Last night I traveled to one of my favorite places in Japan, Nara, for its annual Mt. Wakakusa burning festival.  Little did I know that this festival existed until just a few weeks ago.  Quite interested in the fact that a mountain is set on fire for all to see, I set aside time to view this spectacle with several of my friends who live in Nara. 

The festivities began at 6:00 p.m. with some fireworks to illuminate the sky before the mountain was ignited.  I was there for about 30 minutes to take some pictures of the site and take in the cold surroundings before heading off to my friend Hiroyoshi's house for dinner. 

It was definitely worthwhile to experience this event, however there was nothing more to it than seeing a mountain being set on fire. 

For visuals, please visit my photo page.

To kickoff the 2008 Xmas season a little early, I held my annual Xmas party at the Garden City Club Osaka (GCCO) on Saturday, December 13.  At the same venue where Justin's party got started in 2007, the GCCO did a wonderful job in providing service to the over 180 people who attended the party.  Add to it a special live performance by Brent Byrne and of course yours truly dressed up as Santa, and you can just imagine what kind of a special night it was. 

For an inside look at what transpired at the party, please feel free to visit the photos section.

In a first for me, I took my party on the road to Kyoto on Saturday, November 8 to the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Kyoto.  Even though it was the smallest party of the year with just over 50 in attendance, the ambiance at the hotel made it a very pleasurable experience for all.  Plus, the food was remarked as being out of the this world (as is always the case I did not have much of a chance to sample the food however)! 

As most of the parties in Kansai are held right in the heart of Osaka, I, for one, am interested in revisiting Kyoto again in 2009 to give the Kobe and Osaka communities the chance to interact with the Kyoto community.

For some snapshots taken at the event, please be sure to visit the photos section on my site.

Gaining my inspiration from music and movie stars in the States, I longed for throwing my own birthday bash at a high class venue with a DJ and a bunch of my friends.  Little did I think that this reality would happen so soon!  Just like in the movie, Field of Dreams, "if you think it, it (they) will come", and lone and behold people did come and a figment of my imagination literally became a reality.

Sunday, October 12, 2008 was definitely a day to remember.  The location was the Imperial Osaka, one of the premier hotels in the city.  Package that with one of my friends, DJ Seeb, who is a DJ from Italy, and 110 guests, and you have yourself the makings of a very promising party.

And so that I don't forget what transpired on the day, a very good friend of mine actually took live footage at the party and presented me with a professionally edited 15 minute DVD a few weeks later.  Quite a present to cherish indeed.

To view the many pictures taken at the event, please access the photos section on this site.