Tokyo Times

Last month I posted a series of photos from a walk round one of my favourite old Tokyo neighbourhoods. It’s a part of the city I visit regularly, with each and every wander different due to the people, conditions, and consistent new finds.

With that in mind then, a few weeks ago I had the chance to spend several consecutive days there, and with the weather all over the place, along with the varied sights and those wonderfully fleeting street scenes, it turned out to be a productive time. So here is a little of what I saw. A mixture of people, colours, and mostly unknown neighbourhood stories.

A few weeks ago I did my first official Osaka photowalks. Three days of exploring and photographing the city’s older, grittier neighbourhoods — all of which are a very different world from the busy streets and bright lights of Dotonbori and the Glico man.

Below I’ve pasted the review of those walks, and the photos that follow are a taste of what we saw. Quieter scenes where time seems to have stood still. All shot in areas that have no fancy modern shops or restaurants, and aside from the occasional convenience store, no famous chains either. In fact, in these instances at least, there aren’t even any smartphones. Just life as it once was, and for now at least, still is.

Review:

We have engaged Lee for full day Tokyo photowalk tours on several previous occasions, and this time were pleased to have the opportunity to enjoy a three day tour with him in Osaka.

Lee’s 20+ years of living the culture and back street life of Japan, plus his easy-going friendly personality, provided the osmotic catalyst that allowed us to leave our tourist bubble and truly see the life and people in the less trodden neighbourhoods. As always the tour was tailored to us, and we got to see, taste, hear and learn about the Japan that is mostly hidden from us. 

Lee sought out many genuine scenes that could have been from any time right back to the sixties. The likes of now vanishingly rare vending machines, plus shopkeepers from another era who were often happy to engage with a bit of chat giving us a precious glimpse into their long histories.

Lee also has the natural ability to take a random encounter and produce unique impromptu experiences. Such as a look around the inside of a small town theatre after a chat with a local, and, after passing an unusual doorway, seeing an amazing portrait exhibition of local day labourers taken over a ten year period.

There is never a moment that Lee doesn’t have some information or story to tell as we walk around, so every day was entertaining, educational, and full of photographic opportunities.

Of all the wonderful things we brought back from our visit to Japan, the memories of this tour are the most valuable.

Mark & Deborah, November 2024

For something slightly different, this is a collection of photos taken at Japanese train and subway stations. Images that date from just last week to over a decade ago. Also, most are from Tokyo, but a few were taken outside the capital.

That said, regardless of where they were shot, train travel is an integral part of life in Japan — especially city life. The busy and invariably stressful commute in particular an often unavoidable necessity. These, however, show a slightly different side of the public transport experience. Quieter, as well as less generic moments captured before, after and between journeys.