When we spotted the raw and edgey captures of tokyoPixie we were determined to find out who exactly was this photographic pixie and what was in her bag of tricks. A flip through tokyoPixie's photo album reveals a view of Tokyo and many other parts of Japan that is often left uncaptured. An interview with the spirited snapper uncovered her love of Kung Fu Fighting helps keep the creative juices flowing.

TM: How do you know when you have a good shot?

tP: It’s usually an instant “yes!” reaction. Later upon closer observation, there is always something special that distinguishes a good photo from an ordinary one. All the elements that comprise a good photo such as composition, interesting subject, color, etc. are usually present in a “yes!” pic.

TM: Do you put all of your photos for display or are you selective?

tP: I’m selective and have become even more so recently. I post only those that I think are my very best at the moment.

TM: Three words to describe your style- personal or photographic.

tP: I find it difficult to describe my style because it’s not something I think about beforehand when I take photos. From what others have told me, my photographs are beautiful, cool and elusive.

TM: On a regular day out in Tokyo how many shots do you usually take?

tP: It really depends, it can range be from 0 to 100.

TM: Are you a “deleter” or do you wait to get home and look through all of the photos before any go to the trash?

tP: I usually wait to go home unless they are obviously bad then I delete them right away to make space on my memory card.

TM: Do you have an all-time favorite pic?

tP: I have a few: the young Macaque monkey in the hot spring, the Shibuya crossing pic, the portrait of the platinum blonde girl in Harajuku and Tokyo trainspotting collage.

TM: Any interesting stories from Tokyo photo-shooting adventures?

tP: Yes, a few weeks ago, a tiny old lady, an obachan, with a huge telephoto lens elbowed me to make her way through to take a photo of a Harajuku girl. My Tokyo Sightseeing guidebook warned of this happening on trains but never in Harajuku!

TM: Are there any things in Tokyo that you don’t like to take pics of?

tP: I try to stay away from cliched images but it is sometimes difficult to do in Japan.

TM: Is there something in Tokyo that you find difficult to capture?

tP: I see many interesting scenes while I’m on the train such as on rooftops, train platforms & tracks, and in houses but due to obvious limitations I cannot capture.

TM: Your style and subject have changed as your time in Japan has progressed. Do you want to talk a little about that?

tP: There were many things in Japan that I found very unusual when I first arrived and they were the things I photographed a lot at the time. The very short skirts in the middle of winter, love hotels, condom boxes, and other unusual things only seen in Japan. I’m less interested by those now and I think my style and subjects are gradually evolving.

TM: Do you ever get bored/uninspired of taking photos of Tokyo/Japan? If so, what do you do to overcome that?

tP: Yes, I’ve had “photographer’s block” here at times. However, I just need to play “Kung Fu Fighting “ from the Fat Boys Slim on my iPod and I’m immediately inspired again by this crazy place called Tokyo.

A huge thank you to tokyoPixie for helping TOKYOMADE to launch in awesome street style. If you remember back to February 14 when TM launched our first ever front page feature was an original tokyoPixie shot. Keep watching for more street snaps from tokyoPixie.