After finally escaping the huge urban sprawl that is Tokyo and its surrounding areas, the rural landscape one is greeted with really isn’t much prettier. Ramshackle, corrugated homes dot the horizon, and more populated areas are a mass of gaudy pachinko parlours and big box stores. Even the ever-present rice fields aren’t appealing, at least around this time of year, as they merely form a nondescript patchwork of brown, lifeless squares.
But that said, life is lived a lot slower, and day-to-day living seems far less stressful. Plus the people are, without a doubt, much more friendly.
sullivan says
everybody has their own way of living, im the one who want to live like this, just no more stressful
Lee says
Not sure I could live in the country full time, but as much as I like living in the city, there are times when I need to escape it.
loveinjapanese says
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
“With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow – I have still joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness are to me as a floating cloud.”
Confucius
500 BC
john says
and that outfit is neither lifeless nor square!
Lee says
It’s not. Not in the slightest!
Linette says
God, I would love to sit down with her and chat over a cup of ocha. What stories she must have.
Lee says
She must. Hard to imagine the changes she must have seen…
willy says
I love this country stuff in Japan.. this woman .. her expression and demure.. reminds me of an old neighbor coming across to my field with a bag in her hand yelling ‘chuuri kuwanigai?’or ‘Want some cucumbers? in Fukushima dialect. a sweet little memory.
Lee says
Living in Tokyo that’s something I’ve never really experienced. Meeting people like this woman is sadly the nearest I’ve got.
Ming Yu says
What a sweet lady and an equally charming smile!! 🙂 And just awesome of her to be so accomodating. Would you know her story(s) ,by any chance?
Lee says
Yeah, she really was lovely. God knows how far she’d walked too, as there was not much else nearby. But sadly no, I asked to take her photo and she told me to take care ‘cos it was cold, but that was about it.
Hans ter Horst says
Spot on, after having spent so much time in the large cities, the last few visits I really discovered the countryside and fell in love with it. Everybody is friendly, has time for a chat and seems much more positive about life even though life seems harsher in the countryside.
Lee says
Yes, for all the convenience and entertainment Japanese cities offer, those in the countryside do, on the surface at least, seem a lot happier with their lot in life.
Dale says
How much post processing do you normally do? I ask because of the blurred/noisy (not in a bad way) background directly behind this lovely lady and not, say, the left side of the gravel.
Always enjoy your work even if I rarely comment.
Lee says
Thanks!
Not a huge amount to be honest. Mostly just exposure, contrast etc. I think the background looks different because it’s foliage. Plus I shot it at f/2 I think. Or certainly there abouts.