Posted on

Disengaging a bit in Kanda-Jimbocho

Kanda-Jimbocho, Tokyo, July 10, 2004

Kanda-Jimbocho, Tokyo, July 10, 2004. Leica M6, CV 35mm f/2.5 P, Konica Pan 400

Here’s a new series shot in Tokyo’s Kanda-Jimbocho, often called the largest book market in the world due to the high concentration of new and secondhand bookstores one can find there (135-plus stores). Wasn’t feeling very engaged when shooting these, hence the series’ title. Perhaps I’ve been too engaged in shooting of late. Sometimes it’s good to relax a bit.

I previously wrote about this area of Tokyo here.

Posted on

Ramen shop in Nakano – Aoba

Ramen shop Aoba in Nakano

Ramen is one of those foods that exist beyond my understanding, simply because I can’t (or choose not to) eat food that contains red meat or chicken. (It should also be said that I’m not a huge fan of noodle soups like udon for example so I don’t feel like I’m missing so much.) So, I stand outside on occassion, especially when the shop is “famous,” and wonder a bit what all the fuss is about. This particular shop, in Nakano (one of Tokyo’s “Ramen Towns” apparently), is called Aoba and Naoko confirms that it is indeed famous and consistently in the top 10 of ramen establishments. I’ll leave those assessments to the aficionados but will chime in that it is certainly on my current short list of top 10 fascinating shop exteriors in Tokyo.

Click here for the series.