Japan; An Imperial Encounter

Michael Rowles

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If you visit Japan and do not see a single vending machine, you have either had your eyes closed or you don’t know what a vending machine is. With currently 5.5 million machines across the country, they are truly unmissable. “[Myself], along with other people, use it to get our morning coffee and tea. When other countries go to ‘Starbucks’ or make it at home, people in busy cities like Tokyo do not have the time”.

A chef cooks Yakitori Skewers, characteristic of the iconic alley, Omiode Yokochou. Previously a place for criminals to drink alcohol; now a vibrant space filled with barbequed food served to limited customers per restaurant. In this street overflowing with atmosphere and delicious aromas, you are likely to find frogs, pig testicles and eel innards.

A group of Hiroshima survivors sit under a tree, in front of the ruins of the former Industrial Promotion Hall, now a world heritage site to commemorate the 1945 bombings. “Our aim is to never have another event like this”. All three men are deeply passionate about educating tourists and advocating for their amicable views … “NO NUKES” reads the basket of the bike.

Views of the Osaka skyline, with lights that reach beyond the horizon. After watching the sun set over the ocean from the ‘Osaka Prefectural Government Building’, the immense amount of luminosity from the city enlivened the darkness, turning Osaka into a neon garden.

Two deer amble across a pedestrian crossing in Nara, impatiently, not waiting for the green man. Located an hour train ride from Osaka, you will find hundreds of reindeer, so accustomed to humans, they seem to completely overlook the workers, tourists and cars with indifference.

A man pulls a couple in a rickshaw in Arashiyama. The rain was pouring down and had done so for the last few hours. He had simply put a waterproof cover on his kasa and strode on through the negative temperatures. The Japanese have the most incredible work ethic; always have had. Their culture seems to mandate it.

A teenage girl walks through a temple dressed as a geisha. It has become a fad for girls to dress up in traditional clothing and visit the temples around Kyoto. The vibrant colours of their dresses match the bright red hues of the temples, to make for some undoubtedly great photos.

A crowd squeezes into a train during peak hour. With so many people to transport around the city, twenty four hours a day, the loop train comes every 2 to 3 minutes covering 34km. Each train, despite the high turnover, would be filled completely. As much of a challenge as getting on the train is, getting off is just as hard.

An official caretaker rides his bike through the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo. These gardens are those surrounding the Imperial Palace, the residence of the Emperor. Although the Emperor does not hold political power anymore, he is still a very symbolic figure and is important in unifying the Japanese people.

Sunset over Senso-ji. The suffix ‘-ji’ means ‘temple’ - a common error that occurs when translating names of Japanese temples is adding the word ‘temple’ itself to the end, such as saying ‘Senso-ji Temple’. Most signs leading to these sacred places will still include the English ‘temple’, an example of how the naivety and ignorance of foreigners has led to local common law.

A girl waits for the lights to turn green, Kyoto, 4:17. Nothing exciting, I just love the light and composition of this one. Although, I must admit that I do like looking at photos of everyday life, the seemingly mundane, and enjoy this one.

Two women cross the road, whilst snow falls late at night. There is an extensive amount of clear umbrellas in Japan, which is why I think this shot sums up a lot of Tokyo. The only thing missing from the frame is 20 million people, but I couldn’t expect them all to be out at 11:00pm.

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The sun dips below the mountains surrounding Kinkaku-ji. I rushed here, ensuring I could capture the gold-plated temple at sunset. I was surprised at how little people had the same idea - there would have only been a couple dozen across the entire park. I was completely mesmerised … until I learnt that this place got very dark very quickly, and with no lights alongside the path, it is fair to say that returning home was a struggle.

Locals sit on a subway. Due to the considerable number of people that ride on the train, it is always interesting to watch how different people commute. With such jam-packed days, a lot of citizens use the journey to catch up on sleep, whether they are sitting down or standing up.

Neon lights burnish the night of Shinjuku. In many streets, there is an unbelievable amount of advertising, with every company competing to convince the public that their brand is the best choice. With so much commercial saturation, I have to wonder whether there is a point when there are so many messages, our mind stops receiving and it all becomes white noise.