J.K. Putnam Photography's photostream  

I did an interview with Foto Care back in December, follow the link to read it... if you dare: www.fotocare.com/blog/interviews/foto-care-interview-with...

Thoughts and pictures from November 17th in Manhattan: jkputnam.tumblr.com/

Japan wants nothing more than to be modern, and as its younger generation grows old this will become more and more true. For a place with so much history and tradition I was surprised at this. I was expecting a much more traditional experience, but in the end the only time I would have to take off my shoes was at the airport.

Japan far exceeds the U.S. in infrastructure (the incredibly reliable and efficient public transit systems for example), and though it certainly improves the way of life there seems to be little regard for where all the new stuff gets built.

The areas that have managed to preserve historic landmarks have built up around them or run power lines through them. Getting a picture of a temple or castle with nothing modern showing up in the frame seemed close to impossible. There was always a lamppost, modern looking building, or crowds of people in the way.