japan
5.30.19 - 8.29.19
Well, sit down and grab yourself a drink, this is going to be a long one.
Man, what a time....no COVID, no major declaration, no recruitment, nothing but learning Japanese for a few hours a day and absolute freedom to explore a mystical island nation on the other side of the world for the rest.
I had just gotten my new A7III, and to say I was trigger happy would be an understatement. Being in a completely different culture and environment for a quarter of a year thrust me into daily shooting right away, and served as my first awakening as a photographer.
To distill the thousands of photos I took over this three month period into a few representative images would be a near-impossible feat so I’m not even gonna try. Instead, these photos are ones that I wouldn’t necessarily include in a portfolio, but rather represent the pure discovery and wonder of that halcyon era. So indulge me for a moment if I enter into a bit of a photo-blogging mode. Just for this one post, I promise.
Enjoy!
Week 1: arrival in Japan
day 1: landed in Tokyo and took the Shinkansen bullet train to Kanazawa.
We literally arrived on the day of the Hyakumangoku Matsuri, the largest festival in Kanazawa, featuring a thousand person parade. What a first day!
met a cool japanese granny who owned a paper store. We couldn’t communicate with her very well but she made us gifts!
food and musuems
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all just within the first week!
beaches, rice fields, catching waves, onsens, making salt, cute animals, and karaoke. Yep, this is peak Japan
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all just within the first week!
Week 2: cats, back alleys, and class trip to Noto peninsula
Week 5: Osaka!
temples, aquarium, ramen, and a castle in the rain
temples, aquarium, ramen, and a castle in the rain
Week 9: Mt Hakusan
one of the 3 holy mountains of Japan along with Fuji and Tateyama. probably as close to the moon’s surface geologically as I’ll ever get.
Week 12: Fukuoka
a brief stint in the largest city on Kyushu island. some very cool people here
Week 13: Tokyo!
I finally made it. All those years of training on Crunchyroll and Rosetta stone have finally paid off desu.
The infamous Akihabara
Absolutely incredible views atop Tokyo Skytree
Probably the most epic day ever: spent the day biking around all of Tokyo.
From Tsujiki Fish Market to the Imperial Palace, from Tokyo Tower to Sophia University, from Art Aquarium to Mori Art Museum.
Tokyo: truly the Japan of the world.
congrats! you made it to the end!