photographing tokyo

often, i'll see a photo and know right away that it was taken in japan. but it takes a while to figure out what it is that i recognize, the give-away in the picture.

sometimes it's simple -- a vending machine, a stop sign -- other times it's more subtle, like electrical lines that criss cross the skyline, or a decorative cement block. it's something i think about when i take snapshots of tokyo. the scenery is so familiar to me that i need to make a conscious effort to recognize what's beautiful or interesting. it helps to be away for a while and have the eyes of an outsider.  

recognizing the extraordinary in the every day seems to come naturally for my friend hidemi, a photographer whom my friends refer to as "that crazy friend of yours..." it was a treat to go for a walk with her around ebisu and shibuya, stopping here and there to take photos of the weird and beautiful.

happy new year

everybody in tokyo seems to be talking about one thing this new year, and that's "danshari" -- a word using the three chinese characters for "refusal", "abandonment" and "separation" (断捨離). it's meant to signify the pursuit of a simple and uncluttered life, by throwing away things you no longer need and learning to live with less. there's no doubt that a decade of deflation and economic stagnation is forcing people to re-evaluate their behavior. about a dozen people i met this past week have cited it as a resolution for the year.

but i'm all for new year's resolutions, and here are mine:

- read books more slowly. book-devouring all-nighters are a bad habit from high school.
- more japanese cooking!
- more photography. maybe try landscape this year? which means i'd need a new lens (danshari, danshari...)
- get back to swimming.
- learn a new language. i'll keep you posted on this one...