The shadows may well be closing in, but Kitamoto-san is clearly having none of it and stoically soldiering on.
Chased by shadows?
Photography
Tokyo graffiti: Chimps with guns, others wearing crowns, and the female form
Tokyo is generally depicted as a very clean, orderly city, and in many ways it is. In fact even when there’s apparent chaos, it’s invariably of the organised variety. Cleanliness-wise, however, it’s a decidedly mixed bag, and perhaps surprisingly there’s also a fair bit of graffiti and (really quite good) urban art about, particularly in certain parts of the city. Like this narrow stairwell in Shibuya, where there are depictions of chimpanzees brandishing guns.
Others wearing crowns.
Elevator girls of the distinctly non-traditional variety.
And figures exposing the female form.
Abenomics, the falling value of the yen, and fallen yen
Abenomics is now a buzzword both in Japan and abroad, with the current, Shinzo Abe led government, creating a huge stir with its unusually bold economic policies. Understandably the verdict is still out on whether this new approach will be successful or not, but Japan’s message for the G20 that ‘Abenomics is good for all‘ managed to escape criticism, and the rapidly weakening yen is there for all to see.
For many, however, such speculation remains of little concern. Likewise the falling value of the yen. As fallen yen are a much greater necessity.
Buddhist prayers under Tokyo train tracks
Buddhist monks praying and accepting donations aren’t uncommon sights on Tokyo’s streets. Men who, along with their commendable dedication, offer an interesting contrast to the fashion and modernity that mostly surrounds them. But by all accounts, not all of them are genuine, with the general consensus being that some are merely masquerading as monks to make some money.
This fella, however, would appear to be the real deal, as he has been praying under the tracks near Tokyo’s Ueno Station for years. A fascinatingly still and silent presence in a city that is anything but.
Squalid. Seedy. Simply wonderful, Shinjuku
Particularly during the day, when the distracting neon is dimmed, the dirty and not in the least glamorous underbelly of Shinjuku is there for all to see. The squalor. Sleazy touts. Its truly dizzying array of adult-related shops. And yet without them, Shinjuku would more than likely just be another drearily homogenised district, rather than the truly fascinating city it actually is.
