“Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous sensualist, for the simple reason that the eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts.”
― Walker Evans
When you take a walk around the Yokohama Yamate District, you’ll notice the different atmosphere from the rest of residential areas of the city, thanks to historical western buildings and residential houses. Those western architectures are deeply connected with the history of one of the international cities of Japan. This day, I was joining a photographic meetup and walked around the area with my friends.
Subsequent to the end of the Edo period as well as two centuries of national isolation, the country opened its ports to the world, and more than 2,000 foreign business people from the west, given official permission to live and work by the Japanese government, started their lives in the land of the rising sun. On the other hand, they were strictly prohibited from going outside the area. Thus, those who came from various countries of Europe, the United States and other parts of the world spent their lives all together in the district. It’s just my personal opinion, but their stay in Japan could be more productive and exciting if they had more interactions with local Japanese residents.
Via:
http://tomokokamishima.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-6.html