Symmetry of Decay: An Exploration of Death

The beauty, dignity, and symmetry of decay are explored through images of old Tokyo. As the world around her gentrifies, there is beauty in the symmetry of Tokyo's decay.

Tokyo is a vibrant city, but it is so busy that it often exhausts me. I find rest in the side streets and lesser-known sections of the metropolis. These locations have a distinctly visible high water mark where history recedes into the present. At this point, a slow and beautiful decay is visible.

As with everything in Japan, an order must be observed. There is a symmetry in decay, a structure to what is lost, yet not fully surrendered—the beauty and dignity of experiencing a gradual, graceful demise. The Symmetry of Decay is a book that aims to render the beauty of Tokyo's decay onto the printed page.

This book is as much about the final image as it is the experience of documenting them. Observing and recording the city's decay while sharing some of my decay along the way. Taking a moment to smell the dying flowers and appreciate their pungent aroma is a beautiful as it gets.