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These images are from my first day in Osaka during this last trip. Osaka is an amazing town. It’s also where most of the good bands come from. It is also a bicycle city. Everyone, from children to senior citizens, has a bike; and nobody locks them up. It’s incredible. Two days ago, my grandmother passed away here, and Osaka was her hometown. As it is my father’s. This series is dedicated to my grandmother who gave me my first camera and taught me how to ride a bike among other things.
Tags: 2010, Appa, Bicycle, Canal, Chia, flag, grocery store, Halmoni, Hong-Son Ryang, James Ryang, Japan, JR, Mall, Osaka, Photography, Reportage, shabu-shabu, subway, Travel
Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market are the two centers of discount shopping in Seoul. Picture Canal Street on a Saturday afternoon times a thousand. You can find pretty much anything. Some of the goods being sold are authentic and others not so much. Clothes you didn’t even know existed still are still being sold. Also, anything you want or need can be made on site. Tailors, jewelry makers, pattern makers have open booths waiting for customers to make alterations and entirely new pieces. It’s nuts. Also, goods are transported in and out of the markets via motorcycle messengers who strap bushels of clothes on the backs of their bikes. It’s easy to get lost in the dense alleyways and indoor tunnels of these markets but that’s really what it’s all about. Seeing all the flair.
Tags: 2010, accessories, clothes, clothing, Discount, Dongdaemun Market, Fashion, Indoor, James Ryang, jewelry, Korea, Namdaemun Market, open market, Outdoor, Photography, Seoul, tailors
Seoul is one of the biggest cities in the world. When I got there, it was a frigid -10°C. Waking up to the sight of a skycraper and a snow-covered city outside my window was definitely unusual. After resting up for a bit, we got on a city tour bus that takes vistors around the perimeter of Seoul to all the major neighborhoods within the city loop. I just wanted to see how big Seoul had gotten since my last visit. I took to elevator to the top of Seoul Tower, the highest point in the city, to get a sense of where I was in relation to things. Seoul is big. Really big. Just the statistic that 1/3 of the South Korean population lives in Seoul boggles the mind. Next, we took a ride to Chang Deok Gung Palace. Built in 1405 as a secondary palace for the King, the architecture of Chang Deok Gung is laid out in harmony with the area’s topography and houses the King’s secret garden. Oh yeah, stuffed animal hats are super in right now.
Tags: 2010, architecture, Capital, Chang Deok Gung, James Ryang, Palace, population growth, secret garden, Seoul, Seoul Tower, snow, South Korea, tourism, wikipedia
Busan is on the south eastern tip of Korea. It has turned into a booming city since my last visit. My mom went to college and medical school here. During this visit, we stayed in my Uncle and Aunt’s condo which is very typically Korean, situated in a group of high-rises that are almost identical to each other. Since coming here as a kid, the city’s name has been changed from “Pusan” to “Busan” to more accurately Americanize its pronunciation. Busan is also home to the largest department store in the world, the Shinsegae in Centum City constructed in 2009. Not to be confused with the world’s largest shopping mall which is in Dubai. Even the grocery stores are in malls, the Lotte Super. Busan clearly exists in a space between the old and the new. This is less apparent in cities like Seoul….images coming soon.
Tags: 2010, Busan, Centum City, Christmas Day, condos, department store, Exercise Machines, high-rises, James Ryang, Lotte Super, Mall, Photography, Shinsegae, South Korea, Temple
I should preface this post by writing that this entry is not for those with weak stomachs. It gets real. Masan is a port city on the southern side on South Korea. It’s famous for seafood. The Masan Fish Market is a daily affair, and it is the REAL DEAL. I’ve been to a few in my day and this one just felt the most raw. And there’s more than fish…..way more. Curiosities I still can’t fathom or interpret. Totally wild.
Tags: clams, crab, dog penis, dried fish, dried frogs, fish, fisherman's wives, Food, king crab, korean lunch, mackerel, Masan, Masan Fish Market, mussels, octopus, open market, oysters, pig's feet, pig's head, pork, raw, saba, seafood, shellfish, snapper, South Korea, squid
The next day, we took the long journey back across the island. With the assistance and hospitality of the local caretakers, we successfully located the tomb site.
Tags: 2010, barbershop, brush, Cheju, farms, Food, Harabagi, Hong-Son Ryang, Island, James Ryang, Jeju, Korea, korean breakfast, Landscape, lemons, mounds, Myung Kim Ryang, Photography, pogs, Robert Ryang, televisions, tomb, volcanic land
These are the rest of the images and video stills from that day, including some portraits of my family.
Tags: 2010, brush, cabbage, farmer, farms, Harabagi, Hong-Son Ryang, Island, James Ryang, Jeju, Korea, Landscape, mounds, Myung Kim Ryang, New Year's Day 2010, Photography, Robert Ryang, tomb, volcanic land, wind machines
Jeju is an island between the mainland of Korea and Japan. Not having been there in a few years, my family and I decided to pay Jeju a visit this New Year’s Day. We took a bus to the west side of the island to find the tomb of my grandfather, my father’s father. The plot is hidden away in an expanse of farmland and wind machines. This part of the island is surreal; bordered by sea on one side and volcanic soil on the other but with wind turbines stretched out along the horizon. Wild; it all felt like a film location. We didn’t end up finding the tomb that day but the trip was worth it for the pictures. The other half of this series will be posted tomorrow.
Tags: 2010, brush, cabbage, famrland, farmer, Harabagi, Hong-Son Ryang, Island, James Ryang, Jeju, Korea, Landscape, mounds, Myung Kim Ryang, New Year's Day 2010, Photography, Robert Ryang, rural, sun flare, tomb, wind machines
At the end of November, my grandfather (my mother’s father) passed away. He was an amazing man and he really had a great life. We were pretty close and in following tradition, I went to visit his tomb outside Masan, Korea. The day started at a Buddhist temple to honor his life and his spirit where offerings were delivered and chants were murmured by two presiding monks and my extended family. The tomb site is near his home town, a fishing village, where his plot is laid amongst our other relatives. The hill is set beyond levels of farming and residential housing. My intention with this post is not to bring people down. It’s just a document of a place I visited.
Tags: 2010, Buddhist temple, funeral, grandfather, Harabagi, James Ryang, Korea, Masan, Photography, tomb
These are interiors of my parents’ house in Camarillo. The light inside gets wild around sunset. I’d never really photographed this house until recently. I moved around the rooms with my camera wherever the light moved finding old things of mine (Hello Kitty piñata) and my brother’s (ALF) along the way. I never really lived in this house as a kid. I went to boarding school when I was 14 so I only spent time here when I was on school breaks and summers. Nine Stories remains to be one of my favorite books.
All images copyright James Ryang 2009
Tags: 117 Encino Ave, 2009, California, Camarillo, Home, Interiors, James Ryang, Parents, Photography
