The photo: A geiko leaving the exclusive Ichiriki Ochaya in Gion, Kyoto. Snapped by Declan Murphy, November 6th 2002 with bog standard Olympus 3.3 mp digicam.

Click image for more photos. All text and images on the yamasa.org, yamasa.tv, yamasa.cc & declan.tv domains are copyright 1996-2006 Declan Murphy, except this one and the Nymagee stamp.

Travelling in Japan: I've been editing/compiling an online guide. This is partly a hobby, partly to support the Discovery Program project which enables students to see more interesting parts of Japan than is possible via public transport, and at lower prices etc. There are some broken links and incomplete sections - it grows weekly but will never be finished. Ideas & help welcome.

PREFECTURE / REGION Aichi Chiba Gifu Hokkaido Hyogo Kanagawa Kyoto Mie Nagano Nara Osaka Shiga Shizuoka Tokyo Toyama Wakayama Yamanashi CITY / TOWN / VILLAGE Hikone Ise Komagane Kyoto Matsumoto Nagahama Nagano Nagoya Nara Okazaki Otsu Sapporo Seto Shirakawa-go Takayama Uji ACTIVITY OR INTEREST Arts Online Ayu Fishing Culture Magazine Encyclopedia History Online National Parks Phrasebook Skating Surfing Guide Trekking/Hiking Guide Ski/Winter Sports Guide World Heritage Nightlife Temples White-water Rafting

Declan's Homepage

Greetings and salutations. This corner of the site is the humble abode of , director of the international office of the Yamasa Institute, narcissist, and definitely not the former jockey in Hong Kong. My name is Declan (meaning/pronunciation), or Déaglán in Irish. Hoopy froods who know the time and where their towel is can get my contact details here. This site is best viewed using a computer with a screen (card punches aren't entirely recommended).

This directory contains some bits'n'pieces (for those of you who foolishly lost the deadtree copy so lovingly printed for you at not-entirely-great expense, or if you arrived late, or are simply unusually & inexplicably keen.)

• Student Visa Application Kit
• Student Manual (PDF)
• Print Catalog (General) / Print Catalog (Prices/Dates) (PDF)
• Faculty Office orientation for
  • AIJP/AJSP/ACCP1 (PDF)
  • SILAC/ACCP2/Internship & Discovery (PDF)
• Student Services Office orientations for
  • Short Courses (2-12 weeks) (PDF)
  • Longer Courses (3-24 months) (PDF)
• Housing Office orientations for
  • Short Courses (2-12 weeks) (PDF)
  • Longer Courses (3-24 months) (PDF)
• Guidebook: Okazaki City Guide
• Study Japanese in Hokkaido - Sapporo Japanese Summer Programs

• Things I'm not very helpful with
• Things I'm somewhat helpful with
• "How to Declan"
• How to run an International Office...
• How to make rum balls...
• Hydrangeas... & a Hibiscus
• St. Patrick's Day in Japan