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TOKYO—INSIDE&OUT 1988-1992

For the four years I lived in Tokyo (1988-1992), my blood put me on the fine line between being a gaijin (outsider) and an insider. At one moment, I wanted to float on the dream of oriental mystery; in another, I wanted to step into the steamy sento without calling attention to myself. My life in Tokyo was a search for balance.

Invitation for solo show, Boston, MA, 1995.
Salariman Descending Stairs, 1989.

I took long, ambling walks, my Nikon F3 in hand. I rarely found the exotic or zen simplicity. Instead, I found the drama of the mundane. (Meanwhile the foreign press was covering the Diet, the Recruit scandal, the negotiations with Russia over the fate of the Sakhalin Islands…) The streets became a stage; the urban landscape, a set. Pedestrians were actors. Waiting at a traffic signal, loitering in a park, climbing a staircase, eating a McDonalds teriyaki burger were all forms of improvisation. I met food vendors, homeless people, buskers, and radicals. But more often shoppers, salarimen, and students.

Shibuya, 1988.

The more I saw, the less the landscape seemed a contradiction. Tokyo was evolving. Western fashion, architecture, and advertising grew like ivy, snaking around the roots of native customs and rituals. In the maze of the city, I wandered and wondered, waited and composed. I made photographs which I believe capture a Tokyo finding an equilibrium.

—1995, Boston

Rockers, 1990.

I visited the Harajuku Hokoten near Yoyogi Park many Sundays to capture the street musicians and their teen fans.


TOKYO—INSIDE&OUT SERIES

The Tokyo—Inside&Out series are toned vintage silver gelatin prints, about 8x12" images, printed on 11x14" paper.

  •  Aki no Arashi (Autumn Storm) ,1990.

    Aki no Arashi (Autumn Storm) ,1990.

  •  Alec in Wonderland, 1991.

    Alec in Wonderland, 1991.

  •  Dawn of Heisei at Studio Alta, 1989.

    Dawn of Heisei at Studio Alta, 1989.

  •  Sony,1988.

    Sony,1988.

  •  Asahara Shoko Pampleteers, 1990.

    Asahara Shoko Pampleteers, 1990.

  •  Sanja Festival, 1990.

    Sanja Festival, 1990.

  •  Three Mikoshi Carriers, 1988.

    Three Mikoshi Carriers, 1988.

  •  Kimono Shadow, 1991.

    Kimono Shadow, 1991.

  •  Coming of Age Day, 1991.

    Coming of Age Day, 1991.

  •  Cub Scouts, 1988.

    Cub Scouts, 1988.

  •  Faith and the Car Salesman, 1988.

    Faith and the Car Salesman, 1988.

  •  Four Boys, 1988.

    Four Boys, 1988.

  •  Girl Clutching Obi, 1990.

    Girl Clutching Obi, 1990.

  •  Studio Alta-Halloween, 1991.

    Studio Alta-Halloween, 1991.

  •  Intersection, 1989.

    Intersection, 1989.

  •  Tutle Pip, 1990. Hokoten costume designers.

    Tutle Pip, 1990. Hokoten costume designers.

  •  Woman on Motorcycle, 1990.

    Woman on Motorcycle, 1990.

  •  Women with Sunglasses, 1990.

    Women with Sunglasses, 1990.

  •  Three Girls, 1990.

    Three Girls, 1990.

  •  Breakdancing, 1990.

    Breakdancing, 1990.

  •  JRA Off Track Betting, 1991.

    JRA Off Track Betting, 1991.

  •  Kani, 1990. Kabukicho.

    Kani, 1990. Kabukicho.

  •  Porn Movie House, 1991. Kabukicho.

    Porn Movie House, 1991. Kabukicho.

  •  Sumo Arm Wrestle, 1990. Kabukicho.

    Sumo Arm Wrestle, 1990. Kabukicho.

  •  Kabukicho, 1990.

    Kabukicho, 1990.

  •  Alec in Wonderland, 1991.

    Alec in Wonderland, 1991.

  •  Masked Gaijin, 1990.

    Masked Gaijin, 1990.

  •  Missing Peace-Hokoten, 1990.

    Missing Peace-Hokoten, 1990.

  •  Missing Peace (on stage), 1990.

    Missing Peace (on stage), 1990.

  •  Nap, 1988.

    Nap, 1988.

  •  Police Movie Billboard, 1989.

    Police Movie Billboard, 1989.

  •  Rockers--Hokoten, 1990.

    Rockers--Hokoten, 1990.

  •  Salariman Descending Stairs, 1989.

    Salariman Descending Stairs, 1989.

  •  Sanja Festival-Asakusa, 1990.

    Sanja Festival-Asakusa, 1990.

  •  Shibuya Rise, 1988.

    Shibuya Rise, 1988.

  •  Newlyweds, 1990. Shinjuku.

    Newlyweds, 1990. Shinjuku.

  •  Xmas Love, 1991.

    Xmas Love, 1991.

  •  Shinjuku Stairs, 1990.

    Shinjuku Stairs, 1990.