Tokyo’s older neighbourhoods are much quieter than the rest of the city, and they are also places where cats are most definitely much loved.
The setting sun in Tokyo’s midday sun
An old and faded Japanese tourist spot in the fog
Faded tourist spots long past their peak are common in the Japanese countryside, and invariably they are fascinating locations that slowly disintegrate rather than suddenly just ceasing to exist. The gradual, yet very visible decline creating a vicious circle of sorts, as the lack of investment and modernisation deters visitors, and the resultant reduction in custom further lessens the chance of financial support, leading ultimately to dereliction. Perhaps the perfect example of which is this old resort town I photographed at the end of last year.
The lakeside spot below is yet another, although in the fog it took on a completely different look and feel. Before the weather changed, the area was already quiet, with just a few couples wandering about, each one looking around, seemingly unsure of where on earth they had driven to. When the surroundings began to rapidly disappear from view, however, so did those last tourists, meaning they missed out on an experience that was almost otherworldly. The dense fog turned the rather sad silence into something far more serene, plus what remained visible took on a completely new, and at times almost ethereal quality. A transformation that resulted in a genuine sense of wonder — something that maybe, just maybe, was felt back in the day when business was booming.
A slowly decaying Shinto shrine and its truly incredible torii
Shinto shrines can be found everywhere in Japan. Some, of course, are large and grand like the famous Meiji Jingu in central Tokyo, but many more are small, simple structures — especially so outside the big cities. And yet while they are all unique, I’ve never seen one quite like this before, or at least not one with such incredibly striking torii gates.
A Japanese lakeside view with a difference
When photographing people, I generally feel reasonably confident I can reproduce what’s in front of me. Landscapes, on the other hand, are a completely different proposition. Without a person in the frame, I never really know what to focus on, and as such the results are almost always underwhelming.
Presented then with the atmospheric scene of clouds coming in over this lake, I stood there as usual, completely unsure of how to try and capture it. Wanting, more than anything, for somebody of interest to act as a focal point. And then, as if by magic, a man in an animal costume rather amazingly came running along the road.
