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For the first time in what seems like a very long
time I finally had a chance to go out and explore some
new ground this past weekend.
Last week when I was deciding where to go (and not
having any luck) I ended up referencing one of my Tokyo
guide books.
Even though I have been living here for more than 5
years, I still rely on things like guidebooks to help
find new places to visit. (Though suggestions from friends
and visitors are a better source of information, guidebooks
can work in a pinch.)
After a little searching I decided to head up to the
Shitamachi area of Tokyo. My main reason for deciding
to go there was the fact that I had not yet seen it
for myself.
Shitamachi is a section of Tokyo on the Northern end
of the Yamanote loop that is home to a veritable maze
of old houses, small shops, and countless shrines and
temples.
Being close to Ueno it shares some of the charm of
older Tokyo. Not nearly as polished and pretty as other
areas, Shitamachi still holds plenty for the curious
explorer to find. One could say it is on the wrong side
of the tracks.
If you are looking for old architecture, then Shitamachi
is your place. It seems to have been left behind during
Japans bubble economy, and contains some of the more
interesting old houses and shops I have seen in Tokyo.
The real pleasure of wandering through Shitamachi is
the fact that it is such a maze of small winding alleyways,
crooked streets, and surprises around every corner.
The heavy overcast sky meant that after a while I could
not tell which way was North and consequently I got
turned around pretty well while following the winding
alleyways.
Eventually I ended up bumping into a subway station
as a light rain began to fall so that was a good time
to call it a day and head home.
--
Every so often I feel the need to stop blogging the
way I do it right now (hand posting using dreamweaver
and an FTP client) and switch over to a Content Management
System (CMS) that will allow me to update this site
using a web based input method. The problem I have been
having though is the fact that none of the off the shelf
solutions fit for Sushicam. Either a system will be
great at showcasing images, but not text, or great at
text, but weak in the image department.
I did take a step in the right direction when I finally
applied templates and CSS to all my pages, but a full
blown CMS would be taking it one step further. What
I really want is a web based input system that will
allow me to post updates from anywhere. It would also
allow me to post mobile updates if/when I ever get around
to having a cell phone.
I have yet to find a CMS that will allow me (most of
) the flexibility of Dreamweaver. (Not sure this would
ever really be possible..) But I need to do something
since I am getting a little worn down about how much
effort it can take to manage the content here. Consequently
I have decided to seriously rekindle my search for a
CMS.
Separating content from design is the single most important
reason to use a CMS. If I had one piece of advice to
any person interested in starting a site like this it
would be to choose a good CMS. The time you save by
doing so can be enormous.
Just last week I found out about a CMS called "iUpload".
Their personal publisher looks to be a pretty close
fit to what I am looking for. The only bad part is that
as of now it is not able to be loaded to my own server
and thus I am unable to customize the template.
Take a look at the test
site I made and let me know what you think.
In the meantime the search for the perfect Sushicam
CMS continues...
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