Back in March my wife and I saw Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope), a movie about a trio of high school kids who bond over jazz in 1966 Sasebo. It was kind of a big deal in Sasebo…
Hiroshima Survivors I: Honkawa Elementary School
The A-Bomb Dome is an iconic ruin and solemn reminder of Aug. 6, 1945. Seemingly a lone holdout from another time, it’s surrounded by tall, modern buildings and across from it is a serene park dedicated to peace. It feels…
Forgotten History in Ofuna
I was digging through old photos last week and I stumbled on some shots I snapped back in 2015 of a large, but rather unremarkable temple in nearby Ofuna. I visited with a friend on a dull summer day,…
The Base Beyond the Gates: Walking the former Sasebo Chinjufu
One of the things I like the most about living in Sasebo is that its naval history surrounds me and is accessible on a scale I haven’t seen at the other former Imperial Japanese Navy port cities. (Kure comes close…
Naritasan Shinshoji Temple – Respite Near the Airport
Dave Hansche here. It is my week to post an article, but I am really busy. Recently started a new job, photo sessions all weekend, and more upcoming this week. But I also know I’ve not been great about…
It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere: Churchill War Rooms
(I apologize for the image quality in this story. These images were taken in 2013, before I got my current camera.) “It’s five o’clock somewhere,” may have been Sir Winston Churchill state of mind 24-7 but in the Churchill War…
Exploring Sakura
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being hired for a photo shoot in Narita in Chiba Prefecture, in an amazing park and temple complex not far from Narita Airport that I will have to write about sometime…
Old School Toyosato : Visiting the Real-Life School from K-On!!
The other day after a whirlwind weekend of sakura planting, reenacting and touring the greater Maizuru area I decided that before starting the long trip back to Sasebo I needed to take a break. Get some country air and have…
Kanazawa – An Ever-Changing Castle
Kanazawa Castle. These shots have been sitting in the archives since early last year, waiting for me to get around to writing it up here at Wayfarer Daves. Finally, it’s time to revisit the New Years 2017 grand adventure…
Hitting the Sasebo Slopes: Finding Kids on the Slope Film Locations
Recently Kids on the Slope (Sakamichi no Apollon) came out in theaters and its not an understatement to say it’s been a big deal in Sasebo. The movie is about a trio of high school students who bond over their…