Back to the Streets photo exhibition at Sakura Matsuri

書店外里帰り — BACK TO THE STREETSBecky Yee’s Back to the Streets photo exhibition, examines the dying world ofthe Tokyo’s shotengai, streets lined with shops selling walking canes, grannyscarves and traditional sweets popular in the 1950’s live on but for the most partthey are the world of Japan’s “silver” generation Ignored by much of Tokyo’syouth in the fringes of the city are these traditional shotengai such as Sugamo,nicknamed “the Harajuku for grannies.”Through a series of portraits, Yee breathes life back into the shotengai bypreserving their individual sense of community and redirects attention byjuxtaposing the fading communities with the youth culture and fashion found inareas such as Harajuku.Back to the Streets was first shown 2005 at Nakaochiai Gallery itself a formernoodle shop located on a nearly dead shotengai in Tokyo, Japan.The extreme difference between the surface and what lies beneath, is whatcontinues to influence much of her work. Back to the Streets displays traditionalJapanese society in contrasts with what she calls, “Tokyo’s crazy landscape offashion and culture.” DATE Sat, April 30th & Sunday May 1st. TIME 12noon-5pm LOCATION: Magnolia Plaza Brooklyn Botanical Gardens 1000 Washington Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225 Admission to the gardens for Cherry Blossom Viewing is $15, includes lots of free performances and other activities for SAKURA MATSURI (Cherry Blossom Festival) its a VERY family freindly event.