Japan’s ageing population is well documented, and there are no shortage of examples on these pages. A phenomenon that is especially noticeable in rural areas, as many younger residents are unsurprisingly moving to the cities as soon as they can.
That said, it’s increasingly common to see this population shift in Tokyo as well. Something these photos show, taken, as they were, over two days wandering a few areas of the capital with a visiting friend.
Scenes that are a world away from shopping and entertainment hubs such as Shibuya and Harajuku. Lesser seen locations where the shops are old and the owners often older. A few of these photographs in particular emphasis this point, as the lady sat outside her shop is 94 years old, and the man running the sweet shop (which he opened as a young adult) is now a staggering 96. Ages most of us can only hope of reaching, let alone still be fit enough to work.