Cyberpunk city diorama

[yuumi2891103]

I’m continually blown away by each update.

Thank you for your continuous support.
I just happened to go help with my daughter's workshop, Yesterday. Cutting a bunch of textiles of ballet costume. Took 6 hours to cut 4 sets of tutus. She was saying your constant support and warm comments really cheer her up every time.
And she asked me to send her gratitude to you.
Thank you for your uncommon kindness, sir.

Katsuhiko Fujihira for Yuki

 

[yuumi2891103]

Working on building a model of western buildings complexes, There are some things that I considered. Many buildings have their styles reflecting the era they were built. I really love them.
On the other hand, I am a Japanese native son. Many Japanese structures and buildings might influence me somehow even if I knew it or not. I don't know if they are reflected in my work. The styles of Japanese structures are really on the opposite side from the western ones. The least decorations and simplicity.
Here I found an interesting video about a Japanese old mansion.
This magnificent American woman bought an abandoned Japanese local house and restore it as close as it was. Those houses are now rarely seen here in Japan. However, it may still look familiar to the eyes of people of my age.

Those houses are nice to live in during the rainy season and from summer to autumn. But it's so chilly in the wintertime due to the tatami floor and poor heating systems and that caused the Japanese life span relatively short. No one even the wealthy wants to build a house like this anymore. It is too expensive and hard to live.

Thanks for looking and I'm happy to hear your comments.

 

[Analyzer]

Very interesting and beautiful stuff in there

Here in Philadelphia, we have what I used to know of as the Japanese "Tea House" in Fairmount park that reminds of something like that if not quite as big

It has been there all my life from what I can remember, and I loved going there every so often, ever since I was a kid

It has since become The Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center and is supposedly something like the the third best ranked Japanese garden in North America

Shofuso History

SHOFUSO HISTORY Shofuso is a 17th century-style Japanese house with associated residential gardens that reflects the history of Japanese culture in Philadelphia. Shofuso was conceived as part of an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Designed by Japanese mid-century modernist

japanphilly.org

 

[JediMichael]

Katsuhiko Fujihira

You know....googling your whole name, I expected to see pictures of awesome models...and maybe more.
I wasn't disappointed,....I see you even have a facebook....The internet is an awesome and scary place.
There was no add button.....and should I now expect men to come and take me away for stocking?

 

[yuumi2891103]

Very interesting and beautiful stuff in there

Here in Philadelphia, we have what I used to know of as the Japanese "Tea House" in Fairmount park that reminds of something like that if not quite as big

It has been there all my life from what I can remember, and I loved going there every so often, ever since I was a kid

It has since become The Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center and is supposedly something like the the third best ranked Japanese garden in North America

Shofuso History

SHOFUSO HISTORY Shofuso is a 17th century-style Japanese house with associated residential gardens that reflects the history of Japanese culture in Philadelphia. Shofuso was conceived as part of an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Designed by Japanese mid-century modernist

japanphilly.org

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You know, the USA has many foreign important things the original country lost it many decades ago. I see this 'Shoin-Zukuri house' which means 'Built bedrooms or any house living facilities around the library(or study room) of the owner (High-class samurai) of the house. It started in the 14 century. I'm so happy that you like this place. Not only this place, I think the city of Philadelphia is one of the finest cities in the USA. Oh, I envy you!

You know....googling your whole name, I expected to see pictures of awesome models...and maybe more.
I wasn't disappointed,....I see you even have a facebook....The internet is an awesome and scary place.
There was no add button.....and should I now expect men to come and take me away for stocking?

I rarely put something up on Facebook. In fact, I still don't understand well how Facebook is working. Add button?! And in google? Yeah, I have never put up pics of any models with my full name. Moreover, I have never put up my work on Japanese hobby sites either. I only love this RPF.
Anyway, I'm relieved that you haven't found my long list of brutal violent criminal records.

 

[JediMichael]

I rarely put something up on Facebook. In fact, I still don't understand well how Facebook is working. Add button?! And in google? Yeah, I have never put up pics of any models with my full name. Moreover, I have never put up my work on Japanese hobby sites either. I only love this RPF.
Anyway, I'm relieved that you haven't found my long list of brutal violent criminal records.

Said they were from Pinterest and Flickr. Also has the RPF logo, so maybe your stuff was linked to there?
Who knows.
I google my JediMichael name and it brings up art work I uploaded long ago. Some I didn't even have a high res version of anymore, and the search did. Nice.

 

[yuumi2891103]

Said they were from Pinterest and Flickr. Also has the RPF logo, so maybe your stuff was linked to there?
Who knows.
I google my JediMichael name and it brings up art work I uploaded long ago. Some I didn't even have a high res version of anymore, and the search did. Nice.

Your high technique and expertise in visual composition are something worth opening to the public. I must check it out!

 

[yuumi2891103]

Recently, my wife is stuck on a youtube video. They are a tour of towns in Europe or the USA. She is thinking there may catch a good idea for gardening. I often watch it with her and I am always gradually getting angry as I see it.
'Why are they so beautiful? They don't even have a single telephone pole. Look at this sense of color! Some old buildings! Is it a legacy of the empire of Rome?' 'Check our town instead. Devastating! Oh, I want to cry.
The reason why many foreigners visit Japan is just its safety? Exotic foods? They may think it interesting but never want to live here. We got to do something about this!'
My wife stared at me and say, shut up and watch!

 

[JediMichael]

I know theres tons and tons of gardens around the world, but when I was still living in Orlando, Florida, one place that had really nice stuff, was

Harry P Leu Gardens of Orlando, Florida.​

The place was first built in 1858 that this guy and his wife had property on, and it just grew to be what it is today. You can look up pictures or videos of the place.

 

[gedmac66]

I’d love to come over for an extended visit/experience.
Your cityscape project is going great guns Katsu-san, and every update is a joy to behold !...., I extend to you and your family the ‘warmest of wishes’ for Christmas, and hoping that the New Year of 2023 will be brighter, and more fortuitous to us all !

 

[Analyzer]

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Recently, my wife is stuck on a youtube video. They are a tour of towns in Europe or the USA. She is thinking there may catch a good idea for gardening. I often watch it with her and I am always gradually getting angry as I see it.
'Why are they so beautiful? They don't even have a single telephone pole. Look at this sense of color! Some old buildings! Is it a legacy of the empire of Rome?' 'Check our town instead. Devastating! Oh, I want to cry.
The reason why many foreigners visit Japan is just its safety? Exotic foods? They may think it interesting but never want to live here. We got to do something about this!'
My wife stared at me and say, shut up and watch!

I would love to see Japan someday

In all fairness Philadelphia is one of the older cities and at one point was the capital of the country so it has a lot of buildings from the 1700s and 1800s still intact

The city for the longest time had a rule that no building could be taller than the hat of the William Penn statue on City Hall (the guy at the top of that building in the first picture. (Here is my own version with my daughter It was at the height of the 202 pandemic so there was no traffic at all which was really eerie)

IN the 1980s and 1990s they broke that rule and built those other modern tall buildings
Some say our sports Teams have been cursed by it

Curse of Billy Penn - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

At any rate one of the reasons the city has so much nice art and design is what they refer to as the 1% rule
It requires the inclusion of site-specific public art in new construction or major renovation projects in the amount of one percent of the total budget.

I think it has been great as you wind up with so much beautiful stuff

50 years of public art in Philly made possible by one simple rule - Association for Public Art

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia's Percent for Art program, the Fairmount Park Art Association's director Penny Balkin Bach is interviewed.

www.associationforpublicart.org

 

[Analyzer]

Although that is not to say "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" if you will, the city has it share of ugliness

I remember there being an iconic statue in one of the center city parks that has some bullet holes in it from stray fire during some shooting many years ago

There are many things to love about the city, and these things do not define most people here, but it is a growing problem for some neighborhoods and also spilling over into some of the tourist areas...

There is currently an opiod epidemic resulting in a lot of homeless people setting up "tent cities" in some areas

It is like the walking dead except instead of zombies it is strung out addicts

Mexico is actually using scenes from the streets of Philadelphia in one if it's anti-drug campaigns

https://twitter.com/x/status/1590013482594107392

and this article highlights some of the problems

The Opioid Crisis Is Worsening Homelessness in Philly. Solving the Problem Is a Matter of Survival

On any given night, more than a thousand people are sleeping on the streets of our city.

www.phillymag.com

 

[yuumi2891103]

I know theres tons and tons of gardens around the world, but when I was still living in Orlando, Florida, one place that had really nice stuff, was

Harry P Leu Gardens of Orlando, Florida.​

The place was first built in 1858 that this guy and his wife had property on, and it just grew to be what it is today. You can look up pictures or videos of the place.

Wow, gorgeous! America's wealthy are on different orders of magnitude! 　

I’d love to come over for an extended visit/experience.
Your cityscape project is going great guns Katsu-san, and every update is a joy to behold !...., I extend to you and your family the ‘warmest of wishes’ for Christmas, and hoping that the New Year of 2023 will be brighter, and more fortuitous to us all !

Thank you so much, Ged-san! May many happy things come to you. Merry Christmas.

I would love to see Japan someday

In all fairness Philadelphia is one of the older cities and at one point was the capital of the country so it has a lot of buildings from the 1700s and 1800s still intact

The city for the longest time had a rule that no building could be taller than the hat of the William Penn statue on City Hall (the guy at the top of that building in the first picture. (Here is my own version with my daughter It was at the height of the 202 pandemic so there was no traffic at all which was really eerie)
View attachment 1650399


IN the 1980s and 1990s they broke that rule and built those other modern tall buildings
Some say our sports Teams have been cursed by it

Curse of Billy Penn - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

At any rate one of the reasons the city has so much nice art and design is what they refer to as the 1% rule
It requires the inclusion of site-specific public art in new construction or major renovation projects in the amount of one percent of the total budget.

I think it has been great as you wind up with so much beautiful stuff

50 years of public art in Philly made possible by one simple rule - Association for Public Art

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia's Percent for Art program, the Fairmount Park Art Association's director Penny Balkin Bach is interviewed.

www.associationforpublicart.org

I think one of the most important things in developing the city is rules and order. And that reflects the intelligence of the citizen living in it. Here, we can't find any rules. Everybody is doing what they want to do. No certain orders. Caos!
By the way, your daughter is so beautiful! I'm her big fan!

Although that is not to say "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" if you will, the city has it share of ugliness

I remember there being an iconic statue in one of the center city parks that has some bullet holes in it from stray fire during some shooting many years ago

There are many things to love about the city, and these things do not define most people here, but it is a growing problem for some neighborhoods and also spilling over into some of the tourist areas...

There is currently an opiod epidemic resulting in a lot of homeless people setting up "tent cities" in some areas

It is like the walking dead except instead of zombies it is strung out addicts

Mexico is actually using scenes from the streets of Philadelphia in one if it's anti-drug campaigns

https://twitter.com/x/status/1590013482594107392

and this article highlights some of the problems

The Opioid Crisis Is Worsening Homelessness in Philly. Solving the Problem Is a Matter of Survival

On any given night, more than a thousand people are sleeping on the streets of our city.

www.phillymag.com

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An issue with drugs is the top thing to be solved. I heard that the problems started during the '60 upheaval. War in Vietnam, sexual liberty,... Most Japanese have a firm complex for the usage of drugs since so long ago. Most of us are unwilling to take even an aspirin. Maybe that might slightly prevent the issue.
Instead, we have another serious issue here. I said we have a certain complex with using drugs. But for alcohol, none. Recently, several major breweries here selling new drinks. It is a last resort product to avoid the government's tax system and be able to sell them cheaply. It is basically a fruit soda with 9 percent of ethyl alcohol in a half-litter can.

You can buy them for less than 100 yen（70 cents). It is the half price of a 350 ccs can of beer. You can drink it smoothly and now it's getting very popular with women. To forget about the stressful days, most of them drink 3 or 4 cans at a time every day. Which means you take 6 ounces of pure alcohol. Maybe equal to 9 to 10 shots of whisky. Get stoned badly and quickly. Some are dead these days. Great... besides, tons of garbage cans. See, 3 or 4 cans every day. 100 to 120 garbage cans or more a month for a single house. I actually often see them in a collecting spot on a can garbage collection day every week. Tons of them! And the people of the neighboring country living in Japan have taken note of this, and there have been frequent cases of can garbage theft. They ship it right away to their home country. Municipalities in Japan lose millions of dollars. Double great!...

By the way. I see the steel pillar in the last pic. Using rivets. I think it was built in the old time. Looking good to me. I want to try to build it in for a diorama.

 

[Analyzer]

What a shame. That drink sounds like it is specifically targeted to younger people. Sad to say, everywhere there is some vice or another

The drug scene may have seen a rise in the 60's, but the opiod addiction stuff is kind of a newer thing in the last 20 years.
Most of those living in those tent cities aren't pot heads, or other fashionable drugs from that era, but are heroin/opiod addicts

It saw a sharp rise due to Doctors giving out opiod prescriptions like they were candy and then when the prescriptions stopped, people started turning towards the street drug knockoffs of them

Worse are the first responders to some of those who overdose. They give them a shot of Narcan to bring them back and the people will actually start yelling, swinging, and throwing punches at them because they just ruined their high. The paramedics and cops also have to be careful not to touch anything that might have phentanyl on it as it actually absorbs through the skin, and even a small does can be deadly

I apologize for going off topic so far with that rant, it is just sadly, I had both friends and family members get caught up in that whole thing and it was sad and frustrating watching them deteriorate.

But back on topic, luckily you don't have to worry about that or depict that in your cool diorama
No tents needed

By the way. I see the steel pillar in the last pic. Using rivets. I think it was built in the old time. Looking good to me. I want to try to build it in for a diorama.

That is for the what people here refer to as the "EL" (elevated train) of the Market-Frankford line

It runs up over the streets instead of like a Subway running below them.

New York and I think Chicago have a similar set of trains as well

It is a very cool feature and something similar might look really good in your diorama, especially if you had some kind of sci-fi looking train

This is what it looks like from above and below

 

[yuumi2891103]

Thank you, Analyzer-san.
It's really a shame about that liquor. But we can't blame it only on the makers. The root of this problem turns to the ridiculous tax systems of our government. And younger workers' salaries haven't been rising for the last 30 years. Who can buy 20 dollar 6-pack of beer with 7 dollar hourly wage?

Oh, I didn't know about the new drugs. It's terrible. You have to protect your family. I don't know about the situation inside the school there but if anyone of the students gets caught up in it, it's very dangerous.

And thank you for the beautiful pics. It's really stimulating to me.
Those buildings on both sides of the track are very beautiful and even the graphics on their walls are looking cool. I will definitory build it!

 

[Analyzer]

And thank you for the beautiful pics. It's really stimulating to me.
Those buildings on both sides of the track are very beautiful and even the graphics on their walls are looking cool. I will definitory build it!

The graffiti is actually pretty artistic

I would always be looking out the train window spotting all the new stuff and murals on the various rooftops

 

[yuumi2891103]

This is a real art—a sense of color and description. My daughter Yuki visited New York several years ago and one of the most impressive things was the amazing graffiti on the wall of buildings. She said she was shocked! That national talent is another national treasure.

 

[joberg]

Lots of topics of discussion made for other threads, I'm sure
In Brussels, Belgium (where I was born and raised) Leopold II bought the tower from the 1900 Expo from the Japanese delegation.
It's a museum and you can visit it year round.
Art Deco took three styles as inspiration: Old Egypt, Africa Art and Japanese Design.

 

[yuumi2891103]

That must be a big expense. Leopold 2 got a big wallet for sure.
In a recent popular TV show, they are using a very old house as the residence of the main character.
It is the Hayama Kachi-tei - Kachi-residence in Hayama-
in Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan built-in 1928 by Shin-Shimizu who was a beloved apprentice of Frank Lloyd Write. It was obtained by a Japanese Private company and restored. Now it's open to the public for a stay or wedding ceremony. Very beautiful house. I guess you love it.

 

[yuumi2891103]

A few days ago, I've started to restore the sewing machine stand.
The condition was not bad but very filthy and some rust are here and there.

So, I washed it up and broke down each part. Stripped the paint and remove rust. Sanded and wire-brushed. I really need a sandblaster! And primed.

Then sprayed a can of gold paint all over.

Then I cut masking tape into thin stripes.

And apply it.

Sprayed a can of black paint all over.

Polished nuts and bolts and then applied gun blue.

Reassembled.

JUKI means the Japanese word for heavy machinery. In WW2 JUKI was manufacturing military machine guns and cannons.

Just 5 days of work. It was chilly outside but Yuki looks so happy with it. Looks like I did a little good thing at the end of the year.

Thanks for looking!