Poagao's Journal

Absolutely Not Your Monkey

Sep 05 2014

Tokyo ’14, part 6

On the subway this morning, I watched a man with a shirt two sizes too small struggled into a pair of equally tiny socks. I was on my way to Shinjuku, to the park. It was cloudy. Why is it always cloudy when I go to Shinjuku this time around? I wondered. It was sunny when I left the hotel.

Anyway, I walked back from the park to more busy areas, through the construction that seems to have been going on for roughly a decade on the south side of the station, and then took another subway to Harajuku. From there I walked to Shibuya, home of Strange People with Cameras, and met Louis. We then headed to a photo fair near Daikanyama.

When we got there, a number of distinguished Japanese photographers were milling about the lobby. One of these was Eikoh Hosoe. They had given a talk, which we’d missed, but it was all in Japanese so I would have missed it in any case. We talked to some publishers. One of them was really into outrigger canoeing, and Louis was an instant convert. We also talked a bit about photography and photography books.

Afterwards, Louis had to go visit his sick dog in the dog hospital. I wandered aimlessly, feeling lost, but not the kind of lost I’d hoped to be when I came here this time. It was still cloudy. On many levels. So many levels that I found myself buying cinnamon buns, but that was rather a rather desperate measure.

So I walked, and walked. Up to Harajuku, over Omotesando, up the Ginza Line, until it was dark and my feet were sore. Then it was back to the hotel and a lie down before Louis called and said he’d be over for dinner.

I had wanted to find the little traditional Japanese restaurant where I’d often dined during my visit in ’08, but I couldn’t find it, so we settled on a yakitori place that had interesting meat and took 30 minutes to make canned spaghetti. It wasn’t bad. Later we had some crushed ice, and then Louis took his leave. It was almost midnight, and he had to catch a train.

posted by Poagao at 12:04 am  

1 Comment »

  1. I love these Tokyo posts. Two years ago during a family trip to Japan my wife generously offered to keep the kids for a week so I could explore the city on my own. I’d leave my business hotel at 8 each morning and wander the streets and shoot until 8 at night. Minimal itinerary, many detours. So much walking, yet I don’t recall ever being tired. Just energized by it all.

    Comment by maiku — September 5, 2014 @ 11:07 am

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