Four years ago, almost to the day, I went to Tokyo to work on a special project with Japanese skateboarding legend, Takahiro Morita. We wanted to combine the urban exploration of skateboarding with the natural phenomenon of the blooming cherry blossoms. “SAKURA” (the Japanese word for cherry blossom): a zine published by the Milk Gallery in New York City, was the result of that collaboration.
Photographed in Tokyo during the short two week period in which the flowers are in full bloom, “SAKURA” captures the spirit and cultural significance of the cherry blossoms and explores how skateboarding interacts with the flower filled cityscape.
As we are all self isolating during these trying times, it’s important to continue to find ways to escape and explore, even mentally if not physically. In Japan, the flowers are now blooming again, and many people are unable to view them due to the quarantine. Reflecting on this made me want to revisit these images for my own little escape from my apartment in Brooklyn. Hopefully they can do the same for you.
View the accompanying short film produced Morita’s company, Far East Skate Network (FESN) here.
