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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Island
This is how it works: sun, hot, beach, book, sandals, purple yam soft serve, sleeping cats, shrines, tiny shops, steep steps, shady path, stunning view, Fuji, incense, garden, hawks, observatory, music, magicians, yaki soba, cold beer, book, sun, hot, terrace, long shadows, flat rocks, big ocean, meandering path, cool breeze, sun sets, thai noodles, more […]
Enoshima
Japan, you had me at konnichiwa. Sure we had that falling out last week with all those earthquakes. You made me think long and hard about our future. But then you surprised me with a weekend on the seaside, and well, let’s just call it a wash.
Octopus Hot Dogs and So On
Wednesday evening, my friends Meera and Ross rescued me from what otherwise would have been another steamy night with a series of graphs, flowcharts and charts explaining How the Internet Works. Thank you, Meera and Ross. Thank you from the depths of my soul. As part of her yearly quest home to Singapore, Meera was […]
With Sincere Heart
When I moved to Korea, my first weekend in Seoul was during the Lunar New Year holiday. I lived in a relatively quiet, residential neighborhood away from the busy-ness of central Seoul, made even quieter by the national holiday. Shops were closed, streets were empty, not a creature was stirring, and so on. My first […]
A few favorites
A few favorite things during my first week: Bicycles Mornings on the patio Miso baked halibut with genmai and seaweed soup for lunch ($8) Powerpoint (Actually, no. But it owns me. OWNS ME!) The vast selection of convenience store puddings and custards French shows on Japanese TV (the only ones I understand) The flower shop […]
I wasn’t prepared for this
Three weeks ago. G-chat. Me: So I have question. Bill: Yup. Me: If my company, say, was offering to send me to Tokyo for three months, and let’s say hypothetically, I had two hours to decide, um, I would be stupid to turn it down, right? Bill: Right. Me: I mean, it’s only three months, […]
I took a ferry to Japan
For my birthday, I took a ferry to Japan. Yes, that is as romantic as it sounds. I’m sure that to people in Japan and Korea that sounds average, so-so, ordinary. But to a girl who grew up on a different coast, very far away, I assure you it is neither so-so nor ordinary. For […]
