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Apr 01 2020 4 Comments

An old Tokyo barber turned bar owner

The fella in the photographs was a barber until he was 50, but he didn’t like it, so he became a bar owner instead. A job he has done ever since. For the last 24 years to be exact. Cooking and serving behind the little counter below.

Those are the simple facts, but how long he will continue to be open for business is far less certain. His age of course is a factor, but with Tokyo residents now being asked to refrain from socialising in the evening, and a lockdown surely inevitable, it’s not hard to imagine that once the pandemic is over, lots of little places like this will sadly never open again.

a former barber now septuagenarian Tokyo bar owner

a former barber now septuagenarian Tokyo bar owner

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenn says

    4/1/2020 at 12:20 pm

    I think it’s so sad to think how many mom and pop stores won’t be able survive the lockdowns……… 🙁

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/1/2020 at 6:58 pm

      Yeah, it really is. A lot of unique little places will be gone forever…

      Reply
  2. cdilla says

    4/2/2020 at 4:47 pm

    The rather dark intro and brightly lit scene are an interesting contrast. The Master himself has a wonderful patient look about him that I hope sees him through these strange days. The highlight though is that denim yukata. I get lost in its faded gradients, so perfectly matching the age bleached posters behind.
    Another marvelous photograph for your expansive bar portfolio.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/2/2020 at 8:44 pm

      Thank you.

      Yes, hopefully. Even better if things don’t get that bad here, and such businesses are spared long closures, but that’s looking increasingly unlikely. At least for Tokyo anyway.

      Yeah, it really does have a lovely range of blues, doesn’t it? Maybe not the full 24 years, but he’s clearly been wearing it a while.

      Reply

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