Photographs from a small group of islands
This young Shinto priest has appeared on Tokyo Times once before, and the photograph can be seen here.
Due to the intensity of his stare, however, it was impossible to resist going through the process again, with the resultant image replicating pretty much the exact same expression and an identical pose. The only real difference being a slightly incongruous looking plaster.
Tokyo is often a heaving mass of contrasts, and Buddhist prayers in the capital’s brand filled Ginza district certainly don’t contradict that.
Very different approaches with hopefully equally dissimilar wishes.
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.
Japanese shrine maidens (miko) clearly have to eat, and it’s obviously absurd to imagine that they have lunch in austere rooms, silently eating freshly cooked rice and some boiled vegetables. Yet at the same time, simply popping into the convenience store like the masses of more conventionally dressed salaried workers, somehow seems rather incongruous.
