The Myth of Tomorrow is an epic painting by renowned Japanese painter Taro Okamoto. It is massive, 30 meters long and 5.5 high, painted some 43 years ago, lost for 31 of those, and now on permanent display in Shibuya Station. On display in Shibuya station. I first saw the Myth of Tomorrow (Asu no Shinwa) in 2007, when it was on display at the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art. I was on a museum-going jag at that time, and had been to the Taro Okamoto Museum of Art just a little while earlier- so I knew a bit about …
a cloud of yellow dust flew
In the dark room a cloud of yellow dust flew from beneath the tool like a scatter of sparks from under the hooves of a galloping horse. The twin wheels turned and hummed. Binet was smiling, his chin down, his nostrils distended. He seemed lost in the kind of happiness which, as a rule, accompanies only those mediocre occupations that tickle the intelligence with easy difficulties, and satisfy it with a sense of achievement beyond which there is nothing left for dreams to feed on. – Gustave Flaubert Heian Wedding Hall See more Japanese ruins (haikyo) in the galleries: [album …
the catacombs of Ptolemais
For them are the catacombs of Ptolemais, and the carven mausolea of the nightmare countries. They climb to the moonlit towers of ruined Rhine castles, and falter down black cobwebbed steps beneath the scattered stones of forgotten cities in Asia. The haunted wood and the desolate mountain are their shrines, and they linger around the sinister monoliths on uninhabited islands. But the true epicure in the terrible, to whom a new thrill of unutterable ghastliness is the chief end and justification of existence, esteems most of all the ancient, lonely farmhouses of backwoods New England; for there the dark elements …
the secret of a garret-room
Books, books, books had found the secret of a garret-room piled high with cases in my father’s name; Piled high, packed large, where, creeping in and out among the giant fossils of my past, like some small nimble mouse between the ribs of a mastodon, I nibbled here and there at this or that box, pulling through the gap, in heats of terror, haste, victorious joy, the first book first. And how I felt it beat under my pillow, in the morning’s dark. An hour before the sun would let me read! My books! – Elizabeth Barret Browning Seigoshi gold …
Dreamland in Outdoor Japan
The Nov/Dec edition of Outdoor Japan features an article with photos by me about Nara Dreamland. I wrote about it on my site here, but the version I wrote for OJ was quite different, emphasizing the adventure, tension, and exhaustion much more. It’s always great to see your work in print, especially with photos. They did a beautiful job with the layout- using the silhouette parts of the Corkscrew ride for text. I’m really pleased. This page on the OJ site tells you where you can pick up your copy of the magazine.
The Toyo Bowl in Sandals
This is the seventh part of my new series of Daily Haikyo Photos. See the first in the series for an explanation. This week’s theme is photos with me in them. This is one of my favorites- somewhere I’d love to have taken a model. Unfortunately it’s (I think) demolished now. The atmosphere was awesome, eerie, calm, and very ruined. I’m wearing sandals in this shot and probably regretting it, since the floor is studded with nails, presumably once in place to keep the alley slats held in place. I almost stepped on one a few times- probably it would …
Blinded by the Light in Negishi
This is the sixth part of my new series of Daily Haikyo Photos. See the first in the series for an explanation. This week’s theme is photos with me in them. With this shot you get double your value- two Mikes at once. It was probably taken around 2am in the morning, after we had spent hours dithering outside the Negishi Grandstand waiting for the nearby base to fall silent and dark. Inside it was pitch black- all the windows were thoroughly blocked up, so that explains other Mike’s extreme shock at the brightness of my camera’s flash. Probably he’s …
Car-capering at Sports World
This is an oldie but a goodie. Who could resist standing on a ruined car? In this instance I stood on them all, especially enjoying being atop the upside down one. The only other chance you might have to do this is in some kind of riot. Much better to have the calm of Sports World to enjoy it in.
Representing the Wildcats in Saurabol
This was a great location for shooting, one we found totally by accident while staying at in the Chongmun resort zone on Jeju Island, South Korea. It was totally overgrown, with some kind of grouse lurking in the bushes. One of them burst out of the undergrowth at my feet- unfortunately I couldn’t catch it on camera. I have another shot of me leaping in this same spot, but perhaps that’s a bit frivolous (for the first week of this daily photo-posting, at least 😉 ). You can see more on Saurabol here. See more Japanese ruins (haikyo) in the …
story craft #14 How Not to Threat
There’s a killer on the loose. He killed five people already. He cuts them to pieces and eats them- yuck. You get home, and the door’s been forced. There’s blood on the floor. Your heart yammers. He’s there, you know it. You round the hallway for the bedroom, and he leaps out, wielding a hatchet, wearing somebody else’s face. You kick him in the crotch. He goes down. You call the police. Hurrah! Feeling fulfilled? Unless that was a spoof movie, you’ve lost the audience forever. It could be a movie or a book, but if you write this, it’s …