The Ashiya River, looking towards the Rokko Mountains. I lived here from age 6 months to 4 years.
Ashiyagawa Hankyu station. My dad commuted to Rokko Island in Kobe from here.
An alleyway on the walk from the Hankyu station. Nishiyamacho, Ashiya.
Typical parking spot in Nishiyamacho, Ashiya.
On the other side of this wall is the courtyard where my mom would cut my hair. Nishiyamacho, Ashiya.
My childhood home is the townhouse on the right. This was one of the few houses in Nishiyamacho that was still habitable after the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake. We evacuated right after and returned within a few months, before leaving for good a few months after that.
The hallway of the middle townhouse, identical to the one I grew up in. The tenant, a French woman whose husband worked at Kanku airport, let us in.
The walk to Nishayama School, where I attended preschool. Nishiyamacho, Ashiya.
Nishiyama School. My mom still speaks Japanese and negotiated with the principal to let us in. Behind the wall is the school yard, a place I dream of often. It was a strange feeling to be back.
Shinjuku
Chuo-dori, Ueno
Shop in Ameya-Yokocho
A view from the Tokaido Shinkansen
Wrestler and onlookers. Namba, Osaka.
Dotombori, Osaka
Sushi stall, Tenjimbashisujirokuchome, Osaka
Arashiyama, Kyoto
Arashiyama, Kyoto
Moss garden, Arashiyama, Kyoto
Bamboo forest, Arashiyama, Kyoto
Katsuragawa River, Arashiyama, Kyoto
Iwatayama Monkey Park, Arashiyama, Kyoto
View of Kyoto from Iwatayama Monkey Park
Restaurant interior, Arashiyama, Kyoto
Murakami-san in his restaurant, Arashiyama, Kyoto
Shrine at Kinkaku-ji
Women at Kodai-ji
Outside the ryokan, Kyoto