One day@Kabukicho #DAY173 - Once again, spending Christmas Eve night in Kabukicho this year.

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

Looking back, the last time I went to Kabukicho was that day, yes, it was the day I got feeling unwell. And because of that, last time I didn't take many decent photos, and the last time I properly took photos in Kabukicho was around the end of October.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

思い返してみると、前回歌舞伎町に行ったのはあの日、そう、例の体調不良になった日だったんだ。そして前回はそんなだったから写真もほとんどまともに撮っていなくて、歌舞伎町の街で最後にちゃんと写真を撮ったのは10月末くらい以来だった。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

Well, it was December 24th this day, Christmas Eve night. I don't usually eat cake, but a little while after being discharged from the hospital, I and my usual friend were making a plan to have cake on this day. Looking back, I was also in Kabukicho with the friend on Christmas Eve last year, eating cake together. This year, she went out of her way to line up in Shinjuku Takano to buy two pieaces of the cake that each of us like, so we had them together.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

さて、この日は12月24日、クリスマスイブの夜。普段はケーキなんて食べることもないんだけど、退院したちょっと後からいつもの友達と一緒にこの日にケーキを食べる計画を進めていた。考えてみれば去年のクリスマスイブの夜も同じように歌舞伎町で友達と一緒にケーキを食べていたんだよな。今年は友達が新宿高野にわざわざ並んでくれて好きなケーキを買ってきてくれたから、それを一緒に食べた。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

While eating cake, we chatted aimlessly as usual and watched each other's favorite videos together endlessly. I sometimes find myself thinking it would be nice to have some relaxed and laid-back time like this in the midst of daily work. I strongly hope it would be.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

ケーキを食べながら、いつものようにぐだぐだ話しながらお互いの好きな動画を流して一緒に延々と観てみたり。日々の仕事の間の中のいいタイミングで、なんかこんなぐだぐだでゆるゆるな時間が続けばいいのになーとか思っちゃったりしてね。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

As I mentioned at the beginning, the last time I came to Kabukicho, I was feeling unwell and couldn't take proper photos, so it's been since the end of October that I was able to take photos properly. Meeting up with my friend is always fun, but I also look forward to taking photos every time I come to Kabukicho. So I was feeling something different from usual this day... I was feeling like I had a bit more motivation than usual.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

さて、冒頭にも書いた通り、前回歌舞伎町に来た時は例の体調不良になった時でまともに写真を撮れていなかったから、ちゃんとじっくり撮れたのは10月末以来。友達と会うのはもちろんなんだけど、写真を撮るのも楽しみにして毎回歌舞伎町に来ている。だからこの日はいつもと違う・・・なんかちょっと気合が入っていたような気がする。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

I just really, really wanted to take photos so badly. I think I wanted to take photos and also play around with the camera. Taking photos itself, I had taken a few photos of Yuzu-san at home a little while ago, but it's been almost two months since I last took photos outside, at the end of October. And in the past few years, I don't think I've gone so long without taking photos outside.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

もうなんかね、本当に写真が撮りたくて撮りたくてしょうがなくって。写真が撮りたいのもそうだし、きっとカメラと戯れたいってのもあったのかもしれないな。写真撮るの自体も、ちょっと前に家でゆずさんの写真はちょっと撮っていたけど、外で撮るのはその10月末以来の2ヶ月近くぶり。そしてここ数年で、こんなに長いこと外で写真を撮らなかったのもなかったんじゃないかなぁ。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

I thought it would be crowded because it was the night of the 24th, but in reality, Kabukicho on this day was not much different from usual. In fact, there were probably fewer people than usual. I confirmed the article of the last Christmas, but I didn't mention how crowded it was. Was it like this last year too?

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

24日の夜だったから人でごった返しているかなーなんて思っていたんだけど、実際のこの日の歌舞伎町は普段と大して変わらない、下手したら普段より人がいないんじゃないか?って感じだった。去年のクリスマスの時の記事では人混みがどのくらいだったかは言及していないなぁ。去年もこんな感じだったっけ?

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

There's a statue which looks like a Komainu in TŌYOKO area though, it was waring Santa Claus' hat. When I took this photo, that's how it was, but when I came back to this area later, there was someone sitting on top of it taking photos. Though it's too late to mention, when walking around here, I end up feeling concepts like order and such become irrelevant.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

トー横にある狛犬みたいなヤツがサンタクロースの帽子をかぶっていた。これを撮った時はこんなだったんだけど、その後でまたこの辺に戻ってきたら、この上に乗っかって写真を撮っている人がいた。今更な話ではあるんだけど、この辺を歩いているともう秩序とかそういう概念がどうでもよくなってくるよね。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

I introduced another photo of this a few photos above though... What kind of tree is this, turning red in the late December, end-of-year season? I found the red-colored trees in this season that is not even autumn and thought "What kind of tree is this?" and took this photo and the previous one as well, I remember.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

何枚か前にも貼ったんだけど・・・12月後半、年末のこの季節に赤く色づいているこの木ってなんて木だろう?秋でもないこの時期に赤く色づいた木を見つけて「なんだ?」って思って撮ったんだった。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

Police officers. I heard a conversation, it seems like they came to patrol because there was a report. It's TŌYOKO here. It's full of people who are not quite right in the head, so of course there will be reports. By the way, a few days before this day, the Superintendent General visited Kabukicho as part of the special security measure for the New Year holidays.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

警察官たち。会話内容が聞こえてきたけど、通報があって確認に来ていたみたい。ここはトー横。言ったらまともじゃない人だらけで、そりゃ通報だってくるだろうさ。ちなみにこの数日前、年末年始の特別警戒で歌舞伎町には警視総監も訪れていましたとさ。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

When I come to this city, Kabukicho, I try not to think about work too much, actually. I wonder why. Looking back at the photos taken on this day like this, I feel like saying "Let's work even harder next year...". However, in order to persevere, I need motivation. And it's not good to forget that.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

この街、歌舞伎町に来ている時はあまり頭の中に仕事のことを考えることはないようにしている。ただなぜだろう。今こうやってこの日に撮った写真を振り返っていると「来年はもっと仕事がんばろ・・・」みたいに思えてくる。ただしがんばるには原動力が必要だ。それも忘れちゃならない。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

A flower shop where I casually take photos while passing by occasionally. I felt like taking a photo on this day somehow, so I took one. I didn't intend to have any particular deep meaning, but maybe because it's Christmas Eve, I felt like taking some slightly glamorous photos. The first photo in this article is also like that.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

たまーにふらっと通りがけに写真を撮る花屋さん。この日もなんとなく撮っておきたくなって撮っておいた。特に深い意味はないつもりだったんだけど、クリスマスイブだし少し華やかな写真も撮っておきたくなったのかもしれない。今回の記事の1枚目の写真もそうだし。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

I remember there were quite a few people dressed in Santa Claus costumes around this area like this the last year, but there were hardly any this year. There were a few people wearing Santa hats though... It seems like the economy is improving according to the data relating to the economy and so on, but the atmosphere around here doesn't let us feel that prosperous.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

去年はこんな感じでこの辺の通りはサンタクロースの衣装を着た人たちが結構いたように記憶しているんだけど、今年はほとんどいなかったな。サンタクロースの帽子をかぶっている、くらいの人はいたけど・・・。経済関連のデータでは景気がよくなっているみたいだけど、この通りの雰囲気からはそんなに景気がいいようには感じられない。

LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

Excluding the last time when I couldn't take many photos due to poor health, I usually composed One day@Kabukicho with about 8 to 10 photos recently. However, this time, it had been a while since I was able to take photos properly the last, so it ended up being quite a large number of photos. By the way, this photo is of a person working in the kitchen of a restaurant.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

体調不良でほとんど写真が撮れなかった前回は別として、最近の One day@Kabukicho は8枚〜10枚前後の写真で構成するようにしていたんだけど、今回は久しぶりだったのもあって結構な枚数になってしまったかも。ちなみにこの写真はレストランの厨房で働いている人。


LEICA M-P (Typ 240) + Summicron 50mm f/2.0 Leitz

This should be the last update of One day@Kabukicho for the year. Rather, I've already had another plan for my first visit to Kabukicho next year, actually. I have to think about pacing, but I guess I'm going to continue taking photos in Kabukicho next year as well. Up until now, I've mostly taken photos haphazardly without a plan. While not everything may go according to plan, I might want to try occasionally thinking of a shooting plan beforehand and taking photos.

See you then.

🇯🇵 日本語 / ja

年内の One day@Kabukicho の更新はこれで最後になるはず・・・っす。むしろ来年一発目の歌舞伎町での予定はもう入っているし。いろいろとペース配分は考えなきゃいけないんだけど、来年もまた歌舞伎町で写真を撮り続けることになるんだろうな。今までは基本、行き当たりばったりで撮ってきたんだけど、全部が全部予定通りとはいかずとも、たまには事前に撮影プランを考えた上で写真を撮る、とかもやってみたいかもしれない。

ほなまたー。