SKETCHES OF JAPAN 1945: Not My Art

SKETCHES OF JAPAN 1945: Not My Art, a set on Flickr.

If you would like for me to travel to Japan to create a personal collection of art and photography, please contact me through my Flickr E Mail. Robert

SKETCHS OF JAPAN 1945: NOT MY WORK

SKETCHS OF JAPAN 1945: NOT MY WORK, a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

This set is a collection of some of my own photographs that I personally like real well; it also includes some photos from the public domain or famous images you will recall from your art or photo studies. I have marked all the photos not mine as "not-my-photo." Thanks for taking time to check out this personal set of images that delight me. If you are delighted, leave a comment. If you like them well enough to favor them, great...

Here's the link to some of the contents of this long-ago Army Photographic Project.

www.flickr.com/photos/huffstutterrobertl/sets /72157614365

PUYIL

PUYIL, a photo by kibayashi on Flickr.

WHAT IS SHE THINKING ABOUT? IS THERE AN EXAM SHE IS THINKING ABOUT? IS SHE TALKING ON HER CELL PHONE?

This is another work by Kibayashi I admire.

His work is becoming more than graphic excellence, but work with a pyschological content.

As I look at this photograph, I admire the composition, the contrast and the geometrics; I specifically admire the young woman contemplating a subject. What she is contemplating is where the mental content enters and adds more interest.

What is she thinking of? I do not know. I can only imagine. Thus there is 4th dimension that makes this photo very special.
__________________________________
Thanks to KIBAYASHI for permitting this photo to be exhibited in my online blog, BLOGABOUTJAPAN. Robert L.Huffstutter, Editor

坂の街

坂の街, a photo by kasa51 on Flickr.

You take great photos. I love the everyday scenes you share with those of us 8,000 miles away.
__________________________________
Thanks to KASA51 for such a happy photo of a street scene so far away, yes so near to my memory. The barber poles are unique.

門前町

門前町, a photo by kasa51 on Flickr.

This is one of my favorite sets. You have taken some great photographs of a great city. Someday, I shall return to Yokohama for an extended visit to sketch and photograph much that I missed. Your photos are an inspiration. Robert
_________________________________
Thanks to KASA51 for another great photo

The Asakusa area of Tokyo, in a print by Kobayashi Kiyochika.

The Asakusa area of Tokyo, in a print by Kobayashi Kiyochika., a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT AREAS AND NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE TOKYO AREA. How many of these are familiar to the traveler of Tokyo?
Neighborhoods of Tokyo

Akasaka · Akihabara · Aoyama · Asagaya · Asakusa · Asakusabashi · Azabu · Daikanyama · Den-en-chōfu · Ebisu · Futako Tamagawa · Ginza · Gotanda · Hamamatsuchō · Harajuku · Hibiya · Hongō · Ichigaya · Iidabashi · Ikebukuro · Iwamotochō · Jiyūgaoka · Jinbōchō · Jūjō · Kabukichō · Kagurazaka · Kajichō · Kamata · Kanda · Kasumigaseki · Kichijōji · Koishikawa · Kugayama · Kyōbashi · Kōenji · Kōjimachi · Marunouchi · Mita · Meguro-Mita · Nagatachō · Nihonbashi · Nishi-Shinjuku · Nishikichō · Ochanomizu · Odaiba · Ogawamachi · Ōizumigakuenchō · Ōmori · Omotesandō · Ōtemachi · Roppongi · Ryōgoku · San'ya · Sendagaya · Shiba · Shibaura · Shibuya · Shimokitazawa · Shinbashi · Shinjuku · Shinjuku ni-chōme · Shiodome · Shirokane · Shirokanedai · Sudachō · Sugamo · Surugadai · Takadanobaba · Takanawa · Tamachi · Tateishi · Tsukiji · Tsukishima · Uchi-Kanda · Uchisaiwaichō · Ueno · Wakasu · Yaesu · Yayoi · Yōga · Yotsuya · Yoyogi · Yūrakuchō
___________________________________
The Asakusa area of Tokyo, in... by roberthuffstutter

Kobayashi Kiyochika Original:

Kobayashi Kiyochika Original:, a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

Kobayashi Kiyochika Original:
Night Fall on Sumida River, Kiyochika
(Personal Collection, on load to a Laguna Beach Gallery)

Original available for transfer of ownership. Signed by artist with notation of title.

MATSUURA *

MATSUURA *, a gallery by Julka2009 (Very busy....way behind) on Flickr.

This gallery reflects the essence of the Japan of my mind, the Japan of my youth and the Japan I want to see again.
__________________________________
MATSUURA *, by Julka2009 (Very busy....way behind)

VIDEOS OF JAPANESE STREETS...

VIDEOS OF JAPANESE STREETS..., a gallery on Flickr.

These are among the best videos I have seen on Flickr. The below is a collection I have curated. Enjoy the streets and fun of Japan...

VIDEOS OF JAPANESE STREETS..., by roberthuffstutter

さよなら

さよなら, a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

WHAT RED LANTERNS MEAN TO ME

(Inspired by a photograph by Kibayashi)

There is nothing like the image of red lantern
to stir my memories. The red lantern in Japan
must mean many things
to many people,
but to me, a
red lantern
is a promise of a sort of peace and kindness, a beacon
in the night that beckons those who might
be wandering,lost in the night.

There is nothing like the sight
of a red lantern glowing to
stir up my old memories of
warm and friendly faces.
The red lantern
in Japan
must mean many things to many
people,
but to me, a red lantern
is a promise of a sort, a kindness glowing
in the night, a kind of beacon in the night
that calls to those who might be
wondering, lost in the night.
The sight of a red lantern
glowing in the darkest part
of a city anywhere in Japan
was like a Zen moment
in a sea of strangers I never knew,
strangers who never knew me,
yet people who showed love by smiles and
a cup of tea or sake, a moment in time
unspoken, unreported, but remembered
for untold years, pleasant memories not
forgotten, but always a kind of kindness
meant for me to to follow, a place of shelter and
silent kindness.

By Robert L. Huffstutter

ススキ

ススキ, a photo by naokomc on Flickr.

A BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE JAPANESE COAST BY NAOKO McCRACKEN
_________________________________
An excellent work of photographic art taken in Kagoshima area. RLH

THOSE MOTOMACHI NIGHTS OF LONG AGO...

THOSE MOTOMACHI NIGHTS OF LONG AGO..., a photo by roberthuffstutter on Flickr.

I painted this from my hotel room in Motomachi in 1962. It was a weekend and I had set up my temporary studio. I had not yet met any significant friends, thus I was alone and very interested in capturing the local scene.

There were many sake bars and beer bars nearby. I would paint for awhile, then go out for a drink and some local color. Though I could speak no Japanese, I still got on quite well with those in the bars. Some of the bars were geared mainly to a lusty type of entertainment while others were more into the food scene. Some of the small bars seated only a few customers, others could accomodate twenty to thirty customers.

My favorite food when hungry for something light was curry rice. Lots of people talked with me. I enjoyed the conversations and the difference between our culture.

I was totally fascinated by the beauty of the women. They found my pipe somewhat fascinating. Some would take a puff or two, then say something I could not understand. It was all in fun. Yes, it was fun.

My weekends in Motomachi in my early tour began on Friday nights and usually lasted until Sunday around noon, at which time I gathered up my materials, thanked the proprietors for a good room, then hailed a taxi for the train station. The trainride back to Atsugi (Sagami-Otsuka) was always fun.

When I think of Japan, the word "fun" continues to surface. So, is life not about fun? Yes, when one is young and full of energy, fun is the ingredient that turns life into positive energy.

So, the paintings were done, usually two or three. Most of the time, I would give one away to a bar or small restaurant owner. The next time I went back, I would frequently find my work framed and on the wall. It made me feel good, kind of famous. The ladies in the bar would smile, point at my painting and tell me how the owner liked it well enough to hang it on the wall.

Sometimes, there were those who wanted me to do a sketch of their profile. I am not a good profile artist, in fact I do not do faces well at all, but they pleased the subjects. And life went on and on. The music was great, some local music, some American, some Elvis music played on the 45s, some on the LPs. Taxis came and went. No honking, but the drivers would come in and ask for Mariko or another name. Down the stairs came the caller of the taxi and disappeared into the Yokohama night.

As the evening drew late, the lights seemed to dim and the music grew softer. The pleasant scent of perfume would prevail. Conversations would become softer. I simply sipped my drinks and hoped the day would come when I would find a lovely young lady I might enjoy in a romantic relationship. At 19, romance was on my mind. Oh, there was plenty of romance available in Chinatown, but it was not what I was seeking.

By Robert L. Huffstutter

Old Japanese Movie Posters

Old Japanese Movie Posters, a photo by Mayu ;P on Flickr.

GRAPHIC MASTERPIECES IN TOKYO, thanks to Mayu Shimizu.

Noge Akari

Noge Akari, a photo by owenfinn16 on Flickr.

Framed perfectly and a very inviting piece of work for those considering a journey to the Orient. Another inspiring photographic work by James, OWNENFINN16.
__________________________________
One of my favorite works as per lanterns of the Orient. Editor