Busking musicians, streetwalkers and shop window mannequins bustle in Keizo Kitajima’s monochrome vision of Tokyo nightlife and its inhabitants. Greatly influenced by the teachings of Daido Moriyama at the legendary Japanese photographer’s Workshop school, Kitajima combined his raw approach with an aesthetic imperfection and Moriyama’s stylistic ‘misuse’ of the camera. “I tried to become a mechanical eye,” he explains. “Whether it’s to understand the systems of perception at work inside us, or to discover the components that dictate our sensitiveness, I’m convinced it’s better to reproduce our systems of sight than to observe the outside world.” Initially exhibited in 1979 at the Shinjuku based Camp Gallery, Kitajima’s unfiltered and graphic pictures challenged perceptions of what photography could be, and his unconventional attitude was amplified by an incredibly forward-thinking installation for the time. Calling on New York’s Pop Art movement, Kitajima pasted his work across the gallery walls, ceiling and floor. Celebrated with the Kimura Ihei Award in 1982, Kitajima has achieved cult status for his visceral imagery and has exhibited internationally at the likes of the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. A monograph collating a series of 12 individual punk-inspired zines published once a week for the duration of the 1979 exhibition is released by Steidl later this month.
Yoyogi Village is a pocket of zen and tranquility not easy to find among the surrounding urban chaos, even with your phone’s GPS on and a Tokoyite to lead the way.
The center piece of the complex is a phenomenal vertical garden inside the restaurant “Code Kurkku”.
Tokyo is a city electric and a jungle concrete, a massive metropolis on the forefront of modern technology. The words “retreat”, “sanctuary” and “natural” aren’t often used to describe Tokyo, but they aptly define the new Yoyogi Village in the Shibuya ward. Yoyogi Village is a small commercial development that is designed as a natural escape from the neon bustle of Tokyo. It features bars, restaurants, art galleries, spas and retail split between the “village section” and the “container section”, the latter of which comprises a series of upcycled shipping containers.The design of the village is the work of the Wonderwall architecture group, landscape designer Seijun Nishihata and others. Nishihata installed a massive, living green wall in the lounge of Code Kurkku, a restaurant and bar in the village. Code Kurkku’s white walls, natural wood floors and ceilings recall the vintage, rural architecture of Japan, and Nishihata’s green wall presents a lush forest backdrop. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the lightning-speed world around it, one that those in the Shibuya ward will surely cherish. Since we’re a thousands of miles away, a stroll through the pictures will have to suffice for us… [via inhabitat and KNSTRCT]
N.B: contrary to what you might thing, Tokyo has lots of “urban retreats” so you never never feel overwhelmed and clostrophobic.
Deacon is a crazy multi-tasker: he can simultaneously produce great sound out of his shambolic tech-gear, sing (kinda), work his own light effects and direct the crowd into fun choreographed games. Wild and entertaining. Great crowd too.
Highlights: the sing-along on “Silence like the wind overtakes me” + the audience performing an interpretive tribal dance led by Deacon’s merch girl on “Of the mountains”.
Intimacy in Tokyo This shot looks very cinematic (the lighting and composition are fantastic) but is not staged; the photographer captured that intimate moment right when the magic happened.
Another cool Tokyo scene captured by Jonathan Hillhouse. When you enter Yoyogi park, you either see old geezers sweating off their hair grease to some old 50s rock or a gang of emo goth chicks.
I thought it would take me hours to choose from thousands of amazing shots of Tokyo’s famous fish market, but I got lucky and I immediately stumbled upon this dood’s flickr account. His photos are sensational and I’ve shamelessly captured a handful to post them here.
Tsukiji Market is one of the most magical places I’ve ever visited, and having a sushi breakfast in the middle of Tsukiji market at the crack of dawn is my recommended ending to a perfect night out in Tokyo. Let alone experiencing the freshest sushi you’ll ever taste; the fish is so fresh it’s still warm.
I’m not sure where they’re at with the proposed move of the market from its current location to the Toyosu site, but it seems that there’s still a lot of resistance to it (to do with the new site standing on polluted soil), so it might not happen any time soon.
What makes the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi such a unique hotel is the mesmerizing view you get of Tokyo Station and its bullet trains from your room (just like marmite: you either love it or hate it). That and the fact that the bell boys and porters are all female, beautiful and pocket-size…watching them struggle with your luggage is slightly unnerving and yet adorable at the same time.
