Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue

why japan?

I was first drawn to Japan because of its very particular ways of understanding art and crafts. I’ve been obsessed with Japanese photography since my teenage years. Series like Chewing Gum and Chocolate by Shomei Tomatsu have influenced my understanding of photography, making me think of it as social history documentation as much as an art, without losing a sense of fun and a particular point of view. I came to Japan for the first time seven years ago, which is not that long ago if you consider how many times I’ve come back and how many art projects I’ve initiated in this country since then. Over the years, though, my real love and connection have shifted to the people. I am so proud to say that I now have a Tokyo family, as I call my friends here. I am blessed with friendships like Hikari Mori’s, whom I photographed for this issue. Hikari and I were born the same year, and even though we come from completely different contexts, we share so many of the same values. We like to work hard and party even harder. We want to enjoy life to the fullest, even if that sounds like a cliché. Every time I come back to Japan, there is an energy that moves me in a way I’ve never experienced before. I’m so excited to be here I barely sleep. I feel I don’t want to miss out on anything. I want to see the day and the night, the sublime and the ordinary. The feeling is so grand I can barely put it into words.

— coco capitán

[Table of contents]

Purple #43 S/S 2025 The Tokyo Diary Issue

Table of contents

© Purple Institute

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