There are more than a few series of faded towns and locations on these pages. That’s partly due to the fact that I find them so fascinating, but also because outside Japan’s cities and major hubs, so much of the country is very visibly stuck in the past. A combination of economic factors, urban migration and a rapidly ageing population.
Below then are photographs from a short trip along the coast in Shizuoka prefecture. A region not far at all from Tokyo, but despite the proximity, it sometimes felt like a very different world indeed.
YesterdaysHero says
I like the atmosphere of these and I can’t get enough of the red telephone and the hands door. Great work as always.
Lee says
Thank you very much. Always fascinating places to visit, and me too. Really happy to have found those.
Richard says
The door with the hands is amazing! Thanks
Lee says
It really is something, isn’t it? Never seen one like that before.
Steve says
Big fan of the quiet vibe. I’d love to spend time visiting towns like these.
Lee says
They really are wonderful places to walk and explore. So much to see and take in.
Linda says
OMG those hands were a creepy surprise!
Is that Bar Shalom in the one right before that?
Lee says
They are pretty special eh? One can only imagine what is on the other side…
It is. How some of these names are decided on is a real mystery.
Richard says
I wonder if the owner had been to Israel?
Lee says
It’s possible, but like so many names here, it’s more than likely picked for no other reason than they think it seems cool and interesting.
Matthias says
I bet Jocky truly is an Excellent Pub… would love to have a beer in there.
Lee says
Haha, I dare say it’d be fun evening.
john says
I like the giraffe communing with the shadow world for a sneaky nibble.
Lee says
Haha, I wasn’t sure about the shadow of the tree, but reading that made me feel a lot better about it.
Toby says
Thanks for the great photos and the frequent updates. In lived 11 years in Tokyo and did tons of photography myself, miss it but was time to go home. These photos is a great reminder of what I liked about Tokyo and Japan. Luckily we come back yearly on holiday as wife is Japanese 🙂
Keep it up!
Lee says
You are very welcome.
Yeah, places like these are always special. Like you are well aware, Japan is far from perfect just like everywhere else in the world, but stuff like this is definitely a real plus of living here.
Great that you can experience things like this on a yearly basis. A very nice balance indeed.
cdilla says
I imagine seasonal towns the world over have layers of decrepitation visible through the thin veneer of aspired comercial gloss us tourists, for the most part, wilfully ignore. But that has long been an attraction for me, though not one that benefits the towns themselves I suppose.
As you show here Japan’s “coastal towns they forgot to tear down” do have deeper and more colourful layers that I recall the likes of Skegness, Blackpool or Lowestoft do.
Viewing your collection naturally brings this to mind (https://youtu.be/d0LeL9BUPtA) and evokes a similar bone deep shiver. Another section of you gallery with a ready made soundtrack 🙂
Lee says
Yes, it’s exactly the same for me. The reason I visit such places. Not been to any of their British counterparts for a long, long time, but yes, I suspect there are quite a few differences.
Ah, most definitely the perfect soundtrack. A song I never tire of hearing. Stops me in my tracks every single time.