Photography

When travelling in Japan, my aim, just like in Tokyo, is to try and capture the older parts of each place I visit. Lost in time locations that hark back to a different era, as well as holding the lives and local stories of numerous generations.

With that in mind then, here are some recent photos from the Shikoku city of Takamatsu. A variety of sights and scenery that also included time in a small bar with its nearly 99 year old owner. An evening that was especially memorable, and in many ways, it seemed to encapsulate these kinds of areas. The building is way past its natural lifespan, and the owner is sadly approaching hers, meaning dereliction or demolition is all the future holds.

That said, until such times, these remain parts of Japan to seek out, explore, and perhaps more importantly, simply appreciate.

I posted photos from this fabulously dated old Tokyo coffee shop early last year, so this is an update of sorts. Happily not an establishment update, as nothing much has changed in that department during the six decades it’s been in operation, making a mere twelve months almost no time at all. Instead, it’s simply the addition of a few new images from a recent visit, along with a slight re-working of the older ones.

Entering the place is genuinely like stepping back into a different era, and the passage of time is evident everywhere, from the patched up seating and torn light shades, to the almost comically worn carpet. A truly wonderful subterranean space where the cups are heavy, the smell of smoke ever-present, and the sense of escape utterly priceless.

When putting together the previous post’s selection of Showa era shops and businesses, I was constantly reminded of the similarly dated bars and restaurants I’ve visited over the years, so this set of photographs nicely compliments the last one.

Each and every establishment was special in its own way, both in looks and ambience, but while there are a few I’ve visited several times, for regulars, they are a part of life rather than just a memorable experience. An element that makes the demise of at least six of them all the more disappointing. Little enclaves of comfort and escape, along with the decades long commitment of the owners, that means when they do inevitably disappear, way more than simply a building is lost.

That said, happily a good few remain, so for now at least they can be enjoyed to the fullest, with these photos providing merely a brief record of a much richer past.