ADDITIONAL NOTES:
you can't help but observe the pervasive relationship that young japanese people have with their cell phones. for example: the six photos above, taken near tokyo's shibuya station at dusk, were all captured within about 10 minutes.
as ubiquitous as an ID, there seems to be a cell on every person. they play games, they take photos and video clips, they surf, and they send emails as if they were IMs back and forth. in a culture where the subways have reception and most cells have dangling charms, ("Everyone--and I mean everyone, from the girliest schoolgirl to the grimmest businessman--attaches some sort of cute, dangling charm to the corner of his or her phone." molly wood, cnet), at any given moment in tokyo, you'll find someone focused on their large cell screen.
the phenomenon is called keitai culture. "keitai" means "mobile phone" in japanese.
Sunday 24 April 2005
young japanese commuters in the current of keitai culture
30 comments // 85mm f1.8 lens, stuff, travel
Very, interestin',,, although they look very pretty. ::)
Love that last shot. And Rion, do you have a charm for your Sidekick 2 yet?
i'll bite. what were they taking a picture of in the last photo?
wonderful series :)
I'm wondering the same as tien, what were they all so happily snapping in the last shot in the series? Great photos, as always!
I read about the ubiquity of text messaging in Japan and the concerns that it was creating about the youth's ability to use standard computer keyboards. They youth is so fast at using their cells and sometimes so poor at using standard keyboads that they are selling USB keyboards that mimic cell panels. Apparently the kids are faster typing with their cell panel USB, than the standard keyboard. Just google, 'USB thumb keyboard japan'. Wow.
last one is really great!
Suugggoiiii desu neee!
These sets are really great. I want to return to Japan more and more...
the last shot: they were all focused on one times-square-like video display above the interesection...
Goooooder: I'm 100% with you on that. For some reason I find myself missing Tokyo much more than other cities I've visited. I really can't wait to go back.
great shots! love the last one. i want to go back, too.
~it's gonna reveal my age, but I remember when NO ONE had a cell phone...~
Ha, I remember when my dads cellphone was literally the size of a brick with no screen just these huge buttons and some big ass aerial....Someone tried to mug him for it once and he hit them with it - they were knocked out. Those were kinda cool thinking about it.
Ah, I would love to see what kind of electronics they have in Tokyo. It's surprising that even businessmen festoon their phones with cute charms. I have to say I'm guilty of loading up my tiny phone with tons of charms--but since I abuse my phone most of them have fallen off! Great series of photos, I think you got the character of the people you photographed.
love this series -- especially the last two! oh, and my first cell phone was the Moto CA Flip-Phone, that was basically a brick with a fold out flap. my current phone is smaller then that flap...
The last one is magical! :)
interesting... =)
i love the bottom image. for some reason my favorites are usually at the bottom of your posts! it looks almost set up, they're so in sync with each other. were they photographing something above them?
Great pics, I really like the first one and the last one though.
Great pics... just set the last one as my background. You do great work.
The look on everyones faces for the last picture is priceless
Cool, both the people and the images :-)
The Images are amazing! and i totally agree with everyone who visited Japan - especially TOKYO and now missing the place.
i was there 3 months ago and i still can't stop talking about it.
and i have 2 charms on my phone - one with my name on it and a bright red Geta (Geisha wooden clogs) that i got from Japan. couldn't resist!
before i went to Asia, my Chinese professor said that most people who go either never come back or constantly miss it.
i also constantly miss it and am always talking about it
and these pictures make it worse! but they are wonderful.
it looks cold there. they are pretty cell-phone crazy here in hong kong as well. i like my cell phone.
These are great! The last one, especially, is priceless.
The last shot is of course everyone snapping some great photos of Godzilla once again destroying the famous Tokyo Tower... it happens every few years, they just go with the flow. I love the fact the in Japan they have screens on their cell phones so when they are crammed into the daily commuter trains, your neighbor who's briefcase is stabbing you in your back, can't read your dirty little secrets while you text message.
That last photo, with everbody looking at their keitei is 100% pure awesome. That should be in a museum. Positively fantastic.
Where's all the good looking Japanese women??
i found your blog accidentally and I really really like it. i write a blog myself at karnikova.blogspot.com and it is about fashion, Zagreb and my ideas regarding life. I might "steal" an idea or two from your blog in order to make mine more interesting, hope you won't mind.
bbye
