I took this picture at Kanda Myojin shrine after reading In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki. I learned more about Japanese aesthetics from this book than from any other one.
Wabi-sabi, impermanence, asymmetry, imperfection. Light, darkness, and all the shadows between them. Black, white, and all the tones between them.
I love when it rains in Tokyo, it makes the city even more photogenic. It is difficult to walk around with a camera in one hand and hold an umbrella with the other one, but I always try to force myself to go out when it rains.
It is always fun and inspiring to go out shooting while it rains: the lighting changes everywhere with the humidity, neon sign reflections are everywhere, the mood in the air is different.
Today we didn’t work here in Japan, we celebrated the day of the sea (Umi no hi 海の日). It is celebrated every year the third Monday of July since 1995. It is a national holiday that was created by the government to “thank the ocean and reflect on the importance of the sea to Japan as an island”. It usually falls at the end of the raining season, which is usually an ideal time to go to the beach.
Today I enjoyed the day at one of the beaches in Tokyo.
