Photographs from a small group of islands
Coffee shops are plentiful in Tokyo, but the only trouble is, many of them are much the same. Big companies, selling colossal amounts of coffee, in comfy but ultimately characterless surroundings.
Not that there aren’t any independent shops of course, it’s just finding them. But when one does, they often offer a far more interesting look.
Traditional Japanese tea ceremony is a fascinating practice. Its acute focus on aesthetics, however, along with an extremely strict adherence to specific movements and manners, probably makes the whole thing rather uncomfortable and stifling — at least for a beginner, anyway.
But to simply sit and watch it is an absolute treat.
And from a safe distance, those movements and manners are a mystifying marvel.
Sugamo, the so-called Harajuku for old ladies, is thankfully not an area awash with geriatric gothic lolitas, but is instead a shopping area geared up for the elderly women (and indeed men) who flock there. Jizo-dori, its main thoroughfare, is lined with shops and stalls selling the kind of clothes, food and assorted bric-a-brac that appeal to its target audience; all of whom hustle and bustle their way between them and the street’s popular Koganji Temple, or Togenuki Jizo as it’s also known.
Despite the age of those who predominate, however, there is no hanging about. Not by any stretch of the imagination. If you are in the way, you’ll be moved out of the way.
Sugamo also isn’t an area simply catering to the elderly — it’s run by them too. Many of whom should have officially retired years ago.
These old-timers and a few young bucks offer food and snacks of a much more traditional nature. The variety of which can clearly be dazzling.
Plus along with numerous medical aids and potions for sale, the temple priests do a busy one-on-one trade in health-based prayers and blessings.
Presumably after which some decidedly non-healthy food can safely be consumed.
Also, like most areas of this nature, there are plenty of characters. Both walking about.
And working.
Many of whom, like those who visit, are intent on making the most of it.
October may well be just around the corner, but the summer-like temperatures have made September a stifling one to say the least — the heat and humidity simply don’t want to say sayonara.
Conditions that a parasol and that summer favourite, cold soba,
can’t even counter.
For those too young to enjoy the comforting properties of an ice cold beer on a hot summer’s day, kakigori (shaved ice) would appear to be the next best thing. And for this young fella, it looks like strawberry is the syrup of choice for the season.
