Food and Drink

Shinjuku train station is the busiest in the world, and the nightlife spots in the areas surrounding it are similarly crowded. Blaring screens, signs and people everywhere make it as packed with revellers as it is brightly lit, and yet amid all the chaos and noise there are still quiet scenes to be enjoyed. Moments like the ones below that briefly at least defy the surroundings and offer something akin to a sense of calm. All of which were photographed over the last couple of weeks or so. A time when masks were officially deemed unnecessary, and things in Tokyo finally started to feel like they were getting back to normal.

This shuttered up old Tokyo liquor store is a joy to behold all by itself with its wonderfully rusted exterior and similarly decaying signs. But then add in the busted old vending machines and the retro window sticker, and it’s elevated to something really quite special. All of which was made even more appealing with an appearance by the owner as he headed out with his towel and toiletries to the local public bath.

A couple of years or so ago I took the first photograph. The scene really appealed, but as some customers turned up I didn’t get a chance to speak. Only a picture.

Returning last week, I was pleased to see the shop still there. The last of two businesses in a little alleyway that must have once been quite busy. And yet that said, it was both lovely and a little surprising to see a steady stream of youngsters turning up with their parents or grandparents. Many of the latter likely reliving their childhood days, as remarkably the shop has been in operation for 74 years. Even more incredible is that the owner has been there the whole time, and remains there undeterred at 94. A man who despite his age, and dealing with the public everyday, is quiet, and endearingly really quite shy.

The best days of this old Tokyo shopping street are long gone. Back in the 1950s and 60s it was a bustling thoroughfare at the heart of the community, whereas these days it’s half shuttered up and a shiny new supermarket, which a whole host of buildings were demolished for, will likely cause even more closures.

None of which, it has to be said, takes anything away from its unique and faded charm, so below are some of the people I’ve photographed along it. A mixture of business owners and local shoppers — some taken many years ago, with others very recent. Only one is an image that’s arguably strong enough to work by itself, but as a set I feel they do tell something of a story. A little snapshot over time of the life of the street, along with the lives that have made it so special.

There are a lot of photos on these pages of Tokyo bars, homes and buildings that have disappeared forever. The city changes at a ferocious pace, and rightly or wrongly, there’s generally little time for sentiment. Old places are to be demolished. It mostly seems as simple as that.

All that said, Tokyo is a truly sprawling metropolis, meaning that while much is gone, a massive amount still remains. Like the fried food and meat shop below.

Five years have passed between the photos, with the evening one taken just recently. However, while the time of day might have been different, the building, food and even the suspicious stare, remain reassuringly the same.