Food and Drink

Crossing the border from Tokyo to one of its neighbouring prefectures is almost always a non-event. The urban sprawl simply continues, with barely any perceptible scenery changes whatsoever. Travel a little further, however, and there can be some subtle differences, so with that in mind, this is what I saw on a recent walk south of the capital.

Tokyo changes all the time, and the city’s vast array of modern shops continues to grow on a daily basis. Move away from the capital’s main hubs, however, and it’s still possible to see businesses that have barely changed in decades. Local stores that somehow keep going, with their owners diligently opening every morning despite the likelihood of little in the way of custom.

Here then are some such examples photographed over the last week or so.

I’ve mentioned my long-standing love of Shinjuku numerous times on these pages, as due to the interesting people and unexpected scenes it continues to conjure up, the area remains a firm favourite. The parts of Tokyo I’m drawn to on a much more regular basis, however, are those that provide ordinary, even mundane moments. Simple signs of everyday lives lived like they have been for generations, and ideally in environments that accentuate the passage of time.

Whether these photographs manage that is of course debatable, but for me at least they were interesting little vignettes that caught my eye on a morning photowalk last week.

Easily accessible and only a few hours south of Tokyo, the old resort town of Atami hit the big time during the madness of the bubble years, as along with money being readily available in general, it also became a key destination for business retreats and the vast entertainment funds they involved.

With that said, it’s no surprise at all then that the bursting of the bubble hit the town hard, and while it’s probably fair to say it has finally recovered, with visitors returning and its location making it an attractive commuter town, the scars of that asset fuelled rise and fall are still visible. Elements that to my eyes at least make Atami all the more interesting, and these photos show aspects of that. All of them taken just over a year ago during a short stay.

Due to a combination of spending more time in east Tokyo, and working here, there and everywhere on a new project, I haven’t meandered round Shinjuku anywhere near as much as I used to. It’s an area I have always had a soft spot for, and after doing a photowalk there last week, I was reminded of just how much I still like it, and how I really need to start visiting more regularly once again.

That won’t be happening all that often just yet though, so until it does, I’ve put together some photos taken there over the years. I’ve done this before, but these are my absolute faves. Well, they are for now at least, anyway. Brief moments in time that I’m very happy to have documented.

Lastly, just like everywhere in Tokyo, Shinjuku has changed enormously, but whereas some locations now don’t feel quite the same anymore, Shinjuku somehow does. It may look different, yet at the same time it still has a very similar atmosphere. So here then, from fairly recently to much further back, are those aforementioned moments. Fractions of a second that in many ways capture what Shinjuku means to me.

With its vast population and famous entertainment hubs, Tokyo is as loud, busy and frantic as one would imagine. It is also quite the opposite.

Move from those well known areas, or find some of their tucked away little secrets, and the city can be a very different place. A metropolis that is calm, quiet and sometimes even serene. Below then are some examples of that, all taken in the last couple of weeks when on long wanders or photowalks with customers. Moments captured in places ranging from those aforementioned central districts, to the capital’s western suburbs, with each and every location feeling like a completely separate world.