a time for travel

I`m ready for bed. then it`s off to the airport for an eight or nine hour flight from narita to seattle. three months gone just like that. Where did they go? I`m not really sure but I think that the time passed can only shape what will come. So long Japan. Hello again United States. Do we still have the same president? I guess it doesn`t really matter. Goodnight.

in conclusion........

WHAT SHALL I DO TO CELEBRATE.......

Well, today I'll be going to Tokyo disneyland with naoko, aki, and noriko. The weather forecasts I've checked say that it's going to be showering a little bit, but who cares?! it's dddddiiiisssneyland! I hope it's exactly like the disneyland in california, that would just seem right to me. Something about japan having replicas everywhere, just makes me feel comfortable. ahhhaaahahahahsiehaieiaoefkada. Last night cafe leafcup had a farewell party for me and jake, who is also leaving this week. I had a fun time showing everyboday my "sushi" that I like to make. They also gave me many wonderful funny things and hopefully I'll make it back with some of them. I need to stretch my limbs out and then get on the road (tracks, actually) to the happiest place on the island. peacE!

onsen in the foggy dread

today naoko and I traveled to hakone, a region near tokyo famous for 'getting away.' It was a rather peaceful area and I felt that it was similar to being in the cascades, at lower altitude of course. We managed to find an onsen and had a nice time bathing outdoors! Then we had some delicious soba from a local restaurant that was recommended by one of the onsen staff. photos

JUST ON EWE EK K

Today I went to the glorious hair-style competition in the gigantic Yokohama arena. It was a lot of fun, people are really serious about hair! I sat in a chair among hundreds of other hair models and had a final trim, then yuki styled it, and then I didn't pass!! yeayyy!!! Then Naoko and I just hung around Yokohama for a while and came back to Ofuna. Tomorrow I'll be working with Mino at the party space for the last time and I hope we can hang out a while afterwards. TA!

yamanaka ko

into the mountains

Today is Monday monday. This past weekend I spent my time in the mountains at yamanaka lake. It's right at the base of Mt. Fuji but naturally the fog and drizzly rain did not allow us a very nice view. Fuji san where were you? I could see your rocky waist but you never woke up to say good morning! This area of Japan feels so much like Washington and it was so cold! Quite amazing to get away from light pollution, air pollution, overpopulation, etc, in Tokyo and head of to a log cabin with funny people. I was a teacher for 4 or 5 students at the English Camp and we studied some pronunciation and grammar, then had a nice discussion about some current events in Japan. How about riding on a boat that looks like a giant swan? I did it. We also had the oppurtunity to go to an onsen and bathed, bathed, bathed, together, together, together (seperated by sex, of course). To bad I couldn't take my camera into the baths. This onsen was really cool because it had an outside pool filled with volcanic water (what's that?) so the air was really steamy and cold, but the bath was hot hot hot! so nice. felt like an animal in the wild!!! Today I"m meeting with yuki again for what should be the final cut and color, then tomorrow I have to put on some clothes they bought for me and go to Yokohama for the show! yeeeee. Well, enjoy the photos! =tyler tyler

THIS IS WHAT I SAW A COUPLE NIGHTS AGO

hot flavor beef jerky?

Today Naoko and I traveled to Ebisu and enjoyed a very cool photography museum. The museum included a lot of amateur japanese photographers and it was interesting to also see the work of artists that were arrested for their photos in the 30's and 40's. pretty tame stuff if you ask me. but I guess japan was different back then. Today after work one of the customers, toyo, gave me beef jerky from taiwan! I had to tell him I am vegetarian. It was very funny though. I'm keeping it of course. Also I've posted a boring video for you to watch. I promise I'll make something good before I leave here again. this one is just nothing, that's all. !!! =tylereylre

shinjuku stucktoyou

Last evening I was 'stranded' in shinjuku. I tried my best to get a late night train home or to my friends' apartment but all the train lines had retired for the night so I had to occupy my time in Shinjuku. what a strange place tokyo is at 3-4 in the morning. here are some of the photos I took while wandering the after hours streets. I got a haircut yesterday but I won't post any photos until it's finished! Yuki, the hairstylist, likes to cut my hair in episodes apparently. woohooo =tyler

A trek by foot, to the ocean at Kamakura

Kamakura, Kamakura, show me your wind, the strength of the sea, and the passion of the surfers. I felt the sand stinging my face and you people speaking English. I am not a tourist, I am a visitor and a photographer. Thank you for your shapes and your faces. I enjoyed the smells and tastes. I walked and walked through you, in you, on you, and to you. All the way from Ofuna I came, to greet the ocean apray with an open heart and open arms. Now I drink your coffee and sit in your cafe. Thank you for the relaxation. When I met you today you were shining and now your are dimming. I had no goals within you, however I somehow managed to accomplish everything. After my semi-delicious cup of joe I'll head back to the home that is called Ofuna for a rest and for times of creation. Thank you for keeping me safe during my time with you. I have nothing but good tidings towards thee. See you again soon. Goodbye.
-Tyler (with love)

layers and layers, scratch a couple offfff

I was rather busy this weekend with working for mino, playing music with my friend shiori, walking to hidden places. Tiring but very enjoyable weekend. I was able to make some cold cash from Mino as well, so that of course didn't hurt me. These are some photos of things and people from around tokyo, the video is from yoyogi park where these guys gather every sunday to dance it up to 50's music. The band in the video wasn't that great, I just thought they sounded like a superficial joy division. The reason I recorded them was because the guitar player had a nice loop coming out of his amplifier. The photo that has some girls looking into a little hole in a room is nice. Inside that black box there were two guys dressed rather daintily dancing to bad techno. I don't know if you can see it but on the sign it says, "gay men's health crisis." bye!

I walked 3 miles to kamakura and this is what I found

my first nude photography experience. Kamakura is peaceful and the vast trees give a comfortable oxygen rich air to breathe. nice town.

this was a good find on you tube

I just can't believe that this music is gone

Fog comes in, protects us from the rain.

today I wanted to capture common sights. also, this is the mascot for 'mister donut,' a donut shop. The scene of the station is very common, people ride the train everyday, just like everyday people brush their teeth and comb their hair! Last night I had a great time visiting Yuki, the girl that will be cutting and coloring my hair. She's really nice and we actually were able to communicate quite well considering my childlike Japanese ability. It turns out that by agreeing to be their model I'm going with them to Yokohama arena for a hair competition. I'll just have to sit around or stand or something while people babble about the cut for hours. Sounds great!!! ......? anyways, we decided to do something wacky, so I'll probably come home with a strange figure on my head. plastic extensions? who knows!!!!? Enjoy the photos. Oh also I was looking at the self portrait of myself down there and I thought, "geez, japanese people probably think I look really strange walking around their neighbourhoods taking photos of people's houses and such. But I don't careeeeeeeeeee