Canyon Boak

The first night in Sakuhomachi we stayed in a small cabin built by the husband of a local couple with which we were planning to stay with via AirBnB. The cabin was up a small road past many rice fields, nestled in the mountains. It had a small stove and pulled water up from the nearby stream that could be used for cleaning. In such an extremely tranquil setting, sitting down at the desk looking out of the front of the building, one could read, draw or write without any distractions. This was by far my favorite spot. They had a nice collection of books, including the Earth Sea Trilogy, a book I loved as a child, in Japanese and an interesting book on the art of building your own ‘space’ in the form of cabins and dachas. Here, it was easy to take pleasure in the little aspects of living free of distractions. Making tea, cooking rice in a clay pot, drawing with colored pencils, and being cozy in the futon nestled in the small loft.

長野県佐久穂町で妙義神社の廃墟です。In the countryside town of Sakuhomachi where I was staying this past weekend, there was a very old abandoned shrine at the top of a local mountain. To get there you walk up through the local town and up a broken road past a terrace of rice fields, up to a point where the forest begins and there is a small metal fence to keep out deer. When you enter the gate you quickly are absorbed by the forest, and there is a small brook that if you follow takes you past some now overgrown rock sculptures to a very tall, steep stone stairway that goes all the way to the top of the small mountain. Climbing it takes about 15 minutes or so. At the top the broken stone path continues, eventually leading up to two small aged wooden buildings, one being the shrine. The shrine is locked up, but some have still left offerings in front of the door which have aged in the sun. On the path up to the shrine, a recently bloomed red mountain flower has shed its peddles onto the stone pathway. 

Walking home after one of the last trains around 23:30 or so at night. Closed shops still have their signs and other lights lit as people try to get home in time. To get to our apartment you must wind your way through a maze of side streets that get progressively smaller. Its this allocation of space that I find so appealing to living in here. It feels like it was organically built as needed over time.

River at ueno. Seems to reflect the feeling of this part of the city. In comparison to other more touristy parts of the city, this view felt like it presented a taste of just how expansive Tokyo is, and how many types of areas it encompasses. 

many buildings in Ueno have a grittier feel than other parts of the city. I liked the fire escapes on this one, and how the side of the building was a pale yellow, next to its teal front.

On the way to Ueno, waiting for the yamanote line. At Shinjyuku station and others there are automated doors to keep people away from the tracks. These stations are very thin and easily get crowded.

Walking from Harajyuku station. In black and white this photo does a better job of building contrast between the foreground pedestrians and the complex shadows being cast by the trees along the street. This area has lots of fancy shops and a very modern feel.

At the Meiji shrine there is an area where you can write a wish/prayer on a piece of wood and they will hang it up around this massive tree. 

A lot of the other photos from this trip have been focused on scenes. There are a lot of interesting lines and patterns in the city, because of the various kinds of architecture. 

I remember this bridge from the last time I visited shibuya because of its distinct color. Even something like a train bridge has visible history. Lots of different elements and colors crammed together into a small place. Under the bridge you can park you bike, or pass through to the other side. Stone walls line either side along side aged steel and concrete. And there even is a sign showing the max height for the bridge, just incase a small truck or something had to pass through ;)

Walking around in Shibuya. I have always been fond of the size of trucks in Japan. Being able to drive around the small local streets to deliver just about anything seems very practical. Its also fun to see them on the larger parts of the city, along side pedestrian’s and bikers. 

Walking to the store to pick up some breakfast items. Both the car and the building had a light blue + cream thing going on. I also found the staircase on the apartment building to be striking. Little details like having it outside the building, painted another color, with steps jutting out of the underside gives it detail a lot of other simple buildings don’t receive. 

原宿で泊まっている場所と近くの背景です。

Visiting Pure Cafe this morning Minato, Tokyo. Amazing food + Reading about Vegan cooking in Japan. Putting my app Tako to the test adding words as I read over breakfast. 

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 + XF 35mm f1.4 (ISO 200 f/13 1/120s)

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 + XF 35mm f1.4 (ISO 800 + f1.4 + 1/125) 

Nikon D300 35mm f1.8 (ISO 800 42.0 1/400)