Japanese Dream
Japan’s cities are wonderlands of light, sound, entertainment, and infrastructure, all held together by the most orderly way of being. Granted, I didn’t see the entire country, nor did I spend nearly enough time there to truly get to know it. But I spent two weeks between three of its major cities; Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, and I feel I was at least able to skim the surface of understanding.
Tokyo is a true metropolis. It is vast, and from within it seems endless. It felt like a series of casinos connected by sprawling urban shopping malls; noise, flashing lights, cigarette smoke, and seedy characters. At other times it felt orderly and unbelievably safe. Bicycles were left unlocked and alone on the streets and I felt as if I could have done the same with my camera. The different neighborhoods drew different types of people. I preferred the more questionable areas, like the side streets and back alleys that at night filled with young, dressed up boys and girls offering to escort you to any number of brothels or basement establishments that were willing to take your hard earned yen. As I passed through crowds of people or an open door to a bar I would often hear a change in conversation, catch a few glances, and most likely hear the word “gaijin”, a derogatory term for “foreigner”, or more literally, “outside person”. Amusing at first, I eventually got used to the idea of it being an insult and the feeling of being a true outsider.
Kyoto is still a very traditional place, not to say that modern taste in food, drink, and style doesn’t exist there, but as a city Kyoto is making an effort to hang on to the past. It is full of temples, shrines, and women in kimonos. It is a place where you can still be treated to the sight of a geisha shuffling down a lantern lit alleyway. Old Kyoto and modern Kyoto seem to coexist. Though it seemed difficult for a foreigner to tap into the true heart of the place, it was easier there than anywhere else to find an English menu or someone willing to point you in the right direction. In the end, I think I liked Kyoto the best. The people there were willing to ignore you if you wanted or help you if you needed. They made little effort to speak any English but also had a distaste for the word gaijin.
Osaka welcomed us with open arms. I didn’t do much exploring, but I got closer to the heart of the city than any of the other places I had been. The look of the city gives away the fact that there was a boom in the fifties, the Glico Man and its neon-clad surroundings attest to it. Osaka felt as if you had made a wrong turn down some weird street in Old Vegas where no one speaks your language… but instead of turning around and going back the way you came, you stay, because you realize that this place is much cooler, and even though it points and laughs at you… it’s curious, and it wants to hang out.
To view the complete gallery and read stories from the trip visit J.K. Putnam Photography on Flickr.
