samgrover.com

Shibuya, or First Walk in Japan

Shibuya, or First Walk in Japan

We arrived in Tokyo in the late afternoon on 18th May. As soon as we left the familiar confines of an international airport, and descended to the train station, I recall feeling visually overwhelmed by signs and information. The fact that we hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours was partly to blame, I’m sure. In our confusion the machines didn’t make any sense. Thankfully there were helpful folks at the ticket office that informed us of what train to take and where to get on board.

The rest of that day is a bit of a blur as we made our way to the hotel in Shibuya, and then walked around briefly later in the evening as jet-lag threatened to take over any time we sat down anywhere.

A wide cityscape of Tokyo featuring the Tokyo Tower in the distance, surrounded by modern skyscrapers and urban buildings under a clear blue sky.

It was the next morning, after breakfast, that we wandered off to explore for the first time.

Top-down view of people riding parallel escalators, seen through architectural glass panels.
Modern architecture featuring curved silver supports, lush vertical gardens, and a white industrial staircase leading into a shadowed interior space.

We made our way through the urban landscape of Shibuya passing by the famous Shibuya Crossing, where we hung out for a bit later that same day.

High-angle view of a massive crowd of pedestrians crossing a wide urban scramble intersection surrounded by city buildings and billboards.
A distressed concrete wall featuring a sign that reads "ARMY KILL BOMB BOY" in blue letters, with an "Evening News" banner at the bottom.

Then through some side streets we wandered in the direction of Yoyogi Park.

Three women walk along a path with yellow tactile paving and green bollards in a narrow urban street, next to a large silver and green delivery truck.
A person pruning a small tree with shears in front of a modern building with horizontal slats.

The shaded groves of the park were a welcome relief from the sun that was high up by this point, while at the same time, the dappled ground was quite pleasing.

A person with curly blonde hair wearing a striped blue shirt looks at a "Garden Path" information sign in a wooded park.
A grove of tall trees with sunlight filtering through the green canopy onto a dirt ground, with park benches and a lone person sitting in the background.
A person walks along a paved path through a sun-dappled grove of large, green trees.
A wedding couple walking through a sunlit park field surrounded by dense green trees.
Sunlight filtering through a dense canopy of green tree leaves against a clear blue sky.

Through the park we came across some of the toilets that are part of the Tokyo Toilet Project, and that we heard about in the film Perfect Days. The walls of these are transparent when unlocked but become opaque when locked.

A purple translucent glass structure in an urban park, with a children's playground and high-rise apartment buildings in the background.
A sun-drenched road in Japan winding between lush green forested hills under a clear blue sky, with pedestrians at a crosswalk and several vehicles along the roadside.

As I look back at these photos a month later, it’s obvious that I was looking at things with a sense of defamiliarization. Signs, on buildings and roads, and vending machines, which became quite familiar over the course of two weeks there were all so novel and eye catching on this first walk.

Three Japanese vending machines standing against a brown tiled wall, bordered by a leafy flowering shrub on the left and blue recycling bins on the right.
A gray tiled building wall with three Japanese traffic signs on a white post and a leaning yellow pole.
A busy Japanese city street featuring a Bic Camera electronics store with vibrant signage and pedestrians waiting at a crosswalk.
Low-angle view of modern urban architecture featuring a building with brown cladding and crisscrossing grey steel beams, a tall glass skyscraper in the background, and a structure with a bold magenta curved accent. Greenery is interspersed at the base.
A narrow concrete canal flowing between tall urban buildings and greenery.

This day and walk marked the first of many over the next twelve days as we explored Kyoto, Osaka, and finally other parts of Tokyo. It was a memorable first trip as we hope to revisit and explore other parts of Japan in the future.

Grey squirrel perched on a large tree trunk among bright green leaves.

Portland, Oregon. 15th June, 2026.

View of an airport tarmac and air traffic control tower from an airplane wing under a clear blue sky.
View from an airplane window showing airport runways and taxiways overlooking a distant coastline and blue ocean under a clear sky.
A large white passenger airplane descending over a coastal airport runway under a clear blue sky.
An airplane wing against a bright blue sky with wispy white clouds.
Aerial view of a hazy cityscape and river with an industrial waterfront and a faint mountain peak in the distant background.
A distant, cone-shaped mountain peak emerging from a dense layer of fog and smog under a light blue sky with wispy clouds.

Tokyo tarmac, taxi, takeoff. Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan. 30th May, 2026.

A cityscape with buildings and a highway in the foreground, forested hills in the midground, and a distant snow-capped mountain under an overcast sky.
City skyline and rooftops with a distant, snow-capped mountain peak under an overcast sky.

I woke up quite early for some reason, and decided to go out to do some morning photography with my film camera. At one location I caught sight of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens and snapped these with my iPhone.

Distorted reflection of a person taking a selfie against a curved mirrored wall, featuring a small blue bird sculpture and a blurry city street background.

I just got back from a two week trip to Japan. It was a great trip and I’m sorting through photos and thoughts that I will share in the coming days and weeks.

Black fabric piece on a sidewalk street post with the following words written into it using thread, "more strolling, less scrolling".

Wise words.

Portland, Oregon. 8th May, 2026.

A large spherical sculpture of interwoven metal pieces in an outdoor setting.
Low-angle view of tall trees reaching toward a bright sky.
A winding dirt path through a dense, mossy forest with tall trees and lush greenery.
A person in red pants walks on a dirt path in a lush forest surrounded by tall trees and ferns.

Hiking at Hoyt Arboretum and nearby. Portland, Oregon. 25th December, 2025.

📷 Voigtländer Bessa R2A
🎞️ Kodak Kodacolor 200

Mural on an orange building depicting a muscular man lifting a circular cityscape and snow-capped mountain, flanked by red lamp posts and street signs.
Storefront of Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen featuring a mint green exterior and a patio with orange decorative railings.
A fluffy yellow character peeking around the corner of a brick building with historical high water mark plaques.
Green bike lane with a white bicycle symbol and a directional arrow.

Some photos from a walk around downtown. Portland, Oregon. 24th December, 2025.

📷 Voigtländer Bessa R2A
🎞️ Kodak Kodacolor 200

Some photos from the No Kings protest a couple of days ago. As always people brought wonderful energy and excellent signs.

A large crowd of people walks up the ramp to a bridge holding signs, surrounded by blooming cherry blossom trees. A number of people are also on the park next to it.
Protest scene with a crowd holding various signs, such as "End MAGA this November" and other messages about rights and political change, set against a backdrop of flowering trees.
A river with boats, one flying a Palestine flag, flows in the foreground. In the background, a cityscape with buildings and a bridge is visible. Numerous people are marching up the bridge, with cherry blossom trees lining the path.
A diverse group of people participate in a street protest, holding signs with messages such as "No War, No Genocide, No Secret Police" and "Fair Wages Now." There's a marching band in bright yellow banana costumes in the midst. The backdrop includes a mural with bold black-and-white patterns.
A crowd of protesters holding various signs and flags, including American and rainbow flags walk by at the Oregon Convention Center. Signs display messages like "No Kings" and "Fight Ignorance." A person in medical gear is visible.
A protest scene with a diverse crowd holding various signs. Notable signs include messages like "Vaccines cause adults." Rainbow and American flags are visible along with other banners. Trees and buildings are in the background.
A diverse group of people participating in a protest, holding various signs with messages related to democracy, peace, and social justice. The setting is urban with modern buildings in the background and trees lining the street.
Protesters holding signs and flags walk on a bridge above a street lined with parked cars.
People walk down a street; one carries an American flag, and another is wearing an inflatable green frog costume with a red cape. Trees line the road, and cars and bicycles are visible in the background.

Cherry Blossoms at Waterfront Park

Cherry Blossoms at Waterfront Park

I visited the cherry blossoms at the downtown Waterfront Park twice this year. On Saturday afternoon, everyone was there, while on Monday morning there were very few people about. Here are some photos from those visits.

The light,and vibes were quite different each time, so I’ve not intermingled the photos below, or they can look incongruous.

A large crowd gathers under blooming cherry blossom trees in a park. People are enjoying the sunny day, some with cameras and colorful umbrellas, while others chat and take photos.
People gathered under blooming cherry blossom trees on a sunny day. A boy has climed halfway up the tree.
A group of people enjoying a sunny day in a park. A woman carries a small dog with fluffy black fur. Cherry blossoms are visible in the background.
Two people, each reading a book, sit on picnic chairs facing each other amongst crowds of people relaxing and walking beneath blooming pink cherry blossom trees in a sunny park.
Person kneeling on grassy ground under cherry blossom tree, capturing a photo.
Cherry blossoms in full bloom against a clear blue sky, with trees without leaves in the background.
A bustling park scene with many people enjoying a sunny day under blooming cherry blossom trees. Some individuals are practicing yoga on the grass, while others are walking or socializing.
Cityscape featuring a river with a line of blooming cherry blossom trees along the bank, modern buildings, Union Station tower, and bridges in the background beneath a mostly cloudy sky. Golden morning sunlight is reflected on some buildings.
A person photographs two golden retrievers sitting on rocks under a blooming cherry blossom tree near a river, with a bridge and buildings in the background.
A park scene with cherry blossom trees in bloom, a curving pathway lined with large rocks, and an urban backdrop featuring a car and traffic signals.
A couple standing under a row of blooming cherry blossom trees lining a path, surrounded by green grass and a few onlookers.
A cityscape featuring a tall pink building, a "Portland Oregon" sign, and another building with "Old Town" on a water tower. Cherry blossom trees line the foreground along the waterfront.