Field notes from a life in transit ●  currently: Hanoi, Vietnam

Sofia Costa

I photograph slow mornings, long light, and the places in between.

October 2026

№ 249  ·  Vietnam  ·  28 October 2026, 6:47 am

Egg Coffee in Hanoi's Old Quarter: A Hidden Café Worth

A corridor, a staircase, a cup in a bowl of hot water. Egg coffee in Hanoi's Old Quarter, found the slow way, on Nguyen Huu Huan Street.

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hanoi egg coffee old quarter: Cup of Vietnamese egg coffee set in a bowl of hot water on a wooden table, soft daylight from a
Sofia Costa · 35mm№249 → Vietnam
ta hien street hanoi: Woman on a low plastic stool eating pho at a street stall on Ta Hien, Hanoi Old Quarter, lit by string
Sofia Costa · 35mm№248 → Vietnam

№ 248  ·  Vietnam  ·  27 October 2026

Ta Hien Street at Night: First Bowl of Pho in Hanoi's Old

Pho steam, motorbikes, plastic stools. A first night walk through Ta Hien street in Hanoi's Old Quarter, told the slow way.

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hanoi old quarter morning: Empty narrow Hanoi Old Quarter street with faded yellow French-colonial buildings, tangled wires o
Sofia Costa · 35mm№247 → Vietnam

№ 247  ·  Vietnam  ·  26 October 2026

Ma May Street, Hanoi: A Quiet Morning in the Old Quarter

Mossy yellow facades, tangled wires, one parked cyclo. A still morning on Ma May street before Hanoi's Old Quarter wakes up.

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kansai airport bento: Woman holding a Japanese convenience store bento box at a gate in Kansai Airport, flat overhead termina
Sofia Costa · 35mm№246 → Vietnam

№ 246  ·  Vietnam  ·  25 October 2026

Kansai Airport Ritual: Last Bites of Japan Before Hanoi

Last hour in Japan, a convenience store bento and a matcha Kit-Kat at Kansai Airport before the flight to Hanoi. A small, specific goodbye.

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osaka okonomiyaki night: Okonomiyaki sizzling on a steel griddle counter in Osaka at night, cook flipping with two spatulas,
21:22 in Osaka, elbow to elbow at a counter griddle, sauce and bonito flakes moving in the heat. № 245 · place study · 24 October 2026
shinsekai osaka night: Narrow Shinsekai street in Osaka at night, neon signs and Tsutenkaku tower glowing, plastic food model
Sofia Costa · 35mm№244 → Japan

№ 244  ·  Japan  ·  23 October 2026

Shinsekai at Night: Osaka's Retro Neon Streets

Late night in Shinsekai. Kushikatsu smoke, old neon, Tsutenkaku lit up at the end of the street. Osaka doesn't try hard here, and that's the point.

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osaka souffle pancake: Tall fluffy soufflé pancake dusted with powdered sugar on a white plate at a bright Osaka café, Shinsa
Sofia Costa · 35mm№243 → Japan

№ 243  ·  Japan  ·  22 October 2026

Osaka Soufflé Pancakes: A Sweet Morning in Shinsaibashi

A jiggly soufflé pancake, dusted sugar, and coffee in Shinsaibashi. Osaka's morning crowd outside, my fork taking its time.

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dotonbori canal dusk: Dotonbori canal in Osaka at dusk, neon signs reflected on dark water, a low bridge, moored boats, steam
Sofia Costa · 35mm№242 → Japan

№ 242  ·  Japan  ·  21 October 2026

Dotonbori Canal at Dusk: Osaka's Neon Water Hour

The signs bleed into the water, the boats sit still, steam rises from a stall I never find. Osaka at 16:55, alone on the bridge.

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osaka jazz kissa bar: Woman in a dim Osaka jazz kissa bar, worn armchair, shelves of vinyl records, warm lamplight, whisky gl
Sofia Costa · 35mm№241 → Japan

№ 241  ·  Japan  ·  20 October 2026

Nakazakicho at Night: Inside Osaka's Tiny Jazz Kissa Bars

Midnight in a Nakazakicho jazz kissa, vinyl crackle, whisky, an owner who picks records like he's reading your mind. Osaka at its quietest.

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dotonbori osaka morning: Takoyaki and coffee on a canal-side table in Dotonbori, Osaka, with boats and a giant crab sign visi
Early takoyaki, cooling coffee, and a giant crab sign over Dotonbori canal. № 240 · place study · 19 October 2026
osaka castle at night: Osaka Castle illuminated at night, reflected in the dark moat water, with a jogger passing on the path
Sofia Costa · 35mm№239 → Japan

№ 239  ·  Japan  ·  18 October 2026

Osaka Castle at Night: A Quiet Reflection in the Moat

Alone by the moat at Osaka Castle after dark, where feudal stone meets floodlight and a few joggers refuse to be impressed.

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kuromon market osaka: Vendor grilling scallops in the shell at a busy Kuromon Market stall in Osaka, midday light, customers
Sofia Costa · 35mm№238 → Japan

№ 238  ·  Japan  ·  17 October 2026

Kuromon Market Osaka: Midday Scallops and Standing-Room

Grilled scallops, pushy generous vendors, nobody sitting down. A midday walk through Kuromon Market, Osaka, shot on 35mm film.

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Where the film has been
"I travel slowly, shoot on film, and write down what the light was doing. This journal is where the frames land, one a day, wherever I happen to wake up."

Sofia Costa · film photographer · permanently in transit

Follow on Instagram → @sofia.costa.traveler