Traditional techniques are all well and good, but sometimes, a bit of modern machinery is much easier on the engineers, if not the eye.
A traditional pagoda undergoing less traditional preservation
Culture
Kimono celebration or sadness?
They may not be that uncommon, but the kimono is probably still a sight that it’s impossible to tire of. The patterns, and their almost timeless appearance, making them very difficult to pass by without a second glance — or sometimes even a stare. And as they are generally only worn for special events, there’s often a real sense of occasion about them too.
But with these two ladies, that inevitable second glance seemed to detect more sadness than celebration.
Old Tokyo shops and their owners
With its mix of the modern and traditional, Tokyo really is a city of contrasts — startling ones sometimes. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the capital’s buildings, along with the businesses that inhabit them. Yes, the big name brands occupy plush boutiques and state-of-the-art structures, but for every one of them, there are several mom-and-pop shops down a side street offering all kinds of stuff or services.
These generally tiny places come in all sorts of (often ramshackle) shapes, but arguably the most interesting are the ones that still maintain the traditional home-cum-store setup.
A sliding door, curtain or simply nothing separating the shop from the sitting room — offering a fascinating look into both a person’s livelihood and life.
An aspect of the buildings that while interesting architecturally, is still nowhere near as intriguing as the people who actually live and work in them.
A striking foreign Maiko in Asakusa
OK, she’s not a real Maiko, just a woman dressed up for a TV show. But with the country’s most famous non-Japanese Geisha having recently quit the profession, leaving only one left, it’s probably about as near as any foreign female is going to get for the foreseeable future.
And she did make for quite a striking sight.
A sight one doesn’t see everyday, that’s for sure.
The fun of a festival visible in a young girl’s face
Japanese festivals are many things: Invariably they are visually stunning. Now and again they are only held at night. And on rare occasions they are even a bit rude. But far and away the most important thing is that they are fun.
An element that the expression on this young girl’s face encapsulates way better than any words I could ever wish to put together.
Young sumo wrestlers photographed at a festival
From a personal point of view, sumo has quickly gone from a sport that I followed enthusiastically, to one that sadly I now pay very little attention to. The treatment and forced resignation of an admittedly controversial but at the same time colourful Grand Champion, and then the far more worrying revelations of match-fixing, have arguably made it a sport in the very loosest sense of the word, as well as one mired in small-mindedness and criminality.
Rather harsh criticism perhaps, but along with the aforementioned issues, and a complete lack of Japanese winners (let alone Yokozuna) for many years, has caused local fans to also turn their back on the sport, with ticket sales down and interest at an all-time low.
Yet despite this, and in 2007 the Japan Sumo Association suffering — for the first time in its history — a total lack of applicants from would-be Japanese wrestlers, there is still hope. Yes, it’ll never be able to compete with baseball and soccer in the coming years, but some youngsters are still interested, and if the passion and commitment of the kids pictured below is anything to go by, then sumo is very much alive and kicking.
Getting ready for their turn in the ring, the young lads in question waited patiently in order.
And although there may have been some nerves, there was also an awful lot of fun to be had while watching the other bouts.
But, when it came down to business, there was no more silliness — none whatsoever.
Instead they fought hard.
And fair.
Until there was a fall.
Making it an event that was competitive, fun and controversy free, as well as a spectacle for all the right reasons. Something those running the sport could do with recapturing – quickly.