As anyone who sometimes reads this blog knows, I'm a bit of a Japanophile, or whatever the phrase may be. I have visited Japan only once, about fifteen years ago, and I work hard at convincing my husband who hasn't been there, that we really, absolutely must go, some time. I know both he and my son would completely love it.
I came across this fine photographer - Masashi Wakui - who takes the most stunning pictures of street scenes in Tokyo, especially at night. They show a Tokyo actually very much as I remember it; a lot of hustle and bustle, but also lots of tranquil little alleys, and all of it vibrantly, insanely colorful. Lots of wild contrast; steel-and-glass high rise architecture next to two storey wooden houses, and an ancient shinto temple or perhaps a crazily noisy gaming arcade stuck in between. Rain, umbrellas, neon and red silk lanterns. Gleaming, shiny taxis (the Japanese taxi drivers wear white gloves and polish their cars every day. They also sometimes have little lace doilies on the headrests). It's just a marvellous place, full of wonder and unexpected things.
Taking pictures at night is so hard, I find, and his way of doing it is really seductive. He does a lot of sophisticated afterwork, and if you feel inspired, I came across a Photoshop tutorial for matching his visual style. Maybe worth a try? Interesting, anyway.
In the meantime, enjoy his beautiful Tokyo.
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