Photographs from a small group of islands
Most of the standard images of Japan are packed, bustling streets, with even busier trains. They are true representations too. At least in regards Tokyo and the country’s other big cities. But escape the concrete metropolises and it’s a very different scene altogether. One made all the more extreme by the ongoing movement away from rural areas, and the rapid ageing of Japan’s population.
Creating places that are quiet.
Often bleak.
And sometimes really quite lonely.
In Tokyo, just like everywhere else in the world, there’s little that beats the simple pleasure of some good food with friends or family. A feeling that is clearly reflected here.
For someone who is just about capable of wearing similar socks, this fella’s impeccably matched and colour coordinated outfit was nothing short of a meticulously planned marvel.
Or if not the oldest, then perhaps the most old-fashioned?
People pouring buckets of ice water over themselves for charity may well be a thing at the moment, but at the Fukagawa Hachiman Matsuri in Tokyo, they have been doing something very similar for much, much longer. A simple bit of festival fun that many look forward to. Even getting all dressed up just to get a good soaking.
And as such, it’s enjoyed by people of all ages, although sulking little lads are sometimes an exception.
