Photographs from a small group of islands
After a month away, returning to Japan towards the end of August makes the heat and humidity seem all the more intense. An unrelenting presence that wears one down and makes lethargy — not to mention constant sweating — the norm.
A situation that somewhat inevitably requires copious amounts of cold booze to cope, although when combined together, there can be complications.
Tsukiji fish market is best known for its huge tuna and their resultant carcasses, but arguably just as interesting are the old, rather ramshackle shops and stalls that surround it. A good number of which appear to be run by several generations of the same family, meaning some of those working there have more than earned the odd break.
There’s an awful lot to be said for Tokyo’s cleanliness, particularly in relation to its public transportation network. In fact the only real negative is a genuine lack of character — a certain sterility even — in regards the surroundings. A factor that always made me fond of this previously posted, and far from generic, entrance.
Since the photo was taken, however, it has been given a lick of paint and a general make over, resulting in it looking pretty much like all the rest. Yet all is not completely lost, as very close by I stumbled upon this surprisingly little used access point. Not as grubby, or even decrepit, but it does have a certain, slightly down on its luck charm.
Whatever the weather, and whatever the season, ramen is a firm Japanese favourite. A love affair that means one is never far away from a place specialising in the stuff. Some are fancy. Some are big. But more often than not they are tiny, tumbledown places like this. And invariably they are all the better for it.
