With another year rapidly nearing its end, it’s time once again to select my favourite photographs from the past 12 months.
In a world that all too often can seem full of nothing but dishonesty, chaos and a complete lack of empathy, photography has once again been a personal saviour. The simple process of heading out and seeing what happens remains a constant source of both joy, and contentment. It’s also a key factor in my desire to find interesting new places in Tokyo, as well as Japan in general. Plus, of course, there are the people I get to meet, or at the very least photograph. Not all of whom, I hasten to add, give me dirty looks. In fact some of them even smile. Or at least one or two do anyway.
Similarly positive has been my experience conducting photowalks in and around Tokyo’s older neighbourhoods. This year has seen my business really start to take off, and I’ve had the pleasure of showing a different side of the Japanese capital to a whole host of lovely people. Customers who have not only made my job enjoyable, but at the same time proved that despite what we see and read every day, most people are genuinely good sorts. A fact that’s sadly all too easy to lose sight of amidst the seemingly constant barrage of bile that makes up a disturbingly disproportionate amount of public discourse and supposed debate.
All of which, in a decidedly roundabout manner, brings me to my favourite images from the last 12 months. Just like previous years, the selection is made up of photos I like purely and simply because of the results, whereas others are included due to what they mean personally, or the memories I have attached to them. So here then is the 2018 selection. They aren’t in chronological order, just how I feel they work best. They’ll also be the last additions to Tokyo Times until normal service resumes again on January 4th. So until then, Happy New Year and all the very best for 2019!
