Sweet Late Afternoon

In every Ozu’s films, an atmosphere of peacefullness and pleasantness shines through them. These images made me think about this movie director and led me to choose the “sweet late afternoon” as the theme of this blog.

 

 

 

 

Here is a man lying down on a bench beside a small river. A much crowded route is also near the sleeping man. As you may have already noticed, Japanese people often sleep in public spaces - at least I’ve seen many of them doing so. In subway; in trains; in class; on a bench; in libraries or in cafeterias, a Japanese person might be taking some rest. What impresses me is the way they succeed to fall asleep! With so much noise around or so much jogs making them toppling on their neighbour’s shoulders, we can ask ourselves why do they feel like sleeping? Are they really exhausted? And if they are, could we make some reflections about their way of life? Or maybe it could be some kind of non-social interaction (for example, when a whole-length bench in the subway is occupied by sleeping people)...However, they can for sure find a way to take some released time at anytime of the day!

  

This picture shows a quite old man riding on his bicycle and the following one an advanced-age man walking alone. This may be a pleasure promenade since they are following a route going around the park. In Japan, obviously, old men do some exercises too. Indeed, I have never seen so much people including old ones doing as much bicycle riding - moreover, on the almost-same looking bicycle. Still active, they go out, enjoy their time and maybe they get to be involved in social interactions – which can be the opposite for other old people from western countries for example.

 

 

 

 

This last photograph taken in Sanjo, Kyoto shows a river followed by a path welcoming every type of people: young couples; party-people; solitary people and so on. I think this is an extraordinary place! Besides, we can enjoy this type of place in several cities of Japan. Afterglows light their way as they walk along the neighbourhood getting ready for the night.