A Notebook — Taste

Taste

Outside work, I spend much of my time observing cities, photographing everyday life, travelling, exploring hospitality, discovering independent makers and learning about food and drink cultures.

These experiences continually shape how I think about people, places and brands.

Chapter I

Seeing

Street photography taught me that every place tells a story through its smallest details. Rather than searching for dramatic moments, I am interested in observing rhythm, behaviour and the quiet interactions between people and their surroundings.

Training under Magnum photographer Richard Kalvar fundamentally changed how I notice cities. It has shaped how I think about customer journeys, public spaces and brand experiences.

Trained under Richard Kalvar — Magnum Photos
Selected exhibitions in the UK and Japan

Two boys with gelato in Verona — Verona2023“Summer holds still for a moment.”

Swan and ducks at the lake — Lake Garda2023“A quiet negotiation at the water's edge.”

Morning exercise on a mountain platform at sunrise — Alishan, Taiwan2024“Ritual, before the day begins.”

Office windows at night, Tokyo — Tokyo2024“A grid of small, lit lives.”

Monkey performance at a Japanese shrine — Nikkō2024“An old form of attention, still held.”

Woman walking a dog past a Caruso poster, Naples — Naples2023“Two centuries cross the same pavement.”

Reflected window light on a Paris wall — Paris2022“Architecture made temporary by the sun.”

Red robes and clasped hands — Rome2023“Colour as ceremony.”

Chapter II

Places

I am fascinated by places that create a strong sense of belonging. The hotels, cafés and neighbourhoods I remember most are not necessarily the most luxurious. They are the ones with a clear identity, thoughtful rituals and a feeling that every detail belongs.

When I travel, I am often more interested in understanding why a place feels the way it does than simply visiting landmarks.

I am still going through my notes — more places will be added to this list over time.

Places I Return To

Happo-en
Shirokanedai, Tokyo
A 400-year-old garden held inside the city — hospitality as the choreography of seasons.

Moritaya Marunouchi
Marunouchi, Tokyo
Sukiyaki on the 35th floor; the Imperial Palace below. Ritual elevated, literally.

New York Bar — Park Hyatt
Shinjuku, Tokyo
The room where a film became a feeling. Jazz, glass, and the city held at arm's length.

Tokyo Midtown
Roppongi, Tokyo
Architecture as civic generosity — a tower that gives back its ground floor to the city.

Daikanyama T-Site
Daikanyama, Tokyo
A library in the woods. Retail rethought as a place to spend an unhurried afternoon.

Nakanobō Zuien
Arima Onsen, Kobe
A small ryokan that treats every guest like a private occasion. Service as quietness.

The Lake View Toya Nonokaze
Lake Tōya, Hokkaidō
A modern Japanese resort framing one of Japan's hundred famous views — water as the only ornament.

Restaurant Molière
Maruyama, Sapporo
Floor-to-ceiling glass onto Maruyama Park; Hokkaidō ingredients in a French grammar. A restaurant that listens to its landscape.

Tea Bar 聴景居
Daikanyama, Tokyo
Eight counter seats, Japanese tea as the through-line and Asian essences around it — a tea room held inside a bar.

Chapter III

Rituals

I am drawn to the everyday rituals that quietly shape how people experience a place. Making tea. Sharing wine. Holding handmade ceramics. Browsing independent bookshops.

These moments often communicate more about a brand than any advertising campaign. I am currently studying WSET Level 2 and continue to explore tea culture and craftsmanship through travel and personal research.

Chapter V

Curiosity

The common thread running through my work is not marketing. It is curiosity. Curiosity about people. About cities. About hospitality. About food. About culture. About why certain places become meaningful while others are quickly forgotten.

Those observations continue to influence every brand I help build.

“Great brands are not remembered because they are louder.They are remembered because they make people feel they belong.”