Saved by the Lens #5
Japan: The country that captured my soul
In 2006, I traveled with my family to Tokyo to explore one of the most enchanting countries on this planet. Japan. So was raw yet so polished. I saw the beautiful order of Japanese culture. Things influenced by the West, like signs in English, fashion, music and the ever growing energy to express oneself free from old society. And then there are the Eastern traditions. Traditiuons based on keeping things tidy and clean. Follow our lead.
The streets so clean, one could comfortably eat food from. Not that anyone would ... hahum, Javi. Face masks in public. The car magazines with shocking imagery at the local 7 Eleven, located right next to the very popular coffee station. Personal space etiquette. The cigarette smoking. I came back a smoker. The stares. And the welcoming energy from the locals, drowning beers with us until late into the next morning. Japan was a control chaos of vibrant energy.
And her history. Bold, arrogant and triumphant, to tragic and resilient. Never have I travelled to a country where the haunting feelings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, literally carried on my shoulders as I traveled. I was ashamed of our actions. i learned a lot. I don’t believe any side had any choice. War is brutal and ugly, and devastating.
Last month, my son and his family went on a trip to the Philippines and Japan. His trip inspired me to take a deeper look of myJapan photos. This was at a time where travel was new to me. My photography was very raw, developing, and frankly I didn’t shoot enough material. Back then, my mindset was to become a great portrait artist, and would use these trips as a means to give off steam rather than to photograph people. I didn’t see it as a documentary project, so it lacked story, it lacked empathy, it lacked moments in time. Looking back, I needed polishing and Japan was the first.
The best way to learn a city is to get lost in the city.
These are collection of photographs from my travels through Tokyo to Kyoto, and every thing in between.
