Went Wandering - From Tokyo to Hakata

[Zichar]

We may have over-used the phrase 'Tea shop'
Usually accompanied with come hither finger then pointing within
Stopping into every one to sample their wares

So on the old street mall if one could call it that
Age-stained display window
Almost bare cabinets and shelves
Large glass containers with barely 10 pahcent left at all

Off-pitch crackling door chime heralded our entrance
The old woman possibly in her eighties stepped out
Slightly hunched, spectacles fashioned a generation ago
And again, five-year-old grandchild making faces
Hiding in the doorway leading to the adjoining home out back

A quick transfer of Japanese
And she went behind to prepare some for us to try
They usually start with the lowest grade
But she brought her Force-10 most premium shade-grown green tea
It's not often she receives guests from far away
And with a polite bow, we sipped as she regaled us
Tales of children wandering abroad
Distracted, I looked out the window again

<65>


right across gyokuro by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Zichar]

The realist in me wondered about profitability
Return on investment, business model, sustainability
Nothing but bottles of preserved sea urchin lined the walls of the shop
Posters from the eighties, singers careers possibly forgotten
A motorcycle parked in dressed in silver drapes
Slight wonderment that we walked out with a cardboard package
Distinctly modern instant kamameshi seasoning

<66>


on his majesty's orders by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Zichar]

An old house-front at the old street in the old village
Love the patterns; the shadows, they remind me of that type of sunlit day
Three-shot horizontal pano

<67>


when i grow up by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Zichar]

<68>


tearing at my seams by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Zichar]

My friends they whispered
What a spot of luck!
Needles twirled knitted eyebrows on my face
Program sheet entirely in Japanese
The master of ceremony droning away when we stepped in
Muttering apologies, feet pointing inward and outward
Standing awkwardly
As ritual demands it in a crowded room
Where everyone else is seated

Coming-of-age or just purveyors of that craft
Playing instruments of forgotten yore
I've been known to enjoy all manner of
My imagination creating enough stories to satisfy increasing boredom
Yet defeat, shoulder sagged
When faced with an unintelligible low-pitched guttural yodel
From teens whose voices probably broken in the week before

Elderly photographers snaking their way right up in front
Of elderly audience members
Where the beverage of choice was aptly warm water passed around
Only to stand up flip up the pop-up flash
Blinked reflexively mind annoyed heart warmed
Even in annoyance we're all in this together

<69>


that brazen pit by Zichar, on Flickr
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[weisun]

Looks like I am repeating everyone else' statement.
The narration you provided gives life to the photos.
The person viewing the photos can relate to the experience and imaging him/herself being there....

I envy your talent... ;p

Thank you for sharing such wonderful photos/experience.
Indirectly making you my idol..

 

[Zichar]

Hey thanks weisun. Talent? Pshaww, just my two fingers dancing on the keyboard :embrass:

>>

Intermission felt like a celebration
Cue myself, hastily beat a quick getaway
Embarrassed to play the role of that brutish gaijin
No respect for culture I imagined tongues clucking
But alas the road to freedom blocked by grey warriors
Filtering in, folded parasols on floral cotton handbags
Swords beating on shields

Furtive glances like a trapped animal
My friend bless his heart caught the hint
Fielding an exploratory question to the guide
And she held aloft a brochure-filled hand
Whispering nodded sumimasen left right
And parted the sea, us following that gleaming baton

To appear in that old house's back yard
Someone else's back yard!
Our entourage bowed in reverence
Sacred intrusion into another's private space
But not I, prophecies foretold, the anti-hero
Chest puffed up, stepping into those boots
Growing into that role, mayhaps ingloriously
And became that gaijin
The one who stays behind to take photos unbidden in
Someone else's back yard!

3 image vertorama, D700 + 28 2.8 AIS

<70>


chrysanthemums dont grow here by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Zichar]

<71>


adding syrup to the compacted by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Zichar]

Stop-kudasai! He shouted
In a hop-skip step to bow mid-air
Before resuming his foot race
His intended target slipping away
Grit teeth summoning strength
Converting pyruvic acid
Channeled fatigue from leg muscle

Furtive glances behind, gaining, mere steps away
Stylish coat tails barely an arms stretch away
Mouthing polizia, sweat beads pouring
Slipping off whipping foreheads
Both, with heart pounding
To turn the corner, screeching in puzzlement

<72>


the chase is over by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Luminare]

Love #57 & #63

 

[Zichar]

Love #57 & #63

Thanks!

>>

I caught them walking between the houses at the cross junction
Streets barely large enough for a compact car
Hand pulling hastily, open the flap to fumble for lenses

They passed and I swore silently under my breath
And walked into the potter's home slash store
Cold cold interiors
Kiln-fired glaze and heart-racing pricetags giving out warmth

When I put on my footwear and stepped out onto the streets
There they were! On their last punt, must click

<73>


joga katsuo by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Zichar]

<74>


choosing my confessions by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Zichar]

<75>


only love can breakerfall by Zichar, on Flickr
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[Zichar]

<76>


hippocratic retirement by Zichar, on Flickr
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[yeowchuan]

Nice! Thank you for sharing

 

[Zichar]

Nice! Thank you for sharing

Thanks for dropping by!

>>

I've come to accept that she's generally anxious about time
A function of matronly love perhaps
Harrying her lazy guests to hurry up, hands motioning in sweeping gestures
Shooing away dust motes and hopefully my lethargy, as I'm almost always
The last out the door, struggling with my five toed shoes

Much to my chagrin, she was amazingly blase when bringing us to the airport
Dropping hints by the truckloads
The furtive looks to my phone to check the large digital clock
Deep breaths and not-so-silent exhalations, paired with a tannic frown
I think I almost balked when she stopped in the underground street mall passageway
To take photos of the travelling band, a matsuri pre-cursor
My snarky mind instantly labelled as created to make me miss my flight

But make it we did, a dash of brisk walking
Parting as always, with grains of sand in our eyes
Hearts trapped in cat-cradles filled with flotsam

>>

In calmer times, Haneda
The Christmas lights everywhere made decent target practice for creating bokeh balls
Not too shabby for old AIS lenses

<77>


i am dreaming by Zichar, on Flickr
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[GrowingPanda]

your photos are all exposed very well, did you get them through post processing or spotted the ideal conditions for them? needless to say they are all very well composed as well!

 

[Zichar]

your photos are all exposed very well, did you get them through post processing or spotted the ideal conditions for them? needless to say they are all very well composed as well!

Thanks
Ahhh but for proper exposure, I can't claim much credit :lol: The camera does everything for me mostly. I shoot my MF lenses in Manual mode with one eye on the exposure meter. I just have a rough idea on the characteristics of the lenses, say, the camera tends to over expose with the 50 1.2 so I'll adjust accordingly.
At times, I rely solely on Auto-ISO, normally in dimmer setting, i.e. I select aperture and SS, the camera bumps ISO if necessary.

 

[GrowingPanda]

Ooo okay. So you're always shooting in manual? (Excluding using auto iso in dimmer settings of course) Thanks for sharing+ I'm still having issues spotting exposure correctly which I compensate by auto bracketing, but sometimes even that is inadequate:/

 

[Zichar]

Ooo okay. So you're always shooting in manual? (Excluding using auto iso in dimmer settings of course) Thanks for sharing+ I'm still having issues spotting exposure correctly which I compensate by auto bracketing, but sometimes even that is inadequate:/

Yes, but I think it's more personal idiosyncrasy than it being a superior method. That's how I learned when experimenting and my mind's simply wired that way now, think internal mental workflow. I've rarely if ever bracketed for streets, it's just not very feasible.

>>

Spied up above in the airport
And this the last I fear
My wandering days are soon over
On permanent hiatus as I skate
Towards a new chapter, fly like
M. domestica
Please submerge my will if you feel
it in my heart that I lust to roam
Thanks for coming, thanks again

<78>


and i was left by Zichar, on Flickr
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