Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Food and Drink

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Tokyo coffee shop picture(s)

Coffee shops should probably be good for people watching, but in Tokyo, they are invariably full of folk just sleeping, studying, or simply tapping away into a phone or laptop. And because of this, often the most interesting thing to observe is the constant circling of new customers who can’t get a seat due to all those already in there sleeping, studying, or simply tapping away into a phone or laptop.

Over the New Year holidays, however, many places were mercifully much quieter, which meant the old man below was actually able to bag a spot that allowed him to sit down, and have a line of sight to quickly sketch people coming in and interacting at the counter. A lovely image made all the more fascinating by his practice of literally adding a little flavour to the pictures by dipping a straw into his coffee froth and then using it as a final flourish of sorts.

Tokyo coffee shop

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More New Year food and its makers

Despite many Japanese households being full of New Year food (osechi) for the first of the month, and indeed the foreseeable future, it doesn’t mean that when making a traditional visit to the shrine, overindulgence needs to stop. In fact, quite the opposite is true, as there’s often more than enough fare there than one could ever wish to waddle over to.

However, as good as such Japanese street food is, those actually making it are arguably more interesting, with this fella being my previous, and still ever-present, local shrine favourite.

Japanese street food

But this year, with his towel.

Japanese street food

And attentiveness.

Japanese street food

This man took the title.