In 2018 I travelled around Japan photographing with both digital and film. The film image were taken on some lovely Japanese domestic market film stocks that sadly no longer exist. The colour negative film was developed in-country at local labs in Tokyo and Osaka but the black and white I took home undeveloped on the plane with me. Anyone who has ever travelled with film before will know what a pain this is (x-rays are not kind to film). Thankfully, I managed to convince the airport security staff in both Osaka and Singapore to hand check all my rolls of film and they made it home safe and un-fogged.
One morning in Osaka I got up early and wandered the streets around Dotonbori before the city was fully awake. Early mornings in Osaka are a really fascinating time. To be in a place that is usually so busy while it is this quiet and still is very surreal.
I’m not even sure where these signs are usually placed but I loved the way they had been haphazardly packed away the night before and were yet to be repositioned for that day.
While I was in Osaka I had an idea to visit the levee banks along the Yodo River. I’m not sure what exactly made me want to visit there but I’m glad I did. It was late afternoon when I took these and I remember an overall feeling of calm in not only the runners and walkers but also myself as I sat on the grassy banks in a gentle breeze and watched the huge body water slowly flow past.
I loved this warning sign depicting a fisher being electrocuted by overhanging power lines.
While I was in Osaka I had an idea to visit the levee banks along the Yodo River. I’m not sure what exactly made me want to visit there but I’m glad I did. It was late afternoon when I took these and I remember an overall feeling of calm in not only the runners and walkers but also myself as I sat on the grassy banks in a gentle breeze and watched the huge body water slowly flow past.
We’re sitting on the North side of the river here looking South.
Like any major city, Osaka gets really interesting when you get away from the main roads and tourist attractions and into the obscure back alleys.
Somewhere in Osaka, probably on the way out of a train station.
One morning in Osaka I got up early and wandered the streets around Dotonbori before the city was fully awake.
Early mornings in Osaka are a really fascinating time. To be in a place that is usually so busy while it is this quiet and still is very surreal.
A fellow early-riser.
I’m fairly sure this was taken on a day trip from Tokyo to Kamakura. Kamakura is known for it’s enormous bronze statue of the Buddha - I would also highly recommend going and hanging out at the lovely beach nearby.
Buildings, trains, a tunnel, people, lights - there’s a lot going on here in this (slightly) elevated shot in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Taken from a window, somewhere in Tokyo. An exercise in straight lines.