Fifty Things
I love lists. I always have. So while enjoying a perfectly simple holiday-birthday weekend, I was quietly concocting a way of sharing some of my favorite bits of the last year. A Little Miss Year in Pictures, if you will. And then the Queen of List-Making, the irreplaceable Andrea, made this list. And it made [...]
Fin
The last of the black and whites.
From Zats Burger Cafe, Tokyo.
I had avocado on my burger.
We had beers.
This was such a lovely day.
Tucked Away in Corners
For me, one of the most intoxicating and mysterious parts of Japan is the way that everything is not out on display, overt and declarative, but is instead hidden behind curtains and rice-papered windows, discovered through half-open doorways and narrow passageways.
To a hungry person or a nosy curious person, this is at times frustrating, as [...]
Tokyo Subway
On a Tuesday during the late September public holidays, I met some fellow film photographers for a meandering walk through the neighborhoods along the Chuo railway line in Tokyo. This outing gave me the opportunity to finally break out the Polaroid, and also to break in a brand new pair of Vans. One of these [...]
In between
The contract on my short-term apartment ended yesterday, and it’s my second night in a lovely hotel overlooking the Imperial Palace moat. I’m trying to find loopholes in the moat’s infrastructure so I can storm the palace gates before I leave, but I’ve got a lot of other stuff to do in a short amount [...]
Full Circle
My fascination with Japan began in the very early 80’s, when a young Japanese man came to my small New England town to work at my father’s company. He soon brought his young wife and baby, and they moved into a huge apartment in an old Victorian not far from our house. I can’t recall [...]
Old capital with historical spots
Kamakura is well-known as a old capital with a great many temples and shrines. The city is surrounded by mountain on three sides, while to the south it faces Sagami Bay. It is a beautiful tourist area. It has warm climate. Upon entering the back street leading from the busy main roads, you see beautiful [...]
Staycation
Maybe it was the weather. The threat of a typhoon that, until late Friday afternoon, was threatening to ruin any chance at a successful beach holiday; the clouds that have persisted since. Perhaps it was the crowds. The masses of people, all using the 5-day holiday weekend to fill every train, plane, bus, hostel, pension, [...]
Shibuya
The famous, crazy street crossing at Hachiko Plaza in Shibuya, through the JR Station window.
Agfa Vista 400
Rain on Saturday
A little taste of autumn blew through Tokyo on Saturday. A little rain, a book, some movies, a long run around the palace. I was only missing a fireplace and some socks.
Another Bicycle on Film, Agfa Vista 400
Jolly
On Sunday, I had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful Hiki for an afternoon of wandering and eating and snapping cameras. Not only is her Australian accent adorable, but she knows all the best secret hiding places to take a new Tokyo resident. We wandered from one of my favorite neighborhoods, Daikanyama, to another favorite [...]
Summer Wind
The summer wind, came blowin in, from across the sea — Sinatra
A two and a half hour train ride from Tokyo to Shimoda.
A fifteen minute bus ride from Shimoda to Shirahama Beach.
A room at the Gardenvilla Shirahama pension (guesthouse).
A view that blew my mind open.
A typhoon season surf.
A warm summer wind.
A pizza, a beer.
A hot [...]
Beach Days
I fell in love with the beach the first time I put a fistful of sand in my mouth. Sure, sounds terrible now, but I didn’t have any teeth at the time, nor the ability to form concrete memory. This was later (and repeatedly) relayed to me in my older years. “You would just eat [...]
Izakaya
Izakaya are traditional Japanese pubs, often small and intimate, cozy and comfortable. Drinks are served with small dishes that are shared with your table. My first authentic izakaya experience in Tokyo was with two Frenchmen at a spectacular and sophisticated hole in the wall in Ebisu. Literally. We walked up to a wall, they pushed [...]
Bestill my heart
Tokyo, you are pretty dreamy. I love you any time of day, but you are especially magical at night.
Omote-sando on Film
Nakameguro
Last weekend I discovered a little slice of heaven in Tokyo: Nakameguro. A quiet, treelined canal dotted with shops and boutiques, cafés and bistros. We found a cafe along the canal, where we dined on potato wedges and cold beers as the sun dipped behind the rooftops and the crickets begged the evening on.
Not pictured: [...]
