_This newsletter has a lot of photographs, and might be viewed best on a computer or website; click the header image or title to go there._ Last Saturday, I invited a friend to go with me to a photography / fashion brand event, where several photographers whose work I admired were exhibiting. The event was in an area in Tokyo between the Sumida and Arakawa rivers, held in a building in the shadow of one of Tokyo’s most famous landmarks, Skytree. But he suggested we meet on the other side of the Sumida river, in Asakusa. This is __Refrakt__ , a bi-weekly newsletter from Ian J. Battaglia on curiosity, creativity, and (hopefully!) insight, through the lens of photography, writing, study, art and beauty, and my life. Asakusa is a neighborhood known for being an entertainment hub, a reputation it's retained since the Edo period, though it's ceded much of that ground to Shinjuku, Shibuya, and other neighborhoods, down from Asakusa's peak in the 20's and 30's. Still, wander into Asakusa on almost any time or occasion, and you'll find its tight streets packed with visitors, tourists both domestic and foreign, and stand still for a moment and you'll hear several languages spoken. Now, most of this activity centers around Sensō-ji, Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple (founded at least in 645 and probably much earlier). It's an area that's filled with iconic Japanese imagery, like the massive Kaminarimon (whose focal point is the massive lantern that's supposed to weigh 1500 lbs) that opens the street, a five-story pagoda, and of course, Skytree itself. I'm guessing this is one of the places people call to mind when they think of Tokyo. So you'd think it'd be easy to find good photographs here. You'd think; but I actually find it somewhat difficult to make photos here. It's almost _too iconic_ , the streets so packed with others trying to take their own photos from every angle, that finding something that feels fresh can be a challenge. But I'm up for a challenge. I thought I'd show and discuss some of the images I made this day, and see if anything good came from it. * * * Leica M10-P & Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 These are the first three photos I snapped while waiting to meet up with him, all taken from the same intersection. You can see the Matsuya building, the large department store shown in the second image peeking out from behind the tree in the first image; the third image is just a pivot to the right, looking out over the river we'd soon cross. Really, I wasn't trying to do anything too special here, just making sure my setting were as I wanted them. I like the silhouettes and shadows from the first image, the hard cut the building behind me provides. The second photo is of the rickshaws that remain a popular tourist attraction, the guides wearing traditional clothes. The third showcases the clear light the day offered, people in scale against Skytree. They're all images that say "Japan" to me, but perhaps not much more. Leica M10-P & Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 From there we moved into the grounds of Sensō-ji itself, from the East. Like the images above, all three of these images are from nearly the same vantage point, the red gate in both the first and third image, unseen in the second only because I'm standing underneath it. * * * _If you enjoyed this issue, consider joining my_ _membership_ _program, The Order of the Black Lotus. For the price of a cup of coffee in Tokyo ($3/month or $30/year), you not only support my writing and photography, but I’ll send you a**handwritten, one-of-one postcard from me in Tokyo** —a tangible piece of my journey, just for you. You’ll also get access to all **exclusive posts** , and an invitation to **my private photography feed on**_** _Retro_** _._ JOIN THE ORDER OF THE BLACK LOTUS _Joining is the most meaningful way to ensure this work continues, and I thank you for your support!_ * * * Asakusa is a neighborhood you'll regularly see women wearing kimono, with many shops to rent from within Asakusa itself. It's hard to resist the urge to snap a photo, the traditional blended with the modern—this felt most strongly in the fourth image—Asakusa in parts almost feeling like a Japan-based theme park, like the ninja figure adorning the top of the building in the second. The first, second, and fourth images aren't bad to me, thanks in part to the poses and matching kimono of the women in the first, and the figure of the man and the way the light falls across him in the second. This second image feels slower to me, more reflective, which made the switch into monochrome all the more easy. For the fourth, had I been alone, I probably would've tried to get closer, framing the scene more from within than at such a remove. Leica M10-P & Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 Here it is, Kaminarimon itself. The idea of a paper lantern weighing 1500 lbs might seem hard to believe, until you see it in person. I've only been here a handful of times, but I've never seen people so fervently touch the base of it; it would never even occur to me to try, though I have to crouch under it to not hit my head. As with many places like this, such as Chicago's Bean statue, it's most interesting to me to photograph the people around the monument than the monument itself. I particularly like how this third image turned out, with the young girl in kimono with her smiling mom, the brother and father both seemingly disinterested. The second image too conveys a bit more of the feel of the neighborhood to me, what it's actually like to be in the crowd. Next time I'm here, I'd like to try to photograph the gate and people in silhouette; it would help to have a bit more direct sun than I was afforded on this day. Leica M10-P & Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 One last image before we headed over the river, with a woman and her pig companion advertising a pig cafe (like a cat cafe, with pigs) in a nearby building. I don't love the animal cafe culture, but this pig seemed quite content to eat snacks and have people (like me) come by to pat her on the head and call her cute. Finally, two images of Skytree: one from the rooftop of the event space, and the other from the street in front of it, after sunset fell. You can see both Tokyo Tower and Skytree from much of the city, but until you get close, it's hard to understand the scale. I think this final image conveys that a bit better. * * * ### This week's darling: > View this post on Instagram > > A post shared by Ian J. Battaglia | 東京 (@ianjbattaglia) Forest bathing. Got out of the city to go up into the mountains for a hike again not too long ago. So beautiful to be surrounded by nature, immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest. When I visited Mt. Fuji this year, that's what struck me most: the air felt so _crisp_. This trip I felt the same. I've been meaning to shoot some more video of Tokyo (and surrounding environs); let me know if you'd like to see more little snippets like this! * * * ## Subscribe to Refrakt A bi-weekly newsletter on curiosity, creativity, and (hopefully!) insight, through the lens of photography, writing, study, art and beauty, and my life. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Join 150+ members on the path. Buy me a coffee

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