.3 m/s (101 mph) at 2:35 pm JST (1:35 am U.S. EDT) on Saturday, before the wind observations were knocked offline. Minami-daitō has set an all-time calendar-day record for the month of October with 217.0 mm (8.54 inches) of rain, beating the old October record of 198.5 mm on Oct. 26, 2010.
Heavy rains from Phanfone are the main threat, and are likely to bring dangerous flash flooding and mudslides. One precipitation forecast model predicts that Phanfone will dump widespread rains of 4-8" (102-203 mm) across much of Japan.
Two top models for predicting typhoon tracks, the GFS and European, predicted with their 12:00 Zulu Saturday runs that Phanfone would hit the main Japanese island of Honshu near 18 UTC on Sunday, and make its closest pass by Tokyo around 9 am Monday morning Japan time.
As of 9 am Sun. morning, the U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center is forecasting Typhoon Phanfone to pass within only 19 nautical miles (~35 km) of the Yokosuka navy base, just south of Japan's capital. Should make for a very interesting Monday morning commute for the 9 million residents of Tokyo's 23-ward metro area.
Source: Dr. Jeff Masters, co-founder of Weather Underground
Typhoon Phanfone storm track, as of 3 am, Sun. Oct. 5, Japan time
(Photo credit: U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center)
[Typhoon Phanfone (Typhoon 18, 台風18号) postmortem:
- Widespread flooding occurred across Japan, especially in Shizuoka Prefecture where over 400 mm (~16 in.) of rain was recorded in some areas within a 24-hr. period. Over 19 inches (~480 mm) of rain fell in the prefecture's mountainous regions over a 3-day period.
-Tokyo recorded wind gusts up to 70 mph (~31 m/s), and sustained winds around or above 40 mph (~18 m/s) lasted for about 2 hours in the city.
- 3 people are dead and 4 others are missing. A member of the U.S. Air Force drowned while taking photos on the coast of southern Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday. Two other fellow US airmen were also washed out to sea and are still missing.
- Also on Sunday, a university student disappeared while surfing in rough seas off the coastal city of Fujisawa, south of Tokyo.
- On Monday, 2 men in Yokohama died after being buried in mudslides at different locations.
- A junior high school student is missing after being taken away by high waves from a beach in Yokosuka.
- 62 people were injured across the country.
- JR rail officials suspended services on the main JR Tokaido Line in Shizuoka City after a landslide washed away a short section of track. Officials are unsure when trains will be able to start running again.
- Airlines cancelled about 630 flights on Monday morning, mostly to or from Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
- Over 2.9 million people were issued evacuation advisories.]
Oct. 1,
2014 - Emily Skye's 30 Day Ab Shred
Go Emily! WOW! Emily's site: http://www.30dayabshred.com.au/
Gary J. Wolff's Blog archives:
Website
Updates
Jan 26, 2015
Japan Links
A short list of links to some of the more noteworthy Japanese websites I've bookmarked thru my many years of residing in this phenomenal country.
Jan 25, 2015
Gary J. Wolff's Blog
Gary J. Wolff's blog keeps you up-to-date with my everyday life in Japan, as well as recent additions/changes to the garyjwolff.com website.
Jan 13, 2015
Can you help me find a mountain I climbed many years ago?
hi gary! i wonder if you can help me find a mountain i climbed many years ago? i thought it was the 2nd highest in japan and called date (kita?), but
Continue reading "Can you help me find a mountain I climbed many years ago?"
Jan 13, 2015
Is it possible to climb Mt. Fuji in mid-June?
Hi - thanks for your great website. I will be in Japan in mid-June of this year, and it looks like my window would be from the 15th-19th of June. Is
Continue reading "Is it possible to climb Mt. Fuji in mid-June?"
Jan 13, 2015
Climbing Mt. Fuji - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The most frequently asked questions about climbing Mt. Fuji, Japan's highest mountain and the most visited mountain in the world, along with climber stories.
Continue reading "Climbing Mt. Fuji - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)"
Jan 11, 2015
America is our best friend - "Pray for Japan"
On March 11, 2011 the earthquake and tsunami which were the strongest of all those suffered in the world hit Japan at the same time. The number of victims
Continue reading "America is our best friend - "Pray for Japan""
Jan 10, 2015
When does the Mt. Fuji 5th Station open in 2015?
Hi, When does the 5th Station open in 2015?.....as I am planning a trip to Mt. Fuji, most likely would be taking a tour from Tokyo. Would March 15th
Continue reading "When does the Mt. Fuji 5th Station open in 2015?"
Jan 08, 2015
Mt. Yatsu-ga-take (八ヶ岳), Japan's 33rd highest peak
Pics, maps, and trail description of my Aug. 2000 climb of Mt. Yatsu-ga-take, elev. 2899m, Japan's 33rd highest peak.
Continue reading "Mt. Yatsu-ga-take (八ヶ岳), Japan's 33rd highest peak"
Jan 06, 2015
The Highest Mountains in Japan
Listing of the 25 highest mountains in Japan, complete with pics, videos, and descriptions, based on the 2-decade climbing experience of Gary J. Wolff.
Jan 06, 2015
Winter Hiking Tips
If there’s any advice I can give you for winter climbing, it would be....don’t do it. Ok, now that you’ve chosen not to heed my advice, let me give you a few tips.
Dec 30, 2014
Diamond Fuji Viewing Spots, Dates, and Times in Tokyo
A listing of the best high-rise spots in Tokyo to view Diamond Fuji with recommended dates, sunset times, admission fees, and links to Google maps.
Continue reading "Diamond Fuji Viewing Spots, Dates, and Times in Tokyo"
Dec 30, 2014
The Motivating Magic of Songs in the EFL Classroom
Professor Gary J. Wolff shares tips on how singing English songs helps motivate his Japanese university students in EFL classrooms in Japan.
Continue reading "The Motivating Magic of Songs in the EFL Classroom"
Dec 30, 2014
Useful iPad Tools for the EFL Teacher
This article identifies a few of the most useful iPad tools for EFL teachers and describes how they are actually being used in and out of the classroom.
Dec 28, 2014
Mt. Yakushi-dake (薬師岳), elev. 2926 m, Japan's 27th Highest Mountain
This mountain just about killed me, but Mt. Yakushi-dake had some of the most striking panoramas I've ever seen while climbing the Japan Alps.
Continue reading "Mt. Yakushi-dake (薬師岳), elev. 2926 m, Japan's 27th Highest Mountain"
Dec 28, 2014
Mt. Tateyama (立山) & Mt. Tsurugi-dake (剱岳), Japan's 20th & 22nd Highest Mountains
Mt. Tateyama (立山), elev. 3015 m, and Mt. Tsurugi-dake (剱岳), elev. 2999m, are without question two ofthe mostspectacular mountains in the Northern Japan Alps, if not in all ofJapan.
Continue reading "Mt. Tateyama (立山) & Mt. Tsurugi-dake (剱岳), Japan's 20th & 22nd Highest Mountains"
Dec 25, 2014
Preparing and Presenting Scientific Posters
Online resources for preparing and presenting scientific posters, including design layout, sample posters, poster templates, and sample student posters.
Continue reading "Preparing and Presenting Scientific Posters"
Dec 25, 2014
Gary J. Wolff's Blog Archives, October-December, 2012
Includes videos of my Sept. 2012 Houston vacation, a Pub Elvis reunion, & NORAD Tracks Santa, plus pics of nighttime fall colors in Rikugien Garden.
Continue reading "Gary J. Wolff's Blog Archives, October-December, 2012"
Dec 24, 2014
Are there any small mountains in Japan to climb?
I will be in japan for 2 weeks at the end of April/ beginning of May and I am looking for a small mountain to climb. As I am with someone who is less
Continue reading "Are there any small mountains in Japan to climb?"
Dec 22, 2014
Is it possible to climb Mt. Fuji in February alone without being part of a tour?
Hi Gary, Is it possible to climb Mt. Fuji in February alone without being part of a tour or is the mountain closed during these times? Thanks in advance.
Continue reading "Is it possible to climb Mt. Fuji in February alone without being part of a tour?"
Dec 20, 2014
Strongest Ever Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
The latest news updates about the strongest ever Japan earthquake and tsunami on Mar. 11, 2011, including maps, photos, and videos.
Continue reading "Strongest Ever Japan Earthquake and Tsunami"
Dec 15, 2014
When will the Mt. Fuji summit post office be open in 2015?
Where can I find the service date of the Mt. Fuji summit post office in 2015? Many thanks!!
Continue reading "When will the Mt. Fuji summit post office be open in 2015?"
Dec 14, 2014
Climbing Mt. Fuji - the 3rd time was the charm!
I arrived at Yokota Air Base Japan in June of 1962, not knowing anybody and lonely. I was an Airman 2nd class in the U.S. Air Force. The veterans at my
Continue reading "Climbing Mt. Fuji - the 3rd time was the charm!"
Dec 13, 2014
Gary J. Wolff's Blog Archives, January-March, 2014
Posts include sexy Japanese dancers, a video of my first sunrise of 2014,
Continue reading "Gary J. Wolff's Blog Archives, January-March, 2014"
Dec 07, 2014
Mt. Ontake-san (御嶽山), Japan's 14th Highest Mountain
Pics, maps, and trail description of my Aug. 2001 climb of Mt. Ontake-san (elev. 3067m), Japan's 14th highest mountain.
Continue reading "Mt. Ontake-san (御嶽山), Japan's 14th Highest Mountain"
Dec 07, 2014
Gary J. Wolff's Blog Archives, July-September, 2014
Posts include 2 typhoons striking Japan, my Sept. Texas vacation pics & video, my new “About Me” page, and the eruption of the Mt. Ontake volcano.
Continue reading "Gary J. Wolff's Blog Archives, July-September, 2014"
Gary J. Wolff's Blog archives:
Main Tier 2 Pages:
What's New? (blog)
Highest Mountains in Japan
Strongest Ever Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
Pacific Islands Travel
What Japanese University Students Think About...?
Yoshimizu's Artwork
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