With another year almost done and dusted, it’s time once again to choose my favourite photos from the last 12 months. Or perhaps more accurately, favourite photo series, as for a good while now I’ve preferred to put together sets of images. The idea being that such an approach is better suited to telling stories, along with documenting everyday life and locations.
On a more personal level, 2025 has happily been a busy one. My Tokyo Photowalk business continues to do well, with Osaka now very much a part of that as well. Doing the walks for so many years now means it’s also been really nice to welcome back customers for second, third or fourth outings. A lovely, unexpected extra that makes such work all the more rewarding.
This year also marked the start of my newsletter. It’s here if you are interested. Something I’d wanted to try for ages, and now it’s been up and running for a good few months, I’m happy I did. A medium that allows me to write about things and photos slightly differently.
In the 2024 round-up I mentioned a project I’d been working on that was expected to see the light of day in spring 2025. Well, it didn’t. Thankfully though it was just a delay, and it (a book I’m pleased to say) should be out by April or May next year. There’ll be a Tokyo street photography book I’m a part of released in the first half of the year as well. Plus on top of that my good friend Giovanni and I are doing an 8-day, Japanese old school streets and winter scenery workshop in February, with hopefully an autumn one coming soon. So lots to look forward to and be grateful for in 2026.
That, however, is the future. For now, these are the photo series I liked the most over the last 12 months. As always, some are simply down to the resultant images, whereas others are more due to the attachment I have to them, along with several that are a mixture of both. There’s no particular order. Just how I felt they worked best. I’ve also added links to the original posts and full series of photos, as only some from each set are included here.
All of which pretty much wraps up Tokyo Times for the year. Regular Tuesday updates will resume again on January 6th, so until then, enjoy the holidays and be sure to appreciate the people you spend them with.
More Tokyo citizens and their everyday surroundings
The inevitable end of a lovely little Tokyo building
The green and space of Tokyo’s far west
Old and dated scenes from a southern Japan city
Scenes from a traditional old Tokyo bathhouse
Sights from a search for a stunning old Tokyo Coca-Cola sign
The beauty of nature taking man-made objects back
An old Tokyo bar, its owners and a rare case of renewal
The end of a stunning old Tokyo bookshop
An 88-year-old man in his lovely old Japanese coffee shop
Abandoned arcade games and cable cars
Post-apocalyptic scenes from a long-abandoned Japanese hotel
Denise says
So many memories. Thank you so much for all the photos. I love them all! Have a great holiday season! 🙂
Lee says
Thank you very much. That’s very nice to hear. And you too. Have a good one!
YesterdaysHero says
A truly great year of documentation, Lee. Thanks for sharing your insights and photographs. I look forward to seeing what you find in 2026.
Lee says
Thanks ever so much. That’s very kind. And you are very welcome. Taking these photos was a genuine pleasure.
Darryl says
This is such a beautiful collection, Lee. Thanks for sharing. Every time I see your photos, I want to pick up my camera and head out.
Lee says
Than you very much. And that’s great to hear. There aren’t many better things than heading out with a camera.
Steve says
Great photos as always. The before and after photos of the hotel lobby are amazing. The photo of the damp alley and izakaya is wonderful.
Lee says
Thanks a lot. That izakaya was quite something. And yeah, seeing what the lobby once looked like was truly incredible.
Ken says
Happy Christmas Lee. Hope you have managed to avoid most of the Mariah Carey moments!
Lee says
Thanks. Belated Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2026. Didn’t actually hear that one this year. A Christmas miracle!
cdilla says
Merry Christmas Lee, and HB too. Thanks for the many memories collected here including a few first hand ones that are a real bonus. The lobby photos are so cool to see together. Mrs cdilla took a great shot of me from the same spot as I walked down those stairs. A moment we could never have had without you as guide.
Lee says
Thanks a lot and belated Christmas wishes. You are very welcome, and it was a real treat to have you along for some of them. The original lobby photo really is staggering, isn’t it?
Linda says
A book! Yes please!
Lee says
Thank you. I can’t wait for them to come out. A lot to look forward to.
scruffy says
#4
#4
#4
I mean it!
cdilla says
This build certainly catches the eye and imagination. I found a wonderfully detailed model and diorama of it today showing it as it would have been in its later years when it was still open. The bar owner and a father and daughter can be seen inside (with the father looking out at the “photographer”), and a guy sanding outside considering when to go in or now. Sadly not on a secure site, so no link, but an image search is how I found it.
Lee says
@scruffy Cheers. That one is definitely special. Very glad I got to see it.
@cdilla Thanks. I did see it looking like that once, although it wasn’t open at that time. Needless to say it looked wonderful.
Sean says
So many truly awesome photos and stories. Thanks for all of them. I look forward to seeing what you find in 2026!
Lee says
Thanks a lot and you are very welcome. Fingers crossed there’ll be lots of new finds in the coming 12 months.