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The Contradictions of Modern Japan

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Hiroji Kubota Hegura Island fishermen catch abalone and turban shells. Wajima, Ishikawa, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Hase Temple, also know as the flower temple. Sakurai, Nara, Japan. 2001. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Farmer harvesting rice. Yamagata, Japan. 2002. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Saiho Temple also known as Koke Temple in the corner of Kokegachisen Garden. Kyoto, Japan. 2001. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Zao's ice-covered trees. Yamagata City, Japan. 2001. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Pachiko parlor in the working-class drinking quarter of Tsutenkaku in Osaka. Pachinko slot machines annual revene top 10 trillion yen. Osaka City, Japan. 2002. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Landscape that captures the essence of Yamato. Ouda, Nara, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota When they reach the age of five, many boys wear hakamagi men's kimonos for the first time. Kyoto, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Seiwa, Kumamoto. 2003. Bunraku puppetry performance. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Haranomachi, Fukushima. 2003. A Gozabune ship leads others in search of squid. The ships are decorated with Tairyo-bata, flags that pray for a large catch. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota A store in Akihabara measured less than 4 square meters sold more than two thousand different types of electronic parts. Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Sasebo, Nagasaki. 2001. Kuroshima Tenshudo, a church on the island were 80 percent of the people are catholic. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota The port of Takamatsu, Kagawa. Japan. 2002. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Kyoto. 2001. Fushimi Momoyama castle; gold teahouse. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Minamisouma, Fukushima. 2003. Soumanomaoi a fight for the sacred flag. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Farmer picks shiitake mushrooms. Inukai, Oita, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Seagaia is the world's biggest indoor water park. Miyazaki City, Japan. 2001. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Tamagawa, Akita. 2003. Tamagawa Hot Springs at 98 degrees Celsius is known for assisting the treatment of cancer. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Teams of fisherman clean the octopuses aboard boats anchored offshore at Ochiishi fishing village. Ochiishi, Hokkaido, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Hakodate, Hokkaido. 2002. Yunokawa hot spring in Hakodate there is a garden where monkeys live, soaking up the spring's rich waters. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Two young participants at the Gion Festival. According to festival tradition, heavily made-up boys around the age of 10 ride a float at the head of the procession. Kyoto, Japan. 2001. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota At fish shops in Nishiki Market you can find an enormous selection of things, including raw oysters, salmon, prawns, octopus, herring roe, cod roe, salmon roe, pickled squid, and an assortment of w (...)
Hiroji Kubota Testing of an experimental train on a 42-kilometer stretch of track. The train has clocked in at 580 kilometers an hour. Tsuru, Yamanashi, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Dotonbori, a neighbourhood full of fine restaurants at reasonable prices. Nanba, Osaka, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Morning Market Street has more than two hundred shops. Uwajima, Ishikawa, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Oi, Shinagawa. Tokyo. 2004. The shinkansen. Each train 16 carriages 1,323 seats. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Shizuoka, Shizuoka. 2003. 8,000 tons of tea is traded on the Shizuoka Tea Market. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Makuhari, Chiba. 2003. The Toyota one-seat PM (personal mobility), the world's smallest electric car. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Kanazawa, Ishikawa. 2003. Hiroshi Nakamachi is considered the leading painter of the kimono fabrics of Kaga Yuzen. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Gifu. 2004. Hitachi plasma development in Mino. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Seto. 2002. Naikai Inland Sea from the Kurushima Straights. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Drying sour kaki persimmons. Katsuragi, Wakayama, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Lacquerware is one of Japan's most prized traditional crafts. Shoichiro Tasaki works on his makie ware. Wajima, Ishikawa, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota A monk called Shuen built Muroo Zenshi Temple in the Nara period (710-784). While most temples on and around Mount Koya banned women from their grounds, Muroo Temple has been renowned for centurie (...)
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Yamaguchi, Nagano. 2001. The towns of Tsumago and Magome have been maintained as they were during the Edo period. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Japan. Wajima. Sticky rice is pounded into warm rice cakes that were handed out at a festival in the village of Sosogi. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Steps to Taikodani-inari Shrine. Shimane Prefecture. Tsuwano, Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Kazuyoshi Sato's home. The family plays karuta, a Japanese word game. Amarime, Yamagata. Japan. 2003. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Osaka. 2001. Shinsaibashi shopping district, scale and bustle of people in a covered arcade. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota JAPAN. Kyoto City. 2002. The biggest building standing over a train station in Japan. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos
Hiroji Kubota Apprenticeships on Mount Koya. Trainee priests at the senshugakuin seminary must master the gestures of Shingon Buddhism which includes marching in formation. Koya, Wakayama, Japan. 2001. © Hiroji Kubota | Magnum Photos