Visual Diary: Japan - Half Awake, Fully Alive

I’ve been thinking about how to actually use this little corner of the internet that I call my own. Now that I’ve moved into more long-form content, but still keeping photography and storytelling at the core—I started remembering a promise I made to myself a few years ago. The idea was to use photography as a kind of visual diary whenever I travelled. Not just to document, but to try and capture moments in a more interesting way.

So now that I’ve got the space and that old diary idea floating around in my head… this feels like a natural mix. A small step toward one day making a zine, but keeping things casual and low-stress.

So here it is: Episode Zero of my Visual Diary series. No overthinking the layout or design, just an unfiltered diary entry.

My trip to Japan has been a long time coming. I grew up on video games and so much of my inspiration and interests have been sprinkled with Japanese culture over the years. And yet, for completely random reasons, I never actually made it over. Instead, I somehow prioritised other destinations.

I flew in direct from Sydney—ten hours in the air, landing late at night, and dragging myself onto a train to the hotel, running on fumes. I went straight to bed in the hope of getting a full night’s sleep so I could be more present the next day. That was the plan anyway.

Instead, I woke up with only three hours of sleep under my belt. But the excitement of finally being in Japan hit me like caffeine straight to the brain. I was up, out, and roaming the streets before my body could protest.

For day one, I didn’t want to overcomplicate things. I headed straight to Sensō-ji Temple in the Asakusa area, a classic tourist destination and an easy win to kick things off.

Here are a few shots I got on almost no sleep, powered by nothing but adrenaline and the sheer joy of finally being in Japan!