This remarkable sculpture by Asakura Fumio is in an unremarkable park in Taito-ku, close to the Sumida River, about a kilometer from where I’m staying.
I keep wandering over to try to find the ideal moment and angle to shoot it. In winter the sun stays low in the sky, the buildings around the statue are fairly tall, and the angles of the sculpture itself keep it obscured in shadows.
But that’s okay, because mostly I just go to reflect on the artist and model. The piece is quite lovely, and you can see a master’s hand behind it. I sense Asakura’s adoration of the woman, and that imbues the work with rare beauty. How many hours did he spend trying to get the expression just right? The curve of her hip just so? It is that same quest to capture something transcendent that keeps me going back to photograph the piece.
The other morning I spent nearly two hours in that park, but the light was never to my satisfaction. As I studied her face, I imagined her as someone I might pass on one of my walks. Because Asakura’s studio was in nearby Nippori, it’s not unreasonable to think that maybe she lived around here, or perhaps worked in the Yoshiwara red-light district. Regardless, it makes me sad to think of her as long gone.
I wound down a series of unfamiliar streets, letting myself get lost. Just before sundown I began to recognize landmarks and realized I was in Yoshiwara. As I passed a parking garage, I almost missed seeing a young woman who had tucked herself as far as she could under a stairwell. She was wrapped around herself, as tiny as she could fold her frame. Such a look on her face! Sad and agitated, and full of despair. I asked if she was okay. She said, Yes. Thanks. Excuse me. My Japanese is not good enough to have pressed the matter.
Back home I looked up the statue’s title, あこがれ
tangentwithtanner
germansingergirl
andulkaphoto
amandla