In the 1990s, shopping streets were a common feature of Tokyo neighborhoods and a central locus for communities. Shops were often multigenerational family businesses. Today, large department stores and online retailers are making the economics of running local stores difficult, if not impossible. This street in Koenji from the 90s is typical of many of these thoroughfares. Click on the image for a larger view.
Author Archives: HakusanCreation
A Letter to the Stars
To the countless stars in the sky,
Does being round
make it easier for you
to travel through the universe?
Or, while on your travels,
did the universe beat you,
making you rounder and rounder?
Or, is it the space between us
that simply makes you appear round?
Is keeping a good distance your secret?
(1985)
TRANSLATED FROM THE JAPANESE POETRY BOOK ON LOVE
OTOHIME KARA URASHIMA TARO NI TSUGU BY NAOMI OTSUBO.
From chapter one, before meeting
（Original Japanese poEm）
お星さまへ
天空にまします数々のお星さま
丸ければ
宇宙で うまくまわっていられますか？
それとも
まわっているうちに
あの手この手で 宇宙が
丸くしにかかってくるんですか
それとも
何でもかんでも
遠くにおいてしまえば
丸く見えてくるもんですか？
つまり
距離をおくってことですね
恋愛詩集「乙姫から浦島太郎に告ぐ」第1章出会い前 より
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Breaking Storm, Setting Sun
Click on the image for a larger view.
Cloudland
Click on the image for a larger view.
The Magic Kingdom
Click on the image for a larger view.
Magnolia
The magnolia trees are in blossom in Florida. Click on the image for a larger view.
One day, alone
Looking up at the sky
Finding nothing
I feel happy
I am joy
(1989)
TRANSLATED FROM THE JAPANESE POETRY BOOK ON LOVE
OTOHIME KARA URASHIMA TARO NI TSUGU BY NAOMI OTSUBO.
From chapter one, before meeting
（和訳）
ある日ひとり
空を 見上げる
何もないので
うれしくなってしまう
私は 歓び
(1989)
恋愛詩集「乙姫から浦島太郎に告ぐ」第1章出会い前より
Retention Ponds
Florida is a giant sand bar. You need not dig very deep before hitting water. This presents problems with construction as roads and buildings make surfaces impervious to rain, causing a flooding hazard from runoff. Retention ponds are dug to mitigate flooding from development. While natural lakes in Florida are shallow, retention ponds are deep, penetrating the ground 40 or 50 feet. But, because of the high water table, these ponds need to be pumped while under construction. In the woods to the left of the image is a temporary holding pond. Click on the image for a larger view.
Shinobazu no Ike
Shinobazu no Ike, or Shinobazu Pond, is located in Ueno Park, Tokyo. This is all that remains of the marsh that has been filled since Edo was established in the seventeenth century. The eastern part of Tokyo was reclaimed from this marsh and is protected by a series of flood walls. During World War II, the pond was used for growing rice. After the war, discussions on whether to convert the area to baseball fields were held. Boating on this pond goes back to 1931. This image is from our book Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness: Tokyo Landscapes. Click on the image for a larger view.
Number 3 Daiba
What looks like a peaceful Japanese garden is Number 3 Daiba, a fortification built in 1853 as a response to attempts by US Commodore Perry to open Japan. Beyond that is the artificial island of Odaiba, which was constructed after World War II and one of the planned sites for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Between the two high-rise apartment building on the left is Tokyo Gate Bridge, the furthest extent of the city into the bay. Number 3 Daiba was originally built several kilometers off the coast of the city in open water. This image comes from our book Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Emptiness: Tokyo Landscapes. Click on the image for a larger view.
