Gaijin Eye 2008

By Jon Wilks | Friday, Jan 4, 2008

Here we are on the 4th edition of Gaijin Eye, grateful that you fine people seem to hold it in such high regard. Every year the entries grow in quantity, but this year's mailbag has been overwhelming, every megabyte a little pocket of quality.

The Gaijin Eye publication is traditionally a quiet time at Japanzine Towers. It's always been a case of picking out a few decent images and throwing the magazine together on autopilot. However, 4 short weeks ago we put our November edition to bed and settled ourselves in for a long winter's nap, only to be rudely awoken 5 minutes later when one of us peeked under the digital tarpaulin and found a delivery containing nearly 1,000 photo entries (click here to see all entries for yourself). Since then, we've been tearing limbs off one another, desperately trying to secure space for our individual favorites, of which there have been far too many.

The concept behind Gaijin Eye is all there in the title. Every year, we ask you to offer up your own versions of Japan, as focused upon by your lenses. We look specifically for pictures that we believe a Japanese photographer might not use to represent their country. Take, for example, some of the astounding work documented by Alexander Hadjidakis; Bike Parking in particular. We look also for the humor, the pathos, and the downright outrage that makes our experience in Japan so very different to that of the Japanese themselves. Special mention here goes to Adam Long, Christian Townsend, Michael D. Pavoni and Tara Elder. Fabulous talents, every one.

Ultimately, it's our aim with Gaijin Eye to get some of this talent out in the open, hopefully laying it out for someone in a position to put it to good use. If you are interested in using any of the abilities on display here, please don't hesitate to contact the photographers themselves, either via their websites or by dropping us a line here at Japanzine, where we'll be more than happy to make the introduction.

But for now, sit back, get comfy, and take a good look at Japan 2007 through the skewed iris of the Gaijin Eye.

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