If there was a defined edge to the city of Tokyo, this would be it. Tokyo Gate Bridge is the furthest public highway built out into Tokyo bay. The island on the horizon is Chuo Bohatei, Tokyo’s largest landfill, which is reaching the edge of the municipality’s border. This image is from Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness: Tokyo Landscape. The image is also an optical illusion: can you tell if the bridge piers are getting thinner or taller the further away they are? Click on the image for a larger view.
Tag Archives: Earth Water Fire Wind Emptiness
Edogawa
The levee along Edogawa or Edo river is 10m or 30 ft. above the river course. The land on the other side is near sea level. The population density for this Tokyo ward is 13,900 people/km² or 35,900 people/sq. mi. Millions of people are protected from riverine flooding by these structures. This image is from Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness: Tokyo Landscape. Click on the image for a larger view.
Jyonanjima
Jyonanjima Seaside Park is built on an artificial island in Tokyo bay. Since this island lies on not only the busiest shipping route into Tokyo harbor, but also along one of the flight paths to Haneda International Airport, its popularity is surprising. And while it is one of the few places residents of the city can enjoy a sand beach, the water is too hazardous to allow swimming. Click on the image for a larger view. This is from our book Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness: Tokyo Landscape.
Shitamachi
Shitamachi is literally “downtown.” Its connotation is that of an unchanging working-class neighborhood populated by Edokko, or Tokyoites. Tokyo has a reputation as Japan’s modern city, yet sections seem to miss the constant development. Yanaka, just north of Ueno park, is probably one of the most recognized Shitamachi.
While Yanaka is well within the modern Tokyo today, that was not always the case. The Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 destroyed 65% of Tokyo, then called Edo, and claimed over 100,000 lives. Thought to have started in a temple, the Tokugawa Shogunate moved many temples outside the city to the north. Yanaka was one of the towns created from that migration. This image is from Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness. Click on the image for a larger view.
News: Tsukiji & Athens Photo Festival
Our latest book Tsukiji: Tokyo Fish Market Suite is now available in our store. You can also read about this book here.
Both Tsukiji: Tokyo Fish Market Suite and Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness: Tokyo Landscape were selected for the Photobook Exhibition at Athen Photo Festival 2017. The festival runs from June 14 to July 30 at the Benaki Museum in Athens, Greece.
Schoolyard—Tokyo Landscape
Elementary school in Tokyo. From Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness: Tokyo Landscape. Click on the image for a larger view.
Fish as Big as Dragons
Dragons are creatures of water, dwelling in the ocean, rivers, clouds, and rain. 
Koi carp are symbols of strength and perseverance. In ancient times, a school of Koi came to a huge waterfall while swimming upstream. The fish tried to jump the falls to continue their journey. Seeing their struggle, a demon made the falls higher out of malice. The fish did not give up. After a year of striving, one fish managed to reach the top. The gods, impressed with its determination, turned it and the fish that followed into a golden dragons. These Koi are in a pond in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Click on the image for a larger view.
Photobook 2015
Photobook 2015 opened in the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA, last night. The exhibition runs until March 6th. The exhibition was in partnership with the Davis Orton Gallery in Hudson, NY. The books in the exhibition can be viewed online. Along with the self-published books (including mine), there are a couple of other exhibitions of photographs on display. The museum and the town of Winchester are well worth a visit. Click on the image for a larger view.
Schoolyard Nativity
A schoolyard nativity scene in Tokyo, with pink rabbits and Winnie-the-pooh. Note the shoe boxes where students place their footwear before entering the school building. This was one of the outtakes from Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness. Click on the image for a larger view.
Photobook 2015
As we announced previously, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness: Tokyo Landscape was selected for Photobook 2015, a self-published photo book exhibition sponsor by the Davis Orton Gallery and the Griffin Museum of Photography. The artists and books are announce here and a catalog/gallery of the books for purchase can be found here.
