The 14 hour flight had Kubrickian undertones but closing in on the island from the hours of blue sky and ocean, the luminescent green of the landscape made an immediate impact on me. The green and grey palette of Japan was everywhere as I first traveled through the former capital city of Kyoto and it's a metaphor for the duality of the city between the ancient world and its traditions and the modern technological presence that flows alongside it.
The people of Japan appear to inhabit both aspects of the schism as they maintain an everyday spiritual existence with Shinto rituals at the same time as they travel throughout the city in a state of the art transportation system while using their all-inclusive cell phones. The mix of new and old was evident in Kyoto and was an interesting framework in which to begin exploring the city
