Photographs from a small group of islands
Japan is well known for its vending machines. With good reason too, as despite the ever-increasing number of convenience stores, the vending machine is still ubiquitous. Yet seeing one that’s no longer operational, let alone left to rot, is surprisingly rare, so below is a selection of the ones I’ve stumbled upon over the years. Some are still there, some may well be long gone, but in their own decaying way, all of them were oddly interesting.
This old punk likes a drink, but he loves The Damned a lot more.
The clutter and grime of this unique little yakitori shop were what initially caught my eye, but ultimately it was the owner’s lovely big smile that made both the moment, and my day.
Down an old and now more or less disused tunnel, one little bar remains. Catering for the small number of late afternoon drinkers who can squeeze inside, it’s the last business left, but even after several decades of serving drinks and really quite delicious food, the owners have no intention of quitting just yet. A decision that’s much appreciated by both the very regular regulars, and those that merely pop in unexpectedly.
From the outside, this little ramen shop looked like it had tales galore to tell.
And it did. Or more accurately, its elderly owner did. Opening the restaurant at the relatively sprightly young age of thirty-eight, she has been working behind the counter ever since. For fifty years to be exact, doing two shifts a day, six days a week, with no thoughts of retiring just yet.
