Stone Money

I always thought that I would have to go to Yap to see stone money. However, one of those large stone coins has been in residence in Hibiya Park since 1925!

The Planet Money blog on NPR has a great podcast regarding "the island of stone money". This American Life also has a great episode on the The Invention of Money.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 100, 1/30 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 100, 1/40 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens f4.0, ISO 100, 1/125 sec.

Street Art in Shibuya

In August on my walk through Shibuya, I spotted some street art from 281_Anti nuke. These pieces seem to pop out of the graffiti, posters and stickers in busier parts of the city. The big difference is the subtle political message and frustration regarding the current state of apathy regarding the Fukushima disaster and politics in Japan. It's very Bansky-eske and difficult for me to ignore. I hope that this art can lead to open and constructive dialog between artists, political activists, environmentalists and ordinary people. There are some great articles on this art in the New Yorker and the Japan Times.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f4.0, ISO 100, 1/50 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AI-S @ f4.0, ISO 100, 1/50 sec.