Then it snowed…
I am not a winter person. Like, at all. Cold, snow, wind, prolonged communion with the bleakest aspects of one’s soul…it’s not my thing. And so, as it began to get really cold and the snow began to blanket everything around me, I did the only thing I could do: I headed south to Tokyo to meet up with old friends and have some adventures.
So, consider the photos in this letter a small preview. I’ve decided to do another session of 91 days, this time running from March 1st to May 31st, 2023. And, yes, that is technically 92 days. Again.
Early spring in Japan sees a profusion of flowers on trees, from plum blossoms to cherry blossoms to early-blooming wisteria. At the same time, warm and cold fronts battle each other to create an atmosphere that will be warm and sunny one day, windy and snowy the next.
My plan is similar to last summer’s: I’m going to get out and get one photo every day of those 91 (okay, 92) days. I’ll post them on Instagram and on Flickr. My personal goals is range a little wider than I was able to last summer and to focus my shots a little more. Perhaps fewer takes on the same old scenes, or at least new details to expand those same old scenes. But, as always, this is a work in progress and thus subject to change. Never-the-less, I hope you’ll come along with me.
In the meantime, here are some short notes about this issue’s photos:
Outside the Vet’s - just what it sounds like. I had to take my little dog to the vet early in the new year and we spent some downtime post-examination taking a leisurely stroll through the fields across the street. This is what my area of Japan normally looks like in winter.
Then It Snowed - just a few days later. You may remember a similar shot from last summer, that was rain, this is ice creating the reflection. And the worst kind of ice at that - too thin to skate on, too thick to disappear quickly, just enough to be dangerous.
S-Curve - This, too, is a familiar shot, but the snow adds a layer of intrigue…well, not intrigue but winter je ne sais quoi, maybe?
Senso-ji - One of the biggest shrines in Tokyo, Senso-ji was open for the lunar new year. The smoke in the center of the frame is from dozens of incense sticks burning in the brazier. This view is from the shrine proper, looking back down the steps to the shopping street that leads in.
Ueno Park - The park is one of my favorite areas of Tokyo. It’s a hidden gem if you consider right-under-your-nose to be hidden. Ueno is kind of like Tokyo’s backyard for people who live there. There’s a zoo and some museums but there’s not much to encourage tourists. Instead it’s very much a quiet spot to get out of the hustle of Tokyo without leaving Tokyo.
Train Line - As I said, Ueno is one of my favorite areas of Tokyo. In this photo, you can see the trains running on the top platforms of Ueno Station. If you were to follow the pathway on the right hand side of the photo, you would quickly arrive at a newly built, small multi-terraced stand of restaurants with views across the chaos of the streets below.
Ameyoko - This is where you go if you want to see some of the last vestiges of old Tokyo clinging on in the midst of the gradual gentrification of downtown. This is where you’ll see discount clothes and “vintage” watches being sold right alongside freshly caught seafood and questionable things in jars that nevertheless smell delicious. Sandwiched between them are the stand-up bars and two-seater speakeasies that make life in the city so much fun.