Sports

With the summer being as insufferably hot as it has been, and indeed somewhat surprisingly still is, getting away from the urban sprawl for a little while and doing what one wants to is wonderful.

Especially so in fact if maybe, just maybe, there is a higher degree of enjoying that rarest of beasts, a breeze.

For me at least, faffing about with the iPhone’s TiltShift Generator app never fails to fascinate, and although the results can be more than a little mixed, the better ones undoubtedly offer a different take on a topic — such as, for example, the fairly recently featured Kyotei boat racing stadium, photos of which, when fiddled about with for a few minutes, look really rather fetching.

Other contests can take on a slightly different feel too. Like the daily effort to beat other drivers.

Or simply others’ drives.

Plus there is also the sad sight of homeless ‘homes’ by the river.

And finally, the considerably more calming find of fishermen perched around a pond.

As always, some of these pictures have been previously posted at Tokyotimes’s Posterous, where all my iPhone photos, whether tilt-shift or otherwise, are posted.

Japanese boat racing (kyotei) certainly doesn’t have the same image as its bigger and much more respectable relative, horse racing, as there are no fancy hats or royal connections down by the river. No families either. Just boats and lots of betting.

A sport that unashamedly boasts a collar as blue as the water, or at least boat number 4.

And, perhaps due to its lack of airs and graces, and much more functional rather than fancy facilities, it is one of the friendliest and most welcoming places I have ever had the pleasure to visit in Tokyo.

Of course that said, when it came to figuring out the form of the drivers.

And watching the actual races.

Whether precariously,

or otherwise perched.

It was all seriousness and solitary silence.

But in-between races, there were waves (of the non-water variety), greetings and the biggest and warmest of smiles a newcomer could ever hope for. The latter in particular being especially pleasant, as despite it being so simple, it’s something that sadly isn’t seen so much in Tokyo.

Meaning that without a doubt I’ll be back. And maybe next time I’ll get a result, allowing me to add financial gain to the fun.

A hope that a lucky t-shirt might just help me with.

With a pen, paper and some possible positivism, for this fella at least, the weekend is all about a walk, and more importantly, a wager.