Oh Japan, where do I begin? I'm obsessed with you. I wish our encounters weren't so brief and that my adventures in this beautiful country wouldn't end so quickly. But all good things come to end, which is why I love these photos. I have over 400 pictures of my recent trip, but I narrowed them down to my top 10. So without further adieu, here's my Top 10 Photos From Japan!
10. Super Futuristic Shinkansen
There is something so terrifyingly cool about a high speed train that can take you 200 mph through the Japan countryside. Not to mention the timeliness of the train schedule. I can only dream of the day when California get's their act together and puts one of these bad boys along the coast.
9. Shimo-Kitazawa Record Store
Shopping in Japan is out of this world and it seems as though Tokyo is the final frontier for independently owned record stores. This record store in Shimo-Kitazawa was super orderly and well considered. The owner was playing Richard Crandell when we visited and we picked up a copy of his CD. I love listening to it now because it brings me back and I can relive this day all over again.
8. Osaka Cat Cafe
This little cutie jumped up on our table at a Cat Cafe in the Amerika Mura district of Osaka. I had mixed feelings about this experience since the cat's seemed overstimulated, but it was great to take a break, have a coffee and watch some super kawaii cats do their thing.
7. Bruce Nauman's 100 Live and Die Piece
The Benesse House is a facility integrating a museum with a hotel. It is based on the concept "Coexistence of nature, art, and architecture". This piece was my personal favorite as it is housed in a brutalist room with heavy usage of concrete and sharp edges in its architecture.
6. Dotonbori Bridge in Osaka
Sensory overload at its finest! Sebastian and I spent some time people watching on this bridge in Osaka. We ate takoyaki, while watching a group of tourists get lost. Slowly, as the night crept up, the neon signs began to light up around us.
5. The Teshima Art Museum
The Teshima Art Museum is a minimalist, concrete structure designed by Ryue Nishizawa, a famous japanese architect. The space illustrates how nature and architecture are interconnected.
4. Hanging out at Books & Things in Kyoto
Here's another store visit that left a lasting impression. While walking in Kyoto we saw a small yellow sign that said "Books & Things". We decide to check it out and discovered that the owner collects 1st edition art, design and fashion books. We ended up hanging out with him while he showed us his book collection. It was the best thing ever.
3. Kan Yasuda's The Secret of the Sky
Noticing a theme here with the concrete? Well the Benesse Art Site is made entirely of it. Kan Yasuda's piece was located in an outdoor room with the sky exposed above. It was relaxing to lay on the large concrete stones and watch the clouds.
2. The Mori Tower Skydeck in Roppongi
It was important that I had at least one lost in translation moment on this trip, which is why we went to the Mori Tower Sky Deck. This was at the end of a long day where we explored Akihabara, Harajuku and Shibuya districts. I was tired, but this view made it totally worth it.
1. Kohei Nawa's Biota (Flora/Fauna)
I never thought paper flowers could be so cool. This circular floral arrangement created by Kohei Nawa was vivid and intricate, but more than anything, it melded together traditional japanese imagery with contemporary art.