Japan – 2024: Day Six

Penultimate day on the island of Honshu, Japan. What will I do with my time, will I make good use of it?

Friday 19th January 2024

The plan today was to get up and have a wander over to the Tokyo Photographic Arts Museum, drop into the Museum Of Modern Art, have a squint at the Imperial Palace and whatever I fancied after that. I also had a requirement to get a sports holdall, for the clothes I had bought due to my case not arriving.

After climbing into bed at 2:30am Tokyo time, I was up and out at 9:20am. I had only my Leica Q2 with me and a bag to hold my batteries and spare SD Cards, as well as the Pocket WiFi.

On the Yamanote line train towards Shibuya and then onto Ebisu where I would alight and walk the short distance to the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum to see what excellent exhibitions they had on as well as visit the excellent book shop.

I arrive into the building for the museum about 5 minutes early so I have a look around for angles to take photos, the floor in this building is black and white checked tiles and looks awesome through the electronic viewfinder of my Q2. With a good bit of exposure blowing out the open end of the tunnel, the rest of it looks fantastic with a person in the shot for scale and an extra shadow.

At 10am precisely, the security team open the front door and the three of us who were waiting outside, headed in.

After buying my ticket for 1260 yen which is about £6.50 I head into the exhibition titled Revolution 9: by Homma Takashi. This wonderful exhibition features many images made by using a camera obscura or pinhole type set up. A number of them are photos from around Tokyo and Japan, with views aplenty of Mt Fuji.

There are also a few images from other cities around the world, including New York City. Other images seem to feature a circular motif that is repeated throughout the first part of the gallery. I’m not sure whether the gallery has had additional walls built for this exhibition but in the centre of what would be a big space is a small room, with round holes in that, when peered through, show you a poster or piece of work with the large number 9 on it. These holes were cut in the walls and seemed to be linked to the black holes in the works.

Some of the images made by the artist were impressive, some were obviously softer than a real photo from a camera owing to the nature of a camera obscura, pinhole camera. Some of these were made in hotel rooms by cutting into the curtain and using the image coming through to capture the scenery beyond the window. The scale of some images was also great to see, although the displayed prints were often made of many different pieces of paper as if a collage of separate parts of one frame. this is probably due to the fact that the size of the focal plane in the camera obscura was larger than a single piece of paper.

There is work from his Narcissistic City series and one of the parts of the gallery featuring works from the series is centred by a series of mirrored metal disks hanging from the ceiling as if a mobile. The fact that you can see the images of the cities, upside down as per a pinhole, reflected in these mirrors as well as seeing oneself feeds into the narcissism theme too.

There was an odd part of the exhibition too, which didn’t fit thematically with the rest, but the fact it was shot on pinhole camera allows it to link in. This was a pinhole nude image where a wide canvas was shown of a person laid face down with bare buttocks facing up. The head of the person is not visible in the image and I was drawn to imagine this as a longpig. (What cannibals euphemistically call a human corpse,) In the corner on the same wall was a tiny three image frame featuring aspects of a nude character. Maybe it’s the artists sensibilities that he felt he was unable to put this study in the centre of the wall but it was wedged right into the corner where it was easily overlooked.

Further write up of the exhibition can be seen here on the Frieze website.

Leap Before You Look

After finishing in this room and playing about trying to line people up with the offset holes through the centre room I made my way up to the third floor for the exhibition titled Leap Before You Look

This was a great mix of art styles and photographs. Work by Fuchikami Yuta, mumuko, Yamagami Shimpei, Hoshi Haruto and Utsu Yumiko were arranged throughout the gallery as a pathway to walk through. It was an eclectic collection of different methods and processes. This is an annual exploration of Japanese contemporary photography and this year sees the entrants struggling to deal with life as the world comes out of the backend of a pandemic with war and chaos happening around the world.

Fuchikami Yuta

First on the pathway was Fuchikami Yuta and his work consisted of street portraits of people in and around his city. Ueno Park features a lot in many images with people of all races, genders, sexualities, backgrounds and classes. It’s a good compilation of the complexities of human nature and shows a truly gritty side of real life in Tokyo. Some of the images are printed out in large format, then cut up into strips and hung on the wall in a strange nonsensical collage that a face peers out of now and again.

This work was engaging with me trying to look into the souls of the people in the photos and see what they were thinking. Prints were suspended on frames in the centre of the room and one must walk between them to see both sides and it’s easy to miss one as you pass. The frames felt almost like a piece of the park, like a community sign that might explain the rules of using the park.

mumuko

Into the next room and it was a darkened room with a projector on two walls shining at a hanging central screen. This was the work of mumuko and the pieces of video and the installations were called It’s war, so let’s marry!, chapter 1 and chapter 2. It showed the artist videoing her travels as she made her way through war zones in Ukraine. It shows exploring of destroyed towns and people who still live in the regions. It all ends up with a big sing song in a pub and then when you switch to the second video you see the afters and what ultimately looks to be a wedding ceremony. Even the screen is dressed in a huge white lace veil, but it is covered with mud, dried flowers and detritus that might get onto a wedding dress in a war zone.

The speech was in Japanese and the subtitles also Japanese, (I was in Japan so it’s to be expected) which made it difficult to engage with for me. I was the only non-Japanese person in the gallery and I understood what was happening from the tone and the contents of the footage. Whilst I know that video is a form of photography, I found this work challenging as there was little photography in it, when I know that the artists did have many photographs from their journey through Ukraine. I’d love to see these photos in an exhibition at some point.

Yamagami Shimpei

Next up was Yamagami Shimpei and their works from a book titled Epiphany, which contain both black and white as well as colour photos. They are arranged in a classic line on the wall but the room is super dark and each picture has a. spotlight on it, which appears rectangular and also leaves a light reflection on the floor of the gallery. The images are of an abstract nature, some of patterns the photographer found and also some more classic photographic subjects.

In his text accompanying the exhibits the photographer writes that we don’t see what is everywhere most of the time, and we should spend time taking in all of the details of the situation around us. He says “If you see it, it becomes so” and I think this means that things exist all the time but if they’re never noticed it’s like they’ve never existed. The images in this collection are exquisite and are something that I really appreciate. The patterns and the items he’s found to capture on film/sensor are amazing and they really fit the gallery well.

Hoshi Haruto

After making my through the corridor if images I emerge into another gallery with hundreds of photographs all over the walls. It’s an awful lot to take in, some are on paper and pinned to the wall, some are in frames, some are black and white and some in colour. They all mostly contain street photography. Many of the images are taken of people and taken close in too, it’s not an easy feat to take these photographs in the entertainment districts of cities of Japan such as Osaka, Yokohama and Tokyo. The photographer states in the text on the wall that “I want to share emotions of humor, sadness and pain” and that is what we see in these images, people in all forms are photographed in all situations.

You can see from this selection of part of a wall of images that it’s a busy display. There are photos of people at their most vulnerable, to people who are angry at the photographer. This is not work that I would be able to recreate in the same areas as an obvious foreigner. The photographer appears to have been right in the mix with a relatively short focal length and a flash to illuminate the subjects.

Another project that was involved in this exhibition was a series of images all taken on the step of a restaurant. It’s much the same vibe as a restaurant anywhere in the world who has had a famous person in for a meal then asked them for a photograph inside or outside the place of business. The photos here are a mixture of politicians, old ladies, and even animals. It’s a slice of life in Minato, Tokyo, and shows a variety of the customers. In one or two it appears that members of the Japanese Mafia “The Yakuza” are also going for something to eat and drink.

Another wall of work by Haruto Hoshi contains more spread out images but these black and white photos catch ill people, drunk people, poverty stricken households, homeless people, kids, and workers alike for the camera. The images in this section are paired up and consist of complimentary pictures that work well together with the odd image thrown in amongst them as if to act as a context for the surrounding pictures.

Some of the works in this exhibition are realistic and often depressing, seeing how humans live their lives. The excesses of life are displayed here, there are addicts and rich people all bundled together with no segregation allowed for.

Utso Yumiko

Once I’d spend a good long time examining these images I moved onto the last part of the “Leap before you look” exhibition, and it was worth it. Some of it is bananas, absolutely surreal and some of it hilariously funny.

It’s so colourful, almost every image is a veritable feast for the eyes. On this wall, pictured below, you can see a few series of images, some of them connected by their subject and methods.

Some of the subjects in the photos are unusual and even uncomfortable, such as the decomposing piglet in the last series at the foot of the wall. Some of the images are very humorous and I did chuckle out loud a couple of times. Some of the imagery here seems to be aligned with the surrealism movement and appears to be designed to have a shock tactic effect.

There are other works where the artist has used a photograph or picture then adorned it with various items, some inanimate objects, some food related, bit mostly replacing the eyes and faces of the existing person or animal underneath. It’s all a bit unnerving and unsettling whilst looking like it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Not work that I would have in my house but still interesting to view in a gallery environment. The below image is a typical substitution of the existing features of the photographic subject. Here we can see that the picture of a traditionally dressed person, possibly a samurai, has a fish added to it with other food sprinkled around to look like a background and also the eyes and mouth. The black details on the fins and the tail align with where the traditional har styles would have seen the hair shown. I like this image as it’s a funny face on the serious looking character. It’s only after you’ve looked at it for a while that you notice the background is made of the same foodstuff. It looks like Rice Krispies to me but is more likely to be a staple food of the region.

TOP ?

Overall the TOP Museum was great value for money and I got to see some world class work by some of Japan’s greatest photographers and artists. The work was thought provoking and sometimes humorous and was spread across a broad spectrum. I found the street photography of Hoshi Haruto particularly engaging and inspiring while I also felt connected to the camera obscura / pinhole camera work of Homma Takashi and his multiple views of Mt. Fuji. Some of the other work on display was interesting to view but not really something that fitted in with my practice.

I was also able to wander around slowly and take in each exhibit and take photographs of people examining the work as well as the holes in the gallery walls in Takashi’s Revolution 9 exhibition. THere were a number of circular holes in the walls that when peered into showed you a poster on the opposite wall but I found an interesting game of lining these holes up and capturing someone passing by the orifice at the other end of the gallery.

More Modern Art

Leaving the TOP Museum I was heading out to the next location on my itinerary, The National Museum of Modern Art. I had heard that there was a Louise Bourgeois sculpture called Maman, and was a large spider like bronze piece. I get back into the Metro at Ebisu station and then jump on the Hibiya Line headed for Hibiya and then changing to the Mita Line towards Takebashi. Out of the station and I’m on the outskirts of the Imperial Palace Gardens in Chiyoda City. A quick walk around the north of the gardens should see me there in no time at all.

Snapping images of taxis flying past on the road and interesting manhole covers I found my way to the front of the Museum, only to be faced with a sign that said it was closed due to changing the exhibitions over. Gutted. I’d walked over here for this museum but it wasn’t to be, what am I going to do? Break into the place? Probably not. Never mind, it was a sunny day and I’d had a nice walk, where else to go? I’d seen a sign for the Science museum which was just around the corner but I remember reading it was mainly for kids but walked that way anyway. As I’m on the way I see some signs for the Budokan Arena, a place I’ve talked about with my brother in the past and seen it represented in Guitar Hero III and movies too. I’ll have a walk up there.

Going past the Science Museum, this large white painted building I stopped to take a photo or two of the interesting pattern built into the structure, notice it was all school trips entering and exiting so I left to continue to the Budokan.

Once past the Science Museum it was only around the corner in a quiet part of Tokyo, there was a lovely looking park all down the one side of the road and the other contained a huge concrete structure. It was immense. The concrete and metal combined to represent an older style Japanese building. A Budokan is an arena for Martial Arts competitions but it has been used for many music gigs, with the Beatles being the first Western Rock & Roll bands to play there in 1966. I loved the concrete and the angles and that you could see the locations of tiers of seating through the outside of the building.

I ambled around the site for a while capturing angles of the corners as I do with the National Theatre on Southbank, London and then made my way to the Imperial Palace to have a look. I walked back through the park on the opposite side of the road from the Budokan and headed towards the front entrance by Tokyo Station. As I walked around the East side of the gardens I found a gate that would have let me in to them but there was a sign saying it was closed on Fridays. Not just this gate, but the whole imperial palace and gardens. Bugger. Foiled for the second time.

Hello Kitte

I headed around to the Tokyo Station as I’d read there was a viewpoint on a building called the Kitte building that was free and you could look over Tokyo Station.

Heading towards the Kitte building I spotted a Starbucks coffee place, there was nothing else around except the station and a load of skyscrapers. I decided to have a rest for twenty minutes after the long walks of the day so far, it was now nearly 4pm. I had an Americano because really I’m not a coffee aficionado, and could do with just a cup of nescafe if they’d have had it.

Heading into the Kitte building I saw an open top bus tour (SkyHop Bus) so I asked them how much it was and they were finishing in a couple of hours so it wouldn’t have been worth it, but if I ever do go back to Tokyo, I think that I would definitely jump on one for a day of just travelling around the city and seeing the sights I missed out on this time.

Into the KItte building and I followed the signs for the viewing deck, jumped in the lift for the 6th floor and had a giggle to myself at the signs asking people riding in the lift to be quiet. If anything I like to be silly in a lift but here I was obeying the local traditions and guidelines.

Up on to the viewing deck and it had dropped cold outside, I had my big jacket with me so I was protected from the chilly wind at this level. Looking out over the edge I could see the Tokyo Marunouchi station in all of it’s glory, and behind it were the rails going in and out of one of the countries busiest transport hubs. Further back were a number of skyscrapers and one that caught my eye held the lifts on the wall facing me so I stopped to do some video of the lifts heading up and down. On the tracks leading in and out of the station were a number of Shinkansen (Bullet) trains awaiting departure. All around the station were huge towering blocks of office buildings which no doubt cost an extreme amount of money to lease out so I would think there is a lot of money in this district, during the day at least. I’d bet it is dead around here at night, with few commuters hanging around and few bars and entertainment venues visible to me at least.

Off To The Gym

Where to next? I figured that I would go back to Yoyogi Park and find the gymnasium which is a brutalist icon of Japan. I never found it on my first visit so it was worth another shot, even if I was losing the light. Back into the metro via the wonderful red brick building and onto the JR Yamanote line headed for Shibuya. Two stops after Shibuya I was out and looking around Yoyogi for the National Gymnasium. I did find it and it was a little dark but there it was in front of me.

I entered an open gate and got closer to the huge concrete circular disc like structure taking a few photos as I went. I thought to capture photos as I got closer, because I felt like the rest of the site was closed, all the other gates were shut, and it wasn’t until a young man sat on a chair outside a loading dock asked me to leave did I bite the bullet and head out. I made a couple of images of this structure but didn’t have a chance to have a good walk around to find some better angles.

Uncomfortable Pants

My wife mentioned before I left that she’d appreciate it if I could get her a gift of a small bowl decorated in true Japanese style. So I thought to make my way to Harajuku and Takeshita Street. I didn’t find any but continued to stroll around the streets of brightly lit fashion shops and then I ended up in Omotesando Hills in amongst the huge world famous brands such as Tag Heuer, Valentino, Burberry and Jimmy Choo. Not really my scene this but there were some interesting people about though. The only real issue I was having as I walked around was the chafing of the new boxer shorts, bought when my case failed to arrive. They were causing me some agony. It’s not the shorts fault, it’s more to do with my chunky thighs rubbing together and I was strruggling to put one foot in front of the other at some points. After about an hour of this I stepped into a side alley and hoisted my jeans up as far as I could, leaving me with a Simon Cowell style trouser on my lower chest but at least it stopped the red-raw skin continuing to grief.

Old Bag

As well as looking out for a souvenir bowl for my long-suffering wife, I was also shopping for a sports bag. Since my case was left in paris, I’d bought a few new clothes and also a few gifts so I had too much to fit in my case for the journey back tomorrow. I returned to Shinjuku at 8pm and wandered around a few shops looking for a sport type shop, not finding anything sensible until I found a leather goods and sport bag shop close to the Shinjuku Train Station. Here I picked up a Kangol bag that would get my stuff back home, if Air France could manage that of course.

Whilst I was walking through Shinjuku on my last evening I took my time, taking in the sights and sounds of everything and everyone surrounding me. I found a couple of nice photographs in people that were milling around late at night but I didn’t want to stay out too late as I had to be up early in the morning for an early train to Haneda airport.

Back into the hotel and pack up all of my belongings for the journey home, I packed up my Canon A1 film camera into the camera backpack, with the Bronica ETRS going in my main case again and kept out my Leica Q2 for the trip on the train and plane tomorrow. I emptied out the safe in the room of my valuables like the laptop and iPad, credit cards and whatnot, I tidied up as best as I could leaving my small change in an arrangement on the side spelling out “Arigatou” then set my alarm for 5am and climbed into the bed for my last sleep in the land of the rising sun.

The next post will have the results of the journey ack home and whether everything went super smoothly as planned, spoiler: it didn’t go quite to plan.