A couple shots from my walk last night in Okinawa City. There were lots of people out for end of year gatherings. I always love wondering what the stores are connected to the scenes of people inside.

📷 Taken with my Leica D-Lux 8

Christmas night in Okinawa: This taco stand is usually packed with people and even causes traffic. Last night, it was completely quiet—a rare sight. Ever since I picked up a Leica, I’ve noticed I’m drawn to the color red. I know it’s probably just confirmation bias, but this scene brought that out in force.

My daughter and I just wrapped up our semi-regular Tokyo trip—a tradition we’ve kept ever year or two since she was 15. This year, we both had new cameras to test: my first Leica (a D-Lux 8) and her new Canon Powershot.

We hit our usual spots—Omotesando, Ginza, Shibuya plus Shinjuku this time—and loved our stay at The New Otani Hotel The Main near the Imperial Palace. But what we love most is simply walking the city. Even with so many changes, we felt at home.

We ate a lot of amazing food and got some memorable photos. These trips remind me how lucky I am to have this time together and how important it is to pause and appreciate it.

The first couple of shots of my daughter and me are from her Canon Powershot; the rest are from my new Leica D-Lux 8.

This place used to be a record store back in the day. Time hasn’t been kind to it—chaos and decay everywhere—but when the morning light hits just right, it's interesting.

📷 Shot with my Ricoh GR III

Japan English No. 1 - Only the seen world isn’t true

I love how Japan uses English phrases. Usually they’re funny, but sometimes they’re interesting. 

I put this photo and question into ChatGPT.

Prompt via voice input: “I live in Japan and the Japanese are famous for having sayings on shirts or clothing or different things that don’t make a lot of sense but this one today might be one of my favorite and it might actually have some meaning behind it. What do you think? The shirt said only the scene world isn’t true what do you think about this? Is it just a crazy bad English saying or do you think there’s something to it?”

Response: “What we perceive is just the surface—reality often lies in the unseen, the intangible, and the imagined. Truth lives not only in what is visible but in the stories we tell, the dreams we chase, and the mysteries we ponder.”

My take: AI BS or something to think about? 

Maybe a little of both. :) 🤔

📷 Photo taken with my iPhone 15 Pro Max, main 24mm camera cropped.