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Oct 14 2022 12 Comments

Abandoned and beautifully overgrown Tokyo bicycles

With Tokyo’s long summer now finally at an end, it seems like a good time to show this collection of photos taken over those hot and humid months. Weather that in relation to human habitation doesn’t offer much in the way of benefits, but it does at least provide the perfect conditions to make long-abandoned bicycles look really quite beautiful.

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Abandoned and overgrown Tokyo bicycles

Categorized: Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Denise says

    10/14/2022 at 11:21 am

    These are so adorable. I’m in love with the pink bicycle and matching pink flowers! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      10/14/2022 at 8:55 pm

      Thank you. That did all match surprisingly well.

      Reply
  2. cdilla says

    10/14/2022 at 11:09 pm

    Another great collection of photographs. So pleased you included a link to the older set – I had missed that one in the tunnel:-)
    I was a big fan of SF art in the seventies especially those showing nature taking back technology. Especially the sadly passed Tim White, as here in the Monument cover https://downthetubes.net/in-memoriam-sf-artist-tim-white/

    These photographs echo what I felt as a teenager looking at an A3 version of that painting (and still have two copies of)

    Love the bike names too, Suntrust, Floatmix, Casual, Transit, MarkRosa, How Ever, Jeep..
    That first name just needed a leaf to cover the first T 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      10/15/2022 at 9:30 am

      Thanks, and cheers for the link. I’ll have a proper long look at that later.

      That bike in the tunnel was really quite something. And yes, definitely a sci-fi feel to it. Goodness knows why it ended up there….

      Yeah, the very random names are definitely a bonus element. Sun rust would really have been the icing on the cake.

      Reply
  3. john says

    10/15/2022 at 3:07 am

    I’m a bit of a fan of your ‘cycles with green patch’ photos, but nontheless ‘What a waste’ and ‘Such a shame’ came to mind. I have just realised that the former must be a creative alliteration (and ‘tailormade’ for a hit).

    #2 looks like a bobber project gone all wrong
    and the penultimate is a real bit of matching kintsugi.

    Slightly connected, I found some interesting mugshots in oils..so that is two things..
    http://www.colindavidson.com/#the-day-i-heard-that-mark-hollis-had-died-self-portrait

    Reply
    • Lee says

      10/15/2022 at 9:36 am

      Yeah, there’s definitely a lot going on besides just being overgrown bikes, and a waste indeed for some of them in particular. Maybe come winter they are well oiled and wheeled out once again.

      Oh, cheers. Those portraits are fantastic. The phone does not do them justice, so will look properly when in front of a much bigger screen.

      Reply
  4. GrassyJ says

    10/16/2022 at 5:52 pm

    Based on some of the artwork and style, it looks like some of those bikes date back to at least the 80s…. which is wild to me they have been sitting there for so long. Not to mention the relatively good condition while exposed to the elements.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      10/16/2022 at 9:57 pm

      That’s a very good call. Hadn’t really thought about it like that. But yeah, they really have survived well, and also not been moved for the longest time.

      Reply
  5. Richard says

    10/16/2022 at 9:38 pm

    The plants growing around and through the bikes are lovely. But the overall effect of things abandoned like that makes me wax nostalgic: whatever happened that the owners just left these perfectly good bikes?!?

    Thanks for this and the other collection, too.

    I hope Japan gets some relief from the rain. Bring on aki bare!!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      10/16/2022 at 10:02 pm

      You are welcome. These bikes are always a joy to see.

      Yeah, there are lots of questions, but the beauty of some of them is really something. So fleeting too.

      Not having to deal with the heat and humidity has been lovely after so many months of it. Hopefully a long autumn now before winter sets in.

      Reply
      • Richard says

        10/18/2022 at 2:52 am

        Aki bare has always been my favorite time of year in Japan. After so much rain in recent weeks here’s hoping you get a nice, long spell of dry days with comfy temperatures.

        Reply
        • Lee says

          10/18/2022 at 8:23 pm

          Cheers. So much nicer now without the oppressive humidity.

          Reply

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