ResidentPhotographers
Alex McLaren
Jason Weller
I also take photos for my internet shopping site otaku.com.
This issue I chose images that contain traditional Japanese elements. In a land
as ancient as this, remnants of the past are always just under your nose. Celebrations, statues of heroes long deceased, nightlife, and even a stroll through the
neighborhood can all remind you of what once was.
Nayalan Moodley
Will Fitch
darc.jp
Subculture manifests itself in a number of ways. Like fashion and music, cars
have become another place where the few, free thinkers can go to escape from the
salary-slave lifestyle that corporate overlords use to herd the masses onto trains,
between stations which are built to relieve you of what little leisure funds you may
have. The open road and freedom to move at your own pace at will is a calling that
few feel but those that do, inevitably follow it to Daikoku Parking Area in
Yokohama.
jcweller.com
It’s another first in a long time for me with my return to black and white film in
this month’s issue. The cover and my other two shots were all taken on T-max 100
film. (I must admit a ‘return’ to black and white is a slight overstatement as I only
shot one roll of B&W film back in high school.) I enjoyed the challenge of viewing
the world in shapes and shades and having to throw out all the colour information
my eyes took in. Once I’ve finished the small stock of colour film I have in my
fridge, I might just go on a B&W adventure for a few months. Keep your eyes on
future issues to see how that all turns out.
Resident Writer
Theo Kogod
“The Blood Genealogy” is my attempt at Japanese historical fiction, and is a true story taken from the pages of Hagakure, a book about the samurai code of Bushido as
told by the retired samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo. Of the characters in my story, only the daimyo Lord Soma is named in the original text. Hagakure details the tenants of
Bushido, in particular the acceptance of death and duty to one’s lord—themes I explored in the story. Like many samurai stories, the line separating history from legend
may be no wider than the blade of a katana.
“Snapshots of Japan’s Early Photo-History” is a very different kind of work, though also set in the past. It is the first of a series of short essays I have planned exploring
the evolution of photography in Japan from its early roots to the present. By looking back at immortalized snapshots of the past, I hope to illuminate the lens through
which Japan views itself today.
For more musings, follow me on my blog The Modern Skald.