Born to pose (Japan, Kyoto)

In Japan , Harley-Davidsons are not just motorcycles: they are symbols of belonging , of urban styling , even of social rituals . Since the 1990s, these massive machines, often customized to the extreme (chrome, LEDs, custom-made upholstery), have embodied an inverted soft power : that of America digested in the Japanese way. We ride little. We exhibit. Kyoto , in this case, becomes a stage.

In the background, a Japanese McDonald's , a remnant of the first fast-food restaurant opened in Ginza in 1971 , completes the circle. It's a gentle collision between American biker mythology , Japanese neon uniformity , and globalized visual identity . The biker, frozen in character, poses more than he rides . A culture of controlled appearances , typical of this Japanese generation that performs on weekends what it keeps quiet about during the week.

This photograph was selected by the prestigious international gallery 1X.com, which recognizes works for their aesthetic and documentary value.