A crowded crosswalk is probably a bit obvious as a pubic space, but ambiguities still exist (see my comments in Part II).
Let me preface by saying that I am not really a cat person (not by my own choice, mind you; it's just that getting too close to felines tends to induce asthmatic fits). However, I am compelled by the fashion in which they seamlessly navigate public and private spaces. The way they vacillate between the two spheres would be forbidden by humans (in many cases), but it is more or less expected of cats. As such, much of my photographic journey followed the furry fellow seen above. The path he walks along is public, despite being sandwiched between private spaces (residential areas).
Who owns nature? While trees and gardens are (on paper) variously privately or publicly owned, can humans really claim ownership over these spaces? Like the air or the water, they are domains that are hard to define. I would make a case that as long as a plant is outside, it becomes part of the public domain, but this probably differs from the legal definition.
Parking lots are public spaces, but contain privately owned vehicles.
Here is a lovely shot of trash ready to be picked up. While the items contained therein were largely private property at one point, upon being disposed of they entered the public sphere. A love letter or financial statement becomes free-for-all once it's in the trash, but I suppose that's what shredders are for.
Private
Our friend Mr. Cat is not in the shot (he did jump behind the gate, but my camera was too slow to catch him). Anyway, this is an example of private space that he entered rather easily. Gates are physical markers of the boundaries separating public and private spaces. Obviously I would not be allowed to open the gate and charge in.
Roads are public, but cars are private spaces (this is reinforced by the ubiquity of tinted windows).
I believe this is a Buddhist shrine (I feel like a typical culturally ignorant American). Anyway, despite being viewable to the public, it represents something private - esoteric, if you will.
Mr. Cat makes another appearance, this time on stairs leading up to someone's house, thus occupying a transitory space. The stairs are privately owned, which is why this picture is included at this section, but at the same time, strangers can walk up it.
This was supposed to accompany the picture of the crosswalk, but the order of my pictures flipped when I tried to put them in this post. In any case, it's a very poor quality picture, but mostly I was trying to concentrate on an idea rather than on composition. Phone conversations are private, yet at the same time, many people talk on them in public (it's not as bad in Japan as, say, NYC, but if you look closely at the picture of the crosswalk, you can see some people chatting on their cellphones). Through doing so, the speaker makes his/her half of the conversation public.
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