Chinatown provides a visual diversity that makes it unique among Honolulu's communities, says lifelong resident Gordon Nakata, whose love of the district began as a young boy.

“;The Chinatown that I remember ... was very mysterious. During the summer, I loved visiting the small Chinese shops where owners stood silently, as if they were part of the merchandise,”; he writes on his blog at blogspot.com.

“;I love the colorful facades of business entryways. The vibrant red of a Chinatown door, for example, in contrast with a traditional Chinese lion's head gives the area the “;yin”; and “;yang”; of visual contrast. I love the interplay of the bizarre with the sublime.”;

Nakata has been interested in photography for some 40 decades. In his 20s, he worked as a darkroom technician and gradually sharpened his photographic skills. He's recently returned to the craft to “;help me further explore and enhance my relationship with the world and other human beings.

“;I am not a very verbal person, so rather than writing down or speaking my thoughts, I'm using the medium of photography to express myself,”; he says. These “;photographs may be personal in nature, but ... they may be of interest to others as well.”;

To see more of Nakata's work, visit photo-journal-photo-journal.blogspot.com.