“Are, bure, boke” (grainy, blurry, out of focus) is a Japanese phrase that describes a photographic style associated with the Provoke era in 1960s Japan. It’s characterized by intentional roughness, blurriness, and a rejection of traditional photojournalism. Bokeh, on the other hand, refers to the aesthetic quality of the blur in out-of-focus parts of an image. While “are, bure, boke” is a style, bokeh is a specific term related to the quality of blur.

This style is most associated with the Japanese master photographer Daido Muriyama

The photo above is mine shot on an Olympus Point and Shoot - something I’m sure Master Muriyama would approve.  Why have a $10,000 Leica set up if you are going for blurred, grainy , out of focus shot.