I Don’t Want to go to (Enoshima)

March 26, 2024 ~ tgentryfunk ~ Leave a comment

Sung to the tune of Elvis Costello and the Attractions “I Don’t Want to Go to (Chelsea)”.

So, fellow humans, I’ve traveled to Enoshima so you don’t have to. Yes, Endoshima is an island linked to the mainland by a footbridge. Yes, many folks have traveled to the island and yes, there is a shrine to the poet Basho, on the far side of the island. Finally, you could climb up to the Enoshima “Candle” and look out over the ocean (and in good weather see Mt. Fuji). All of the above is true. The question I have: is it worth it. My humble response is no.

While you will find many places in Japan filled with tourist shops and restaurants, Enoshima seems particularly prone to these kinds of places. Absolutely nothing wrong with folks plying their trade and the visit didn’t have the payoff in terms of historical and cultural significance. For example, compared to an island like Miyajima near HIroshima, you’ll find less there, there.

Headed through the tourist area to get to the stairs to the top of the island

Combine the above information with the fact you will climb, climb, climb to the top on a significant number of stairs…maybe not Fujimi Inari level stairs, but close, and your work doesn’t necessarily match the experience. You could purchase escalator tickets (!!) to make your journey a bit less challenging, and you wouldn’t get the payoff of walking up 42 flights of stairs for the KMs you’re walking. I’m not really complaining, just a little frustrated that in the few hours I have left in Japan, I really want to spend my time more wisely. If you’ve got lots of time in Japan then Enoshima might be worth the adventure.

The Basho shrine…his poem is carved into the stone…

Without doubt

Flowerlike sea spray is

Spring of the bay

Despite all of that, the real payoff for this day was my visit to Kamakura. First and foremost, I absolutely love this place. I’ve now been all over the town and have felt like so many possibilities for both contemplation and adventure are in this place. Combined with the wonderful people I met, I haven’t found many places that equal the wonder of this place.

Hoping off the train at Kamakura, you’re presented immediately with two choices: left off the train leads you to a street filled with more common tourist opportunities like a cafe where you can hold owls or the ubiquitous ramen shops. To the left, you’ll walk into the town that is dramatically more quiet with shops filled with locally crafted art, jewelry, and food. My favorite spot is The Ramen Shop, a family-owned business that serves some wonderful Sio ramen broth. Purchase your ticket, have a seat at the bar (about 10 seats), and enjoy the Japanese jazz music and the wonderful ramen.

Instead of taking a bus or train close to the main attraction, the Daibatsu, I have chosen to walk from town to the sites. along the way, you’ll run into a variety of stores and restaurants. If you’re on the right side of the road, you’ll find Modernato Coffee Shop. Stop in and have some hand-crafted coffee (it takes a while) and a dessert. Sit at a window seat and just hang.

The Daibatsu is the star of this show and even if it’s crowded, you’ll be inspired by the view. Constructed in the 13th century, the building that once surrounded it is now gone…as legend states, destroyed by a tsunami, the bronze sculpture and pedestal are the only remaining structures. Reconstruction of the building happened soon after and that too fell to a fire in a civil conflict in the area. Restoration began again in the late 18th century and then later in the 20th. regardless of the history, you’ll find a remarkable bronze Buddha. As many times as I’ve visited this spot, the reveal of the Buddha as you walk along the path is magical. If you’ve read this far and you’d like to visit, walk slowly….turn the corner, and allow the vista to unfold. It’s amazing.

The Daibatsu…I’m able to grab this shot despite the number of visitors….I’m a bit taller than most folks.

Not far from the Daibatsu is the Hasedera shrine and temple complex. The ancient caves are worth the crawl and the place holds a gold-gilt Kannon sculpture in the main shrine room. The dim light of the room combined with the presence of the statue was as peaceful a place as I’ve ever found, and I stayed in this moment for as long as I could, basking in the warm glow of the space.

Each of these moments today gave me something to consider…I went from joy to frustration on this day and then exhaustion as I had walked more than 15 miles, much of it uphill. After I made it back to my room, I relaxed with some soccer on TV and well-deserved sleep.

May you be happy, may you be well

At the top of Enoshima is this sitting area

If you are eating in public, crows and hawks will steal your food right out of your hand!

In the dark caves at Hasedera are these small shrines

Along the streets of many towns are small Shinto shrines

Selfie along a neighborhood road in Kamakura

After a few days in Tokyo…

March 24, 2024March 24, 2024 ~ tgentryfunk ~ Leave a comment

It took a few days for the flow to start happening. The flow. The synergistic connection to the people and place that you’re in. A recognition of the moment as surely as you can see yourself in a mirror. You’re “in it” – you’re in that experience that joins you with the world around you.

Sometimes it really takes a while. You have to be quiet in your mind. Let the thoughts that are controlling your life settle. It’s hard. Really hard. So much of what is happening in our hearts and minds are based almost entirely on expectations and feelings that have nothing to do with the present moment and everything to do with some past event, idea, or feeling. We get stuck in some melancholy and we’re suddenly lost to ourselves. When I say we, I really mean me, and I cannot say that I’ve found some kind of answer to any of this stuff. What I do know is that after a few days, I’m in it.

Had to put this one in because Godzilla!

All day today I was frustrated by my own lack of vision – I couldn’t see the photographs I wanted to take and the street scenes, while lovely, were not meeting my expectations of what I wanted from this trip. I kept at it and tried to find the moment – the view that comes to you rather than you going to it.

This picture is the beginning of how it’s coming together…the ironic scene

It took literally all day of traveling miles around the city to finally get the feeling and see the photograph. From Ginza to Shinjuku to Shibuya, I went to various places to find my source. Once I found it, I played with it, messing around with the camera and then it hit. I realize I’m speaking abstractly and that it’s hard to explain in language what I’m feeling and communicating. It’s more about a moment arising and me being in a place of recognition. Once the moment happened it’s been playing out for the rest of the day. At dinner, I found my Japanese voice and could speak in complete sentences for the first time and be understood. I heard a question and knew how to respond. It was simple, laughably simple dialogue, and I was connecting. The flow was happening.

I cannot tell you if this experience will continue or if it will be a fleeting incident on this trip. What I can say is that today was new, real, and finally I saw myself.

In a note I wrote earlier in the week, I said “I’m here to find myself.” This evening, I randomly heard a poem that spoke directly to that idea. It’s by Caribbean poet Derek Walcott called Love After Love. I’m sharing the poem below.

May you be happy, may you be well

Love After Love, Derek Walcott

The time will come

when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your

self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you,

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desparate notes,

peel your image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

A Solo Trip in Japan, March 2024

March 17, 2024 ~ tgentryfunk ~ 2 Comments

If you haven’t traveled solo or experienced a trip without family, I’m here to guide you through this daunting and thrilling moment. On these pages, I’ll be recording the journey as I attempt a trip that is not about tourism and is more about being IN a place.

I’ll start this journey in Asakusa and will stay in one location for the entire trip. I’ll provide updates on my experiences. My plan is to photograph street scenes in Tokyo, and, as Photographer Ruth Bernhard said, to “let the photograph find you.” To open my eyes to the places and people.I will see and try and capture a slice of life in the city.

As you can imagine, I’ve had a bit of trepidation knowing that I’m in a place that I am both very familiar with and completely unfamiliar with; I’ll not be leading a group of people through the city and instead leading myself around. More importantly, aside from the photography, I’m not planning on visiting tourist sites in the city…I want to just see what I see as I walk a series of paths through Tokyo.

My first day will follow city streets and neighborhood alleys from Asakusa to Ueno. My path meanders and we’ll see what comes up. In the subsequent days, I’ll refine my steps to seek out spots that are both interesting from an architectural perspective and a human one. Again, finding a way for the photograph to come to me.

I realize this approach is an unusual one and I’m hoping to capture images that reflect what I see using the tools and skills I am accustomed to.

So, what will I be using to photograph in Tokyo? First, I’ll use the camera I got in high school: a Nikon FE. I’ve used this camera consistently since 1979 when I purchased it. Since I’m trying to travel lightly, I’ll only have the unusual 36-72MM Nikkor lens as my companion. This E Series lens is not great AND it works well in the F8-11 range for sharp photos. For the film, I’m bringing HP5 and a couple of rolls of Wolfen 100. I’ll also head over to Champ Camera in Yokohama to grab some other more unusual films on my adventure.

In addition, I’ll be taking my used Hasselblad X1D II with a 40mm lens. I’ve experimented with this slow autofocus camera and am pleased with my work so far. While the autofocus is contrast only, I love the way the images pop off the printed page and am really excited to see what I can capture!

I’ll post images and videos here on this site and link to http://www.youtube.com for a channel on these adventures. Stay tuned f you’re interested in watching some random guy fumble his way around Tokyo.

May You Be Happy, May You Be Well