Norio Kobayashi documents his everyday life by photographing the kitchen in his home in great detail. His work is included in an exhibition, Japan: Contemporary Ceramics and Photography between Tradition and Today currently on display in Hamburg at Deichtorhallen. Until 4 May.

Yuji Saiga captured the little-known Gunkanjima (or Battleship Island), located off the coast of Nagasaki, in this ghostly black and white photo essay, Views of an Abandoned Island. The island was used for coal-mining in the 19th century, and at one point housed 5300 residents living in low-rise apartments, until it was deserted in 1974. Student Hiroyuki Kawamura also photographed the island.

Naoya Hatakeyama photographs the beauty of vast Japanese urban cityscapes. This images of Shibuya's underground sewerage tunnel system are moody and ethereal (Thanks for reminding me, Witold!)

Masahisa Fukase prolifically and obsessively photographed Tokyo's much-despised crows from 1975 to 1985. Fukase also participated in a group exhibition with Hatakeyama, Out of Japan, at the V&A in London in 2001.

ArtPhoto is an online contemporary art magazine from Romania, which includes a number of well-considered columns and essays, as well as a high-quality selection of portfolios.

Collaborating with Terry Green and Nori-Tzo Tolson, Jason Koxvold of bubble&squeak has created an supremely beautiful and visually arresting short digital video artwork of the colourful parrots found in the Yuen Po bird park in Hong Kong. The soundtrack is scored by master Japanese electronic musician, Susumu Yokota (whose albums, Grinning Cat, Sakura and Magic Thread, I am particularly fond of).

Three more favourable mentions of esthet on other blogs today: greg.org shares my interest in Thomas Walter; Jim from Wirefarm, another Tokyo blogger, announced my 'official arrival' on the blogging scene; as well as Conscientious, a photography enthusiast from Pittsburgh.

To my great consternation, I experienced *serious* Movable Type headaches today (my fault, not theirs), but MJ came through for me and sorted it out, like the true gem that she is! MJ, YOU are a star!!