_valerian

Today I had to meet a friend to check her study abroad essay (Arizona State!) and seeing that we would meet in Roppongi at 6pm, planned my day along the Hibiya Line.

PLAN Part 1: Head to the Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara for photo paper.
Sunday afternoon there = Hell, and it looks like it is not only the Yodobashi in Shinjuku that is completely out of G2 Rembrandt fiber paper in any size. I was told that the next shipment is due at the end of the month. I hope that Fujifilm not only continues to make black and white paper, but also figures out the correct balance of supply and demand so that it is in stock more often than it is not. If they had an online easy-order capability to supply such paper abroad, it would probably help.
END RESULT: Purchased none of the 10×12 paper I needed. Instead of going home with a heavy bag of photo paper, by the end of the day I ended up with a heavy shoulder bag of more books. This is exactly what I did not want to do, for each 1500 yen spent on anything that is not photo paper results in 10 less possible prints. Or something like that. The theory is that I’d rather spend the money on my own photographs rather than on someone else’s.

But- the huge Book-Off in Akihabara was not too far off, and it was there I picked up another copy each of Araki’s re-release of Sentimental Journey (#1) and book three of his multi volume perfect set, Yoko (#2) for less than either of them went for (and continue to go for) new. Actually, one can usually find both of these books in stock at any moderately sized bookstore in Tokyo on any given day. I keep picking these up used to give to people who either “get it”, or maybe will “get it” after spending time with these books. The Kafka Diaries book (#3) was 105 yen, and 20+ pages into it makes me wonder if the guy could have been ok if someone had just given him a camera instead of a pen. He wrote photographs, and the mood of his diary would seem to have gotten him by alright had it been done in pictures.

Book Off in Akihabara is near enough to both a Burger King and an overpriced camera shop on Showa dori. My cellphone showed the Rain icon in the weather update portion on the main screen which almost kept me to my original plan of riding the Hibiya line to Roppongi and studying Japanese for a few hours straight. But Showa dori is a major street through Tokyo and what other places I know are on it? And if it rains, a subway station OR a 7-11 with cheap umbrellas will be within 300 meters. These are exactly the kind of thoughts that occur before a spur of the moment decision to begin another 4 hour walk through the city. Like most times, laden with books and a camera. Or two.

Walking Showa dori south on a Sunday is fairly quiet, until you come to Ginza. I knew where I was at all times, but over estimated the point to turn west to Roppongi and ended up walking to Shimbashi, and continued South West until I was directly south of Tokyo Tower. At this time it was dark, and I actually became concerned that I might not be able to meet Yukino on time. I was also kind of surprised that Roppongi Hills was no where to be seen from atop a pedestrian crossing bridge near Tokyo Tower. After walking North West enough the top of Roppongi Hills came into view, and from then on it was only a matter of walking through rich neighborhoods until Sleaze overcame Class. “You wan Japanese Girl Tiddy Bar Hey Come On” says a Nigerian guy looking straight ahead as I walk past. No, I don’t.

Books #4 and #5 were found in the Aoyama Book Center (a motto: One of each, please), with the Friedlander book in the 50% bargain boxes outside the door. Another 2500 yen (15 sheets of photo paper) but worth it. Inside book #5 was waiting there for me atop the shelf. I did not see it until after talking to a young couple who was Ooohing and Aaahing over Sato san’s book of Tokyo at Dusk. Published by hysteric glamour and simply titled as hysteric Fourteen 長野重一 / Nagano Shigeichi, it features a collection of photographs made in Japan during the 1950s. The images predate some of the best small camera work that American photographers brought to the forefront of the medium a decade later. The pictures refrain from being mere examples campy Showa-ness, and lack the grace of Ihee or Bresson’s photography. Instead they enjoy the frankness of a steady eye that often keeps it’s distance. Near the end of the book, printed on a different stock of warm-toned paper is another selection of black and white photographs, again shot in Tokyo albeit 50 years later. Obviously these pictures lack the Nostalgia Bonus that keeps the previous ones readily charming.

Like all the other books in the hysteric series, hysteric Fourteen 長野重一 is a limited edition run (800 copies) and each has it’s number stamped on the inside. The paper and printing quality, as always, can be described as “breath-taking”, especially if you are out of breath from carrying a shoulder bag of books all over Tokyo.

One final note- while not pictured in the photo above, I also picked up the latest issue of Tokyo Graffiti after seeing my friend Aya and her well dressed family featured as the first set in the Street Couples section:

You may remember her son, and her Ninagawa Mika signed camera strap from this blog post from about a month ago.