When I lived in New York City one of my favorite weekend activities was hitting whatever street market was happening around the city. Many Saturdays were spent strolling past stalls, buying and enjoying a variety of bites, and taking in the wares of vendors. After a few they become redundant, the same vendors popping up on different blocks and by the end of summer market-fatigue had set in. I had forgotten how much I love street food and the energy of markets until this trip to Korea and Japan. One of my favorite memories of our time in Korea is when we went to Kwangjang market and seat-hopped stall to stall eating foods I never dared eat before. We were wrapping up a day of site-seeing in Kyoto when Anthony mentioned there was a food market nearby. We didn’t realize the food, wares and history Nishiki Market held and how enthralled we would be by the colors and energy. Vacation serendipity.
Tagged: Asia, canon photography, Japan, Kyoto, Nishiki Market, travel, travel photography

He’s been ordering off of the adult menu since he was nine, finding the kids menu too limiting for his refined palette. His tastes, humor and empathy are beyond his years. I often ask his opinion when I’m struggling with something at work. He leans into these discussions and no matter how complex my question he always manages to share something insightful.
Akihabara, known for its electronic shops, has gained recognition as the center of Japan’s otaku (diehard fan) culture with many shops devoted to anime and manga. The crowds reminded me of Times Square and the selection of anime was equally overwhelming to Lucas as were the number of young men crowded around every console, figure, cashier stand.