Old Tokyo bar expressions
This bar is incredibly photogenic, but as ever, it’s the people that make it truly interesting. And this man, with his wonderfully expressive face, is another lovely example.
For more photos of this bar and its fascinating array of regulars, my slowly growing series can be seen here.
Japanese nationalists at Yasukuni Shrine on Foundation Day
When February 11th (National Foundation Day) rolls round, I always feel compelled to go and photograph the same group of nationalists who gather at Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine. Exactly why I feel the need to go I don’t know. Photographically, I’ll likely never get the snow that helped create my best shot there back in 2011. Plus when it comes to politics, I find everything the nationalists stand for utterly repugnant.
And yet still I go.
Perhaps it’s simply the spectacle. Their brief, but dramatic appearance is certainly like nothing else I’ve ever seen in Japan. Or indeed any other country for that matter. There’s also the challenge I suppose, as it puts me in the uncomfortable position of having to stand right in front of a bunch of people who have little time for me, and even less for my political leanings. It may even be the fact that despite our differences, it’s hard not to feel at least a grudging respect, as regardless of their faults, they always tone down the rhetoric and solemnly pray for the souls of Japan’s fallen men and women.
Anyway, whatever the reason, or indeed reasons, below are a few of the images I came away with this year. For anyone interested, there’s also a broader selection of nationalist photos on my portfolio site, here.
Striking Tokyo eyelashes
Some eyelashes are definitely more striking than other eyelashes.
The bleak beauty of a suburban Tokyo park?
The bleak, and yet strange beauty of a Sunday afternoon in the Tokyo suburbs.
A quiet Tokyo sake or two, in colour
In February of last year, I took this photo of a man enjoying a quiet sake or two just a few metres from the hustle and bustle of noisy Ueno. At the time, black and white seemed to work best. A look I’m still very happy with. But recently, when re-evaluating The Drinkers section of my portfolio, I decided to see how it looked in colour. Like similar experiments with a Shinto priest and a young woman feeding a pigeon in an alleyway, the results are interesting, if not always conclusive.
The Priest portrait I now prefer in colour. No doubt about it whatsoever. The woman in the alleyway depends on what mood I’m in when I see it. And with this one I can’t make my mind up at all. There’s an extra warmth to the colour image that I like. It makes the man seem more content. At the same time, however, the more ageless element of the photo is lost somewhat.
What is for certain is that I got very lucky with the shot. Shortly after taking it, those wonderfully grubby windows were scrubbed clean. And sadly, with the grime went a considerable amount of the bar’s character.
