Wrapping up Japan, for now

I’m back in New York now. I didn’t give myself much time to sit and write during my final days in Tokyo. And settling back in to life in the city a good blog does not make.

I miss Japan already. Six days of exploring Tokyo to conclude a whirlwind of a trip felt right. It feels like I could spend months walking around Tokyo and still have more to explore.

I got to spend a lot of time by myself, focusing more on my photos and leaving the digital camera behind. I signed up for a soy sauce bottle making class by Kiyosumi Gardens, I believe the area is called Shirakawa.

It was absolutely dumping rain, mourning the departure of my friends. Umbrellas seem to be much more commonplace in Japan, but even with the one I borrowed my boots and jeans resembled discarded towels more so than clothes. The respite came in a spectacular hour of uninterrupted solo park time at Kiyosumi Park.

It I’d a beautiful park, filled with ducks, koi, and frogs. Supposedly, there are many turtles as well. Having been there in pelting rain I would not know.

The following day it cleared up. I had gotten a recommendation to visit St. Mary’s Cathedral, a church designed and built by Tadao Ando. It was on the opposite side of Tokyo, but I made a journey of it.

I am very grateful for this recommendation. The building is stunning. One of those places that stands as a reminder of the artistry that architecture can have. I will include a scan of a negative to illustrate, only because it is necessary for the narrative.

It feels spiritual inside, and in classic fashion, photos are prohibited. A true tragedy for me. I sat and sketched for some time, just being present in the space.

Following this I met up with a new friend, Tori, who I had met at the hostel. She is a photojournalist and was on a photo walk with a friend from Tokyo. I joined them for a short hour. I enjoy walking with other photographers. It adds something new to the flow of looking when there are second and third pairs of eyes thinking in frames.

From there I stopped by the hostel to gather and repack my things and began my journey to the airport. I’ve decided that taking the subway with a ski bag is not that hard, it’s just embarrassing. Being in the way on the train feels rude especially when it’s a foolishly large bag taller than me.

I’m excited to go back to Japan some day. If you’re going, let me know. For now I’m back in New York, a city lacking the order and cleanliness of everywhere in Japan. I will try to continue writing these, though keeping them interesting without photos from Japan will be a new kind of challenge.

I leave you with another negative scan, this one is from Takayama, and really shows how beautiful it was.