Naomi and I are pleased to announce our next book: Tsukiji: Tokyo Fish Market Suite. This 48 page soft cover book shows the inside of the world’s largest fish market. Tokyo Metropolitan Government has plans to relocate the market because of its aging 1935 infrastructure. This collection of 41 photographs pays homage to this remarkable place. The book will be released at the end of March. Click on the image for a larger view.
Category Archives: Japan
Out of Print: Kesengawa
On March 11th, 2011, a devastating tsunami hit Japan. One of the towns that was destroyed was Rikuzentakata, the birthplace of the Japanese landscape photographer Naoya Hatakeyama. Kesengawa is his intimate portrait of that place and event. You can read about this remarkable book in our Out of Print section in resources.
Schoolyard—Tokyo Landscape
Elementary school in Tokyo. From Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness: Tokyo Landscape. Click on the image for a larger view.
Intertwined
Sakai, Japan. Click on the image for a larger view.
Kukai no Hitobito: Coming Soon
Naomi and I are pleased to announce an upcoming publication: Kukai no Hitobito. This is Naomi’s memoir of her experience as a pilgrim to the Eighty-Eight Sacred Places of Shikoku Pilgrimage in Japan. The text is in Japanese and will be available to purchase in October.
We Dance
Naomi and I have been following the heartbreaking news of the earthquakes in Kumamoto, Japan (as well as the event in Ecuador). I was reminded of a story the American scholar Joseph Campbell used to tell about one of his visits to the country. Campbell overheard an American social philosopher talking to a Shinto priest, “We’ve been now to a good many ceremonies and have seen quite a few of your shrines. But I don’t get your ideology. I don’t get your theology.” The priest paused to consider the question and then answered, “I think we don’t have ideology. We don’t have theology. We dance.”
For information on how to help, you can visit the Japan Times website.
Hase-dera
Tucked in along the walls of a valley just south of Nara is the Buddhist temple Hase-dera. The Japanese visit in the spring to see the cherry, plum, and magnolia in blossom. The compound is huge with over thirty buildings. Long flights of stone steps help you traverse the topography. Despite the size, Hase-dera has cultivated a landscape where it is difficult to separate the artificial from the natural. Click on the image for a larger view.
Sakura, Sakura
It is cherry blossom season in Japan. These flowers are in Daisen Park in Sakai. This park is also known for its necropolis. Click on the image for a larger view.
Out of Print and Hyaku-sai-oh
We are introducing a new section to our blog called Out of Print. We want to use this to share books we have been inspired by. The first book is Hyaku-sai-oh by Ono Shoichi. This very unassuming book is one of those quiet books that hides a treasure between its cover. To see more of this book, go here.
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.
