Going through my archive of images on my hard drives, I found so many photographs of my travels from years past that I never had a chance to upload in a curated fashion. So I decided to start the fall with a glimpse into the past.

In 2013, I was a little ambitious and went traveling across 5 countries, and the first stop was Japan. I had first been to Japan when I was 13 visiting Kyoto and Osaka for a few days. Being so young and immature, all I remembered from this short trip was being frustrated about having to stand in the searing Japanese summer heat while visiting all the wonderful sights. So this time, I was determined to capture the beauties of this country's capital city with as much attention and no regrets. After all, they say "All that's left, are the photographs you took." / "남는건 사진밖에 없다." 

Tokyo was both a nostalgic dream and an inspirational playground. Taking the JR Yamanote line between Shin-Okubo and Harajuku, the suburban scenes that passed before my eyes were the real sources of inspiration for directors like Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. I felt as if I were in the shoes of the creators of some of my childhood films. The short subway ride took me back in time and to a place where artists only had the smell of morning rain and the sounds of birds and insects as inspiration to build a world of pure imagination. I was pleasantly surprised to experience these thoughts in Tokyo, a city known for its advancement in innovative technology.

Where childhood memories connected me with aged artists, I was also inspired as a young creative myself, by the boisterous youth culture. As I walked down the district streets in Shibuya, I felt incredibly welcomed to celebrate my youth; the busy nightlife included various open-concept bars and alcoves filled with the smell and sounds of sizzling street food, as well as an absurd amount of young 20-somethings carrying shopping bags from stores like Sword Fish, JSG, and Me Jane. This was were consumerism came to die, and celebrate everything it had to offer. From nail bars (Vanila Dew) to cafe-turned-live music bars (café Studio), from DIY perfume shops (Le Labo) to dessert-only buffets (Sweet Paradise), there was everything and anything you didn't think you'd need because you didn't know was a thing. 

Tokyo was not just a vacation spot, it was a spot in my own imagination come to life. It was the perfect place to spend guilt-free, and a place of absolute tranquility—all in one. In Tokyo, you don't travel, you live. 

Continued in 'TRAVEL'...