Ichigaya by wysiwig
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
After a delightful ten-hour flight I landed at Narita Airport, Japan. It turned out I needed a smallpox vaccine before I was allowed into the country. My friends, who had arrived before me, collected me from the airport infirmary and off we when to the Ichigaya Youth Hostel. Japan can be an expensive country but the government has established a system of hostels that provide very cheap lodging for travelers. The government runs the hostels in the north of Honshu and licenses hostels to private owners south of Tokyo. The government hostels house men and women in separate wings. Allan, Larry and I bunked together in a dorm room. Amy was on her own.
Still on California time I awoke in time to catch this image of Ichigaya at five in the morning. After breakfast the four of us attempted to descend into the subway and catch a train. We were met by a solid wall of humanity that squashed us against the wall as they flowed out of the depths on their way to work. We had no idea where we were going. Above our heads was a subway map showing red and blue and green lines. When our gaze shifted back to the subway platform there was a well-dressed middle-aged gentleman who asked us where we were going. We told him we wanted to go to the Ginza shopping area. He showed us which line to take and directed us to the ticket machines against the wall. We were on our way.
Comments (14)
Excellent image! What a wonderful mixture of different sized and shaped buildings, roads, and I'm not quite sure what on the right! There is a great sense of layer on layer in this image. Very interesting about the youth hostel. Were they many bed dormitory rooms? I also often found the people very helpful in Japan. Very entertaining narrative. I look forward to more!
Interesting shot. Reminds me of other places I've been at the early hours of the morning (sans Japanese text of course).
What an adventure!! I enjoy vicarious travel more than I would if I did it myself.
Busy doesnt come into it, i havent been to Japan, but i have been to Southern India, and nothing prepares you for such a tide of humanity. I greatly look forward to more of your Japanese experiences
bonne photo!!
very beautiful!!!
I've been to Hong Kong and the crush there is interesting to say the least Great shot and wonderful narrative
I bet it is full of bustle a little later in the day. Wonderful view of the city.
OUTSTANDING IMAGE! i like the strange atmosphere it has!
A real adventure! Interesting image and story !
anotner fantastic shot and info !
at least I can read CBS and Sony what an experince to learn and grow interesting capture warm hugs, Linda
It certainly appears to capture the hustle and bustle of the city until I look down and oddly only 1 car. How unusual. But you are on your way.
Two and a half questions, Mark: How long were these photographs stored away and out of your periodic viewing before you digitized them? How clear were the details of your memories of these first hours upon arrival and how often had you relived them before re-discovering these images? I do have a great many photographs stored away from decades past which I have not reviewed in many years. There are countless boxes of slides among these, the majority of which were never printed in any form. Whenever I do manage to venture into these images I am always moved by how many of my memories are restored upon viewing these visual time portals. You should know that watching you restore your early photography has inspired me to set aside time for digitizing, at least some of, my own elder camera work. Just from these first hours it sounds as if this was a wonderful and transformative adventure in your life. It is good to return and travel along with you. With warmth, Terry