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Mar 31 2023 10 Comments

The urban colours of an old Tokyo neighbourhood in the rain

Photographing in the rain isn’t something I do all that often. My camera isn’t fully weather sealed, and so an umbrella is necessary. That in itself isn’t such a big deal, but then attempting to focus manually while also keeping a brolly wedged between my neck and shoulder is far from ideal and similarly uncomfortable.

Inclement weather does have its advantages though, and the other day, with spring very much in the air, the dampness did bring out the colours. Below then are some of them, and even better, a few of the scenes are also old favourites.

Tokyo urban colours in the rain

Tokyo urban colours in the rain

Tokyo urban colours in the rain

Tokyo urban colours in the rain

Tokyo urban colours in the rain

Tokyo urban colours in the rain

Tokyo urban colours in the rain

Categorized: Photography

Mar 28 2023 10 Comments

The rust and broken vending machines of an old Tokyo liquor store

This shuttered up old Tokyo liquor store is a joy to behold all by itself with its wonderfully rusted exterior and similarly decaying signs. But then add in the busted old vending machines and the retro window sticker, and it’s elevated to something really quite special. All of which was made even more appealing with an appearance by the owner as he headed out with his towel and toiletries to the local public bath.

The rust and broken vending machines of an old Tokyo liquor store

The rust and broken vending machines of an old Tokyo liquor store

The rust and broken vending machines of an old Tokyo liquor store

The rust and broken vending machines of an old Tokyo liquor store

The rust and broken vending machines of an old Tokyo liquor store

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Mar 24 2023 10 Comments

Neighbourly interaction in an old and traditional Tokyo street

Community life in most of Tokyo’s countless apartment buildings is distinctly lacking. People generally keep themselves to themselves, and after over a decade of living in my place, the most I get from the vast majority of residents is the briefest of greetings or a cursory nod at best. That said, one older lady has always chatted, and knowing my wife died she’s made a real effort to check I’m doing ok, offering advice and encouragement from her self-proclaimed role as my Japanese mum, which as you can imagine feels absolutely lovely.

In the city’s older, and more traditional neighbourhoods, however, it’s possible to see much more in the way of interaction. Particularly so with the elderly residents, as many of them have quite possibly known each other their whole lives, or at the very least for many decades. And so below then is one such example.

elderly Tokyo neighbours enjoying a chat

elderly Tokyo neighbours enjoying a chat

elderly Tokyo neighbours enjoying a chat

elderly Tokyo neighbours enjoying a chat

Categorized: Photography

Mar 21 2023 14 Comments

The incredibly dilapidated state of an old Tokyo hotel

Last summer I documented this crumbling, and at the time fabulously overgrown old Tokyo hotel.

a crumbling and incredibly patched up old Tokyo hotel

a crumbling and incredibly patched up old Tokyo hotel

Needless to say it isn’t one of Tokyo’s regular places of stay, as along with its appearance, the business caters to the city’s poor, situated as it is in an area filled with similarly cheap and visibly rundown accommodation. That said, none of the others look anything quite like this one. Words simply can’t describe its patched up and ramshackle nature. In fact I’m not even sure photos do it justice either, but here at least is an idea of what it looked like last week before that lush summer camouflage completely covers it once again.

a crumbling and incredibly patched up old Tokyo hotel

a crumbling and incredibly patched up old Tokyo hotel

a crumbling and incredibly patched up old Tokyo hotel

Categorized: Photography

Mar 17 2023 6 Comments

An old Tokyo ceramic shop that hasn’t changed in decades

This dusty old Tokyo ceramic business has been in operation for nearly half a century, and it’s fair to say that every single year is there to see in the incredibly faded surroundings. Something the current, and second generation owner doesn’t seem to care about in the slightest, making it one of Tokyo’s many such shops. Places that continue to open on a daily basis simply out of habit rather than any real sense of actual commerce.

dated and dusty old Tokyo ceramic shop

Categorized: Photography

Mar 14 2023 18 Comments

A dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

Tucked away in the middle of some trees with many of the window shutters sealed tight, this old house had quite the atmosphere. A certain sense of darkness in more ways than one, particularly with large photos and paintings of long dead family members, and possibly former residents, always looking on.

Unusually, the calendars upstairs and downstairs differed considerably, and what was once more than likely a multi-generation household, clearly ended up with just the downstairs rooms being used. Presumably by a lone elderly person. The setup and stuff left behind also suggestive of someone who was quite possibly bedridden, and almost certainly receiving medical care. Factors that could also help explain some of the incredibly dated technology found on the same floor despite the last calendar being from 2015.

All that, however, is speculation and educated guesswork at best. What the true story is, and who those people were, will more than likely remain unknown. The photos below then are mere records of far more important moments now forever lost.

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

dark and abandoned old Tokyo house

Categorized: Haikyo

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