Gather every shred of vanity, pride, and self-consciousness, toss them all into a single bag, and hurl it high into the sky. In that instant, imagine how breathtakingly clear the world before your eyes would become. #photography #writersky #blueskyartshow #poetry

Coffee time at an old-fashioned Japanese cafe #photography #japan #blueskyartshow

GenZ in Japan (and beyond): scrolling, sighing—quietly asking why belonging costs so much. #Photography #GenZ #Japan #StreetPhotography #poetry

He drifts through the city's neon-lit streets, his worn-out sneakers tapping against the wet pavement. —from my #NovelBohemuans #photography #japan #streetphotography

Exploring a hot spring resort in northern Japan #photography #japan #streetphotography

Beneath northern skies a gentle path unfolding— unexpected friend #photography #japan #naturephotography

This bench in a no-name Japanese town seems to have its own story to tell. #photography #japan #naturephotography

Northern Japan #photography #japan #naturephotography

“Bohemians” is a love letter to music’s transcendence. Whether it’s Queen electrifying Wembley or a youth humming Bach in a slum, music pulses through lives that otherwise feel disposable.

At a Japanese cafe #photography #japan

Invisible Poverty: Not all ghosts are dead. Some are alive and walking Tokyo’s streets—unhoused, unseen, unheard. #inequality #tokyo #photography #streetphotography

A gentle trace of autumn drifts upon the air. #photography #japan #blueskyartshow

A quiet Japanese neighborhood—unassuming, even ordinary at first glance—yet quietly profound in its own way. #photography #japan #blueskyartshow

Good old Japan #photography #japan #blueskyartshow

Japanese tea room #photography #japan #blueskyartshow

I return home, I return to myself— where the day softens into its gentlest hour. #photography #nature #poetry #writercommunity

Lantern festival in a tiny Japanese town #photography #japan #streetphotography

Beneath Tokyo’s electric sky and endless motion, who stops to see the youth curled in silence between the billboards? #photography #tokyo #streetphotography

Skyscrapers soar into the sky. Night falls. The city lights up and comes to life again. I stand still in the heart of a sprawling metropolis, enveloped in the ugly & beautiful urban symphony. I stare at a sea of urbanites from a distance. #photography #japan #streetphotography #writersky

Classical music should be a river flowing through every life, not a castle moat keeping most people out. To reclaim it for the working class is not an act of charity — it’s an act of justice. That’s why I wrote #NovelBohemians #art #music #classicalmusic #inequality

Violinist in a Hand-Me-Down Uniform He never raised his hand when his youth orchestra conductor asked, "Who’s been to Vienna?" But when he plays Bach, it doesn’t matter. His fingers carry their own passport. #NovelBohemians #poetry #orchestra #photography #music

Emerald City, Seattle #photography #seattle #streetphotography

Star Festival in Japan #photography #japan #blueskyartshow

A Quiet Rebellion What if we redefined "merit"? Not as test scores or school names, but as courage, creativity, and care. Harvard, Princeton and MIT might still stand tall— but the gates would look different. #meritocracy #admissions #legacy #legacyadmissions

Summer rushed away, scattering fragments of light and laughter. #photography #nature #naturephotography

Good old Japan Tokyo's neon-drenched urban landscape feels so impossibly far away. #photography #japan #blueskyartshow

A quiet comfort discovered in a nondescript residential area in Tokyo. #photography #japan #streetphotography

Remembering the spring train journey in Japan #photography #japan #naturephotography

University of Tokyo #photography #UTokyo #blueskyartshow

Neon-drenched Tokyo, a symphony of youthful energy —but beneath the dazzling lights lies a world of isolation. The search for belonging echoes louder than the city's rhythm. #NovelBohemians #photography #tokyo #dtreetphotography #writer #novel

Tokyo #photography #japan #streetphotography #tokyo

Soaring skyward —Tokyo’s vast expanse of skyscrapers #photography #japan #tokyo #streetphotography

Kobe, Japan #photography #japan #art #streetphotography #kobe

The weekend has begun in Osaka, Japan. #photography #japan #streetphotography #osaka

Even the longest journey must begin where we stand. My inner journey begins, here and now, in the midst of self-doubt. #photography #journey #writer

Socioeconomic inequality carries stigma: Poverty equals self-inflicted pain. There comes the sweet rhetoric that has silenced the voices of the unprivileged: Climb out of the cave of your own making. #poverty #inequality #justice #meritocracy

I wish I could revisit that summer day. #photography #japan #naturephotography

Tokyo glows at night. But look closely: behind neon and noise, some lives flicker, barely seen. No tent. No sign. No voice. Japan’s poverty isn’t loud—it’s invisible. #writer #poverty #inequality #photography #japan #streetphotography

Tokyo Tower #photography #japan #streetphotography

Here it is! (See my prior post.) #photography #japan

Who would imagine this house in an obscure, no-name Japanese town turns out to be a cafe serving the world’s best (in my opinion) choco-banana French toast☺️ #photography #japan

Law doesn't live in textbooks—it breathes in the choices, regrets, and resilience of real lives. #law #lawyer #academicsky

#photography #naturephotography

The Myth of #Meritocracy “If you think Harvard is a meritocracy, I have news for you: it is not, and has never been." (’17 Op-ed from Harvard Crimson) Is U. of Tokyo ’s exam gatekeeper more just than Harvard’s legacy handshakes? #AcademicSky #University #Admissions #Japan #Inequality

Law School Days: The classroom that trembled w/ our torts professor’s booming voice. The mock courtroom where we drilled again and again. Even those days that once raged like a storm now shimmer the moment they are lifted into the light of memory. #lawyer #photography #lawschool #academicsky #law

#GenZ in Japan (and beyond): sighing as they scroll through Instagram, wondering why their peers can afford restaurants and trips they can’t. Diversity —that lofty principle they claim to embrace—where is it? #photography #japan #streetphotography

Standing here on a pristine autumn morning, I looked across a quiet campus, still hushed by the university’s long summer break stretching to October. Welcome to Japan, where college students are still enjoying traveling (or just goofing off😆) #photography #japan #academicsky #university

I count myself among the refugees forced into solitude within the confines of a cyber universe. Another grueling day of work is over. I trace the familiar path to the village of net cafes tucked deep in the shadow of the sprawling buildings. (from my #NovelBohemians ) #photography #japan

Day after day, buried in research and hunched over my computer, I wrestled with one of humanity’s most universal questions:  Why is the world unfair? A question no answer could silence. #NovelBohemians #meritocracy #inequality #poverty #writersky

This was given by a former neighbor who would have been over 100 if alive today. She (the lady in the center) talked excitedly about her trip to Japan in her 20’s. I miss her. #photography #japan