JAPAN - TOKYO - PART II
Ten days, and an earthquake later, we arrived back in Tokyo for the final few days of our trip. There were so many special moments of our second stay in Tokyo. Our ryokan, the Yuenbettai Daita was mere steps from the train station. I guess you could describe the Yuenbettai Daita as being a modern interpretation of a ryokan. It felt like a ryokan re-invented. The area (city) that it’s in is called Setagaya which quickly became my new favorite place in Japan. Coming from Toronto where developers rule the roost and seem to have only one priority and that’s to line their bank accounts, Setagaya is a community where the developers would actually want to live there. It’s urban design by really smart, talented people.
So onto the highlights. We had a super delicious pour over coffee experience on the first part of our Tokyo trip @binyacoffeeten but on the advise of my friend and official coffee aficionado Len, we found our way about 15 minutes from our ryokan to @bearpondespresso which I quickly found out, roasts and serves beans that are simply out of this world. I think we went there three days in a row to get our daily fix, each time buying more beans and trinkets to bring home. I can’t recommend them enough. The only thing missing was the owner, Katsu San was away during that week so we didn’t get to watch the master at work.
Another highlight of the trip was our time with Alice’s cousin Peter and his family. On our first day back in Tokyo Peter took us to a Harry Potter exhibition where according to Peter, there is very fresh and very reasonable sushi. It sounded just way too touristy for me, but when in Rome. So apparently other folks know about this particular spot. 2-1/2 hours later we finally sat down to eat and oh my, it was just outstanding. And so reasonably priced you can’t believe the value. For about ¥3,800 (about $38 CAD) I ate enough super fresh sushi to totally fill me up. And we got to watch Peter’s spectacular son Ken (nicknamed Natto Boy for a reason) wolf down enough natto to choke a horse. The kid’s amazing (and super cute).
On the last day and final hours of our stay in Tokyo (and Setagaya) we went back to Bear Pond for yet another hit of caffeine and wandered around the area looking for a quick lunch before the train ride to Haneda Airport. A few feet from our coffee spot we noticed a line was forming by a tiny shop. It was only 11:30 am. Our internet savvy sons looked the spot up and found out it was a Michelin rated hand pulled noodle shop. So we got in line which, not surprisingly moved along pretty briskly… it is a noodle shop after all. I think we all ordered hand pulled noodles with wontons (our family has a thing for wontons) and we were not disappointed. As far as last meals go, we definitely went out with a bang. It was simple and delicious. End of story.
To wrap this up, there’s really no way to include all of the fun things we did in Japan. I haven’t even described the Jazz Kissa’s (Jazz BigBoy being a highlight) or the record shopping at disc union - @discunionshinjukijazz. Nor the terrific omakaze dinner we had with our Japanese distributors for @uberlight. Not to mention the 15,000 + steps we did every day to explore this amazing country.
Sometimes after a long journey you feel exhausted, almost ready for another vacation. The exact opposite has happened after this trip. Japan was exactly the tonic that we all needed. We are already thinking about our next Japan adventure (hopefully without the earthquake drama). It might be time to start learning some Japanese. Until next time, Sayonara.
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3, XF 27mm
TOKYO PART II IN COLOR
JAPAN - KANAZAWA
We arrived by bullet train in Kanazawa on December 30th, the plan was to spend New Year’s in the nice “quiet” setting of this smaller city. Alice had another surprise for me (the first being the K5 hotel in Tokyo with it’s in room stereo, turntable and records). As we walked into the Kaname Inn, greeting us in the lounge was a pair of Garrard 301 turntables (for DJ use), McIntosh amp and preamp and a set of Tannoy vintage loudspeakers. Oh and a wall of LP’s. Things were definitely looking up.
There were lots of sites worth exploring in Kanazawa, but I had the feeling that we were all interested in relaxing and not doing too much… winding down for the New Year. Getting a restaurant to eat on New Year’s eve was a bit dicey, but our hotel came through for us.
On New Year’s day, the plan was to go out for a very casual, lazy walk through the Kenrokuen Gardens and the famous Higashi Chaya Geisha District. On the walk back to our hotel, Alice’s iPhone alarm warning went off and a split second later we felt the ground under us shake with an intensity that was frightening. The buildings around us rattled, as did trees and pretty much everything else. I guess the whole event lasted not more than a minute. It felt much longer.
We found out later that the epicenter for the earthquake was in the Ishikawa prefecture (the same one Kanazawa is located in) a mere 116 km from where we were staying. Of course we were never in any real danger. Our friends and families back home needn’t have worried, but it was a very scary and intense event. The aftershocks were another new experience, having our fifth floor hotel room shake and sway was nerve racking to say the least.
Once things settled down, the next problem to solve was how the heck we were going to get back to Tokyo the next day. All trains going into and out of Kanazawa had been cancelled. Assuming the worse, Alice got online and booked us a flight out of Kanazawa to Tokyo on the first flight she could book which was three days later on the Friday.
While we were stewing with the prospect of spending two extra days in Kanazawa, we could see on the train systems mobile app that trains were supposedly resuming the day after (January 2nd) at 3:00 pm. We decided to go for it, dispatching Maximilian and Solomon to the train station to “scope out” the situation. While we were waiting to hear from them we packed up and checked out of the hotel. In a short while, they texted that the trains were resuming at 3:00 pm and they were in line, so we needed to get over there.
If they hadn’t gone three hours early and waited in line, we likely would have spent at least an extra day in Kanazawa. It all kind of worked out in the end. The reserved train seat we had that was cancelled was gone, but we were able to find four seats (we were second in line). The train was jam packed with people, literally like sardines for most of the four hours to Tokyo. This was a high speed bullet train but it felt more like the Slow Train To Oxmox, stopping at train stations along the way to pick up otherwise abandoned passengers. I’m not quite sure how so many people fit on that train but the passengers, mostly locals were all polite and taking it in stride. Alice cancelled the flight she had booked and other than the aggravation and slight delay, we were back on track for the final part of our journey… Tokyo Part 2.
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3, XF 27mm, XF 35MM F2
KANAZAWA IN COLOR
JAPAN - Nagano
The K5 hotel in Tokyo was a lovely modern oasis in the bustle of the big city. The hotel had all of the amenities one needed. The big surprise though, was an in room stereo complete with turntable and records. It’s located right across from the Tokyo Stock Exchange so fairly central and easy to get to.
On December 28th we took a bullet train to Nagano, then a shorter ride on a local train to our first ryokan in north Nagano. Complete with tatami mats on the floors and the requisite futon bed (although ours seemed to be made with memory foam), it certainly was a lot more on the rustic side, but still very nice. Jinpyokaku Honten - @jinpyokakuhonten was just a short walk from the main event, the famous snow monkeys, located at the base of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park.
We were warned about snow and icy conditions, but as luck would have it, neither were a factor. The walk was a couple of km’s up the winding mountain. It was quite lovely actually, a lot of tourists but it was very manageable. And the adorable snow monkeys didn’t disappoint, not to mention the guy dressed in a tiger outfit.
On the walk down back to our ryokan, a women in a stall to the side of the road was cooking sweet potatoes over an open fire. We stopped to taste the local apples as well as a very tender sweet potato.. it was the best thing I had eaten in a day where the ryokan had prepared us a breakfast feast. It was simple and delicious. Memorable in fact.
After our snow monkey adventure we took a walk into town and discovered the wide range of onten’s (steam baths) that are available to the locals and the tourists. Lots of skiing is done up here as well (Winter Olympics anyone?). We stopped for a light snack bought a few treats at a local shop and headed back to our ryokan for a hot bath in the natural springs and a rest before dinner.
We only stayed in Nagano for two nights but it was a restful respite from the busy start to our holiday in Tokyo. If we had more time, there are so many beautiful towns in this area. Definitely worth exploring on our next trip to Japan. And I’ll definitely be back for more of those sweet potatoes.
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3, XF 27mm, XF 35MM F2
NAGANO IN COLOR
Next up, Kanazawa…
JAPAN - TOKYO PART 1
Traveling again to Asia. It’s something that I couldn’t really fathom until it actually happened.
Only three days before my mother (Ann) passed away after suffering a stroke. I was steadfast that we were not going to cancel our trip, but honestly, until we got on the plane I thought there was always the possibility that it wasn’t going to happen.
For various reasons, I was single minded that we should not cancel. The three weeks leading up to my mom’s passing were, whether I realized it at the time or not, totally exhausting. Getting away was exactly what I needed and likely the same for Alice, Maximilian and Solomon. It was a tough time for all of us.
So here I am, back in Toronto for more than a week and I’ve been busy reviewing, culling and processing the images that mean something, okay and also look good ;-) This is usually a fairly simple task except I took over seven hundred images, probably about three times the amount that I’m used to taking. Maybe it’s pent up energy that needed an outlet, maybe it’s my frame of mind or maybe it was the outstanding light that seems to appear almost daily in Japan.
There are way too many images to pack into one blog post so I’ll attempt to break this up by the cities we visited and hope it conveys something about the wonderful time we had in Japan, the polite and thoughtful people and that incredible light.
Of course, it all starts in Tokyo.
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3, XF 27mm, XF 35MM F2
tOKYO IN COLOR
Next up, Nagano…
TEN THOUSAND STRONG
Last Sunday was a sunny, mild and gorgeous fall day in Toronto. The air had the crispness that’s made for a pick up football game, maybe a hot drink on the deck.
Instead, myself and about 10,000 fellow Jews found themselves in the middle of Toronto’s Christie Pits, holding and waving the flag of Israel and participating in a very peaceful rally to recognize the unimaginable hostage situation.
I can’t speak for anyone else… I have no illusions that his sort of gathering has any effect whatsoever on what the Hamas terrorists decide to do. But still, there is a catharsis from participating. Just being there, listening to the speakers tell their personal stories and experiencing first hand the very noticeable electricity in the air.
It’s not something that I can say I’ve felt before. And I have to admit I felt immense pride in being Jewish on this day, a sense of being part of a much bigger community.
There was great sadness in the crowd. There was also the typical type of kibitzing that you’ll see whenever you get this many Jews in one place. We are a resilient people after all.
Am Yisrael Chai
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3 AND XF 27mm
OCTOBER SHADOWS
Having a peak at the forecast the last few days reminds me that we’re living in Toronto and not Miami. The crazy hot fall weather that we’ve been enjoying the last week or so is soon to come to an end. 28°C yesterday followed by 12°C on Sunday. Welcome to Canada!
This being October, the light is hitting familiar spots in our backyard in a way that makes me want to run for my camera. And that’s exactly what I did this morning. At 11:00 am or so, the sun was creating that hard light that reminds me of summer days during our stay in Lisbon a few years ago pre-covid. We just don’t get that kind of light; beautiful deep, contrasty shadows, a sun hanging low in the sky.
We still have a few hours to go with 20°C + weather and I’m feeling grateful that we’ve had a beautiful summer and early fall. My health hasn’t been the greatest lately but I’m slowly starting to feel like my old self again. Being engaged in making photos is a bit of a canary in a coal mine for me. When I’m feeling good I want to get the camera to see what I can make. It’s still early October… hopefully there’s lot’s more shadows to come.
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3 AND XF 35MM, F2
94
This is a salute to my amazing and loving mother Ann
My mother turned 94 this summer and continues to astonish her family with her spirit and determination. She’s not in the best of health (she is 94), but when we arrive every Sunday for our weekly visit she’s full of excitement at seeing us again. She makes it clear that at that moment, we are the only thing that’s important to her… okay, that and the food we bring her ;-)
We see her almost every week, but I’ve gotten lazy with bringing my camera which is something I know I need to fix. And a better subject I couldn’t find. She’s remarkably unselfconscious and happily sits while I snap away.
I just turned 64 recently and I realize how lucky I am to have my mother still with us. The rhythm of our weekends very much revolves around these visits… this ritual. Here’s a few photos from our visit this past weekend. Hopefully, lots more to come.
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO3 AND XF 35MM, F2
SQUARE
Square (and black and white) is an attempt to kick-start my feeble attempt at photography these last months. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep at it, but for now I’m going to stick with it at least until something in my brain decides to come up for air.
In the mean time, here’s a triptych from a short time ago, lazying about in the house and the deck.
SOMETIMES, IT'S JUST A FEELING
It’s always about a “feeling”. Sometimes you just know that something that feels right… is right. It’s been a guiding light for me for as long as I can remember.
I’m not sure when I started to get so emotionally attached to the things in my life. I almost cried when our old Saab station wagon was sold off, if any car threaded itself into our lives and into my heart that car did. I imagine I’ll feel the same way when our trusty 14 year old Audi station wagon is ready for the knackered yard.
Why is this? They are just things, objects. I’ve no idea why, all I know is that when it came time to ship off my beautiful preamplifier, I knew I had to get the camera out and document it. It’s so irrational, but the preamplifier, maybe as much as any audio component save for the turntable, is the one you are touching and interacting with the most. Turning the volume control up and down, moving the source dial , the sound of the clicks as the dial turns left to right, right to left. Preamplifier’s have their unique sound signature, that’s why we spend gobs of money on them. But they also have their own personality. Okay, that does sound pretty weird.
So while I expected my preamplifier “fidelity” to last forever, the urge was just too strong. This shiny new gal from Switzerland stole my heart. It didn’t happen at first site, in fact it was more than five years before I knew, before I had that feeling. But when it felt right, there was nothing to do but kick back and enjoy the experience.
So a little homage to the black beauty who made lots of beautiful music for me. It’s been a fun ride.
SHOT WITH FUJI XPRO-3 - XF35 F2, 7ARTISANS 60MM MACRO
HOCKEY VS. BIRTHDAY DINNER
SHOT WITH FUJI XPRO-3 - XF23MM F2.0
C’mon, there was no way I was not going to watch the Gold medal game between Canada and Czechia last night… birthday dinner be damned. Brilliant hockey.
Congratulations @teamcanadawjc 🥇🏆🏒
JUST SHOOT DAMMIT
SHOT WITH FUJI XPRO-3 - XF35 F1.4 & X100V
My apathy is undeniable. So is it’s sibling, atrophy. I can’t deny it, both have taken hold of me in a big way in 2022. I’m surprised I can still remember how to make a Squarespace post there’s been so few of them this year.
There’s no excuses for it and if I believe my friend and mentor Patrick La Roque, it’s 100% normal and I shouldn’t beat myself up over it. As much as I’d like to self indulge in my apparent laziness, it is good to know I may not be the only one going through this at the moment.
I realized as I started writing this post that December 2022 marks exactly 10 years since my first serious dive into photography. My first modern day camera was the original Fujifilm X100. I had already been shooting with whatever version of the iPhone I had at the time, but after attending an Eric Kim photo workshop, I set my sites on Fuji’s small APS-C camera. It had the right look, felt good in my hand and while I had no idea how to use the damn thing, it did make me feel like a photographer.
My first images with my new and nifty X100 were taken in Paris while on holiday with Alice and the boys. It’s fair to say that I had absolutely no idea how to use my camera. None. Zero. I’m embarrassed to admit that I spent that first trip taking images without a single thought to what the settings meant. I thought I knew, but in all honesty it was a disaster.
Fast forward 10 years and I’m happy to look back on my blog and I’m very proud of some of the images and stories I’ve posted. This blog was always going to be a vanity project for me. I have no aspirations for social media greatness. I love taking images and, clearly from the array of stories I’ve posted, I used to love writing my thoughts down and trying to create a cohesive story. Sometimes people, most often friends, would go to my blog and tell me they liked what they saw. But in truth it’s not been many and while it hurts to know that fame and fortune will not be knocking at my door, it has forced me to look inside and remind myself of why I do this in the first place.
To mark 10 years I had a look at some of my older posts. They are exactly what I intended them to be, a formal reminder for what those moments meant to me. Not necessarily great art, but meaningful to me nevertheless.
I would be remiss at this juncture to not say a big thank you to Patrick La Roque for his mentorship and friendship these last 7 years. His work continues to be an inspiration to me and his persistence in believing in my ability to take a few decent photos has helped me enormously.
So my advise to my future self, 10 years from now is to do what I was always told to do, but would often forget…. Just Shoot Dammit.