TOKYO NIGHTS

One of my favorite things to do in the world is take a midnight walk through Tokyo for some evening photos. If you are ever in the area, skip a night out at the bar, grab an Asahi tall boy from the vending machine and take a walk armed with your favorite camera to get lost for a while...just be sure to bring a business card with map and address of the hotel you are staying at for quick and painless taxi ride home. Oh, and make sure the hotel name and map on the card is written in Japanese or you will spend your night in the back seat of the taxi trying to mime your way home. OK, now back to the good stuff...This place is like no other, there are layers and layers of buildings, killer back alleys and new spots organically sprouting up all the time. While traveling for work we are trained to absorb everything we see around us like a sponge on these research trips. I know spending the day shopping in Tokyo sounds like more fun than work, but looking at shop after shop while strategically taking photos of everything you can without being discovered by one of the many shop keeps can take it's toll. This is a serious mission. When three or more American dudes walk into a boutique in the middle of the day they know what we are doing. It becomes a cat and mouse game with many things to take into account. Divide and conquer, avoid being caught by the many strategically placed mirrors, and my personal favorite, walk up to the guy at the register unfolding my handy map of the city and act like a lost puppy while the rest of the guys snap away detailed shots of the product undetected. So, with that being said, these shots at night and midnight walks are like a cool down walk after a five mile run to the pier and back. They make it all worth while. Here are a couple of my favorite shots from such nights in Tokyo. Enjoy...