betsu ni (nothing in particular)

There’s only one word to describe Harajuku: suffocating.

Walking the streets of Harajuku and Shibuya, I felt like I had temporarily taken leave of Japan. It was actually too cosmopolitan for my tastes. Worse yet, the place was crawling with foreigners - and by foreigners, I mean the loud, annoying, working holiday sort, crawling from one bar to the next, in search of the most earthly of pleasures.

It’s not my scene, really. I feel far more comfortable wandering about my suburban neighborhood, even if I do stick out like a sore thumb. And I’m enough of a geek that I’d rather spend an evening in Akihabara than Shibuya or, worse yet, Roppongi. Perhaps I’m just getting old?

August 1, 2005 | 4:16 PM | Posted in Photography, Places

Comments

Evan Sirota | August 1, 2005 | 11:52 PM

Mr. Lawson (or, Jeff, if I may be so bold):

I enjoyed your pix of the Kanto region. Lived there myself on & off for a total of about 2.5 yrs. My wife’s from Kanagawa-ken.

But after reading your “About Betsu ni” segment, I’m now totally confused: Do you live in the Tokyo area, do you live in Nebraska, or both?

FYI, I find the title “Betsu ni” to be just the type of dry humor I enjoy. Great title for a weblog, and interesting content as far as I can see…which is pretty much the July 29 to August 1st timeframe only.
Yoroshiku and regards,
-Evan Sirota

Jeff Lawson | August 2, 2005 | 7:53 AM

Thanks for the comment, Evan. I live in Nebraska, but I’m currently in Japan on business. I’ll be returning to the States in late September.

malcolm | August 2, 2005 | 10:08 AM

Shibuya and Harajuku aren’t bad if you stay off the touristy streets (Hell, Harajuku has the Hello Morning shop) - but Roppongi is ALWAYS a hell-hole for foreigners. Unless you really want to be milked of your cash by an unattractive gold-digger that is.

sugar | August 2, 2005 | 4:29 PM

Hey, nice to hear you’re enjoying your time in Japan immensely. And once you get past the “swarming with loud tourists” part, Shibuya is actually a great place for shopping, and people watching, if I may add, if that’s your kind of thing, that is.

BTW, you take really wonderful pictures. May I ask what camera you use? Although I’m sure it’s more the skill of the photographer than the machine itself but it never hurts to know.

phossil | August 2, 2005 | 10:42 PM

its in the properties file (when you download the pictures). Its a Canon EOS Rebel. Great camera - and great photographer… -

Jeff Lawson | August 2, 2005 | 11:39 PM

Phossil’s correct…I use a Canon 300D/Digital Rebel.

Charles "Mendo" Stevenson | March 17, 2007 | 12:10 PM

(March 17, 2007) Dear ones - Does anyone know how I can get in touch with Evan Sirota (author of an Aug. 1, 2005) post here), and his wife Mako-san? Feel free to give him my email address, or use it yourselves - anjinsan@geotrees.com . Thanks! - Charlie Stevenson, Great Falls, va.

Dorofey | November 5, 2008 | 10:37 PM

And again about this. If the search engines learn to understand the meaning, the bloggers have poizgolyatsya to be readable and do not like the others.