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Aug 17 2021 18 Comments

Gloriously faded and sometimes overgrown old Tokyo shopfronts

On my Instagram account, the majority of photos are of faded and dilapidated old shopfronts — images that are taken on my phone and shot exclusively in square format. Part of the reason for this is that creatively, a different aspect ratio forces me to adopt a slightly different approach, plus on a purely practical level, the wider lens on the phone means I can still get shots when the situation requires something other than my favoured 35mm.

When space allows, however, many buildings work better in standard landscape, and for me at least, the vast majority of photos work better still if there’s a person involved. So here then are some such scenes — all of which were shot in Tokyo, with a Leica, over the last couple of months.

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

faded and dilapidated old tokyo shopfronts

Categorized: Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Richard says

    8/17/2021 at 8:39 am

    What a great montage. It feels like I am back in the 1970’s with many of these. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      8/17/2021 at 6:32 pm

      Cheers! Definitely a few that seem to be from around that time. It’d be great to know how old some of them are. The fifth one is still a going concern, so I’ll have to ask when I see the owner.

      Reply
  2. Sean says

    8/17/2021 at 11:05 am

    Awesome series. I really enjoyed looking at these! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      8/17/2021 at 6:34 pm

      Thanks a lot. It was good fun getting the photos. Always nice when a well matched person walks past.

      Reply
  3. Paul Diamond says

    8/17/2021 at 12:39 pm

    As always, so evocative. I work so hard to find these neighborhoods on my trips, and you do it with such seeming ease… (I know it’s not easy)

    Reply
    • Lee says

      8/17/2021 at 6:40 pm

      Cheers. That’s very good to hear. Time is the real benefit. Living here allows me the opportunity to explore without a limited set of days, or a need to pack in visits to other places as well. Definitely a huge plus for finding new and different places.

      Reply
  4. Matthias says

    8/17/2021 at 5:20 pm

    Hidden treasures — in every picture. I just keep zooming in on all the details. (What might that old rusty motor-thing with ropes in front of the cleaning shop be sitting there for…?)

    Reply
    • Lee says

      8/17/2021 at 6:43 pm

      The little details here, there and everywhere are great, aren’t they? One of the many reasons these old buildings are so fascinating. But that’s a very good question. I honestly have no idea. Hard to imagine what on earth that could be for…

      Reply
      • Matthias says

        8/17/2021 at 7:15 pm

        Maybe it is a generator in case of power cuts… but that’s just a guess.

        Reply
        • Lee says

          8/17/2021 at 8:21 pm

          It could be, and certainly a better idea than anything I’ve come up with.

          Reply
  5. cdilla says

    8/17/2021 at 11:03 pm

    A wonderful collection. So much detail. So much to get lost in.
    The “generator” Matthias highlighted has moved a couple of times in the past dozen years, but only to the edge of the curb at the end of 2014ish and then back again some time in the last year or so. It’s certainly solid looking. Maybe it just holds down that corner of the shop in high winds. It doesn’t look very well attached at that end.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      8/18/2021 at 7:49 am

      Cheers. These old shops really are hard to beat. And talking of those details, interesting that the generator thing has actually moved over the years — I really should remember to check the passage of time on on streetview more often. It certainly does add to the mystery. A closer look is definitely called for next time I pass.

      Reply
  6. Renita says

    8/18/2021 at 11:02 pm

    As all above have said, great group of photos. I think the last on could also go in the “Short Shorts” group. Thank you for your intrepid
    photography ventures. Stay well.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      8/19/2021 at 11:08 am

      Thanks a lot, and you are very welcome. They are definitely buildings I enjoyed seeing and photographing. And yes, he really could. Not at all the kind of fashion I expected to see in that part of town.

      Reply
  7. Linda says

    8/18/2021 at 11:15 pm

    I want to nominate the one with the guy in the yellow hat and black mask for the Tokyo Times Color Coordinated Hall of Fame, please 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      8/19/2021 at 11:11 am

      You definitely can, and he’s possibly straight in at number one too. It didn’t even register at first how amazingly well coordinated he was, as someone had just whizzed past on a bike, but then when I spotted the hat I knew it was a bit special.

      Reply
  8. Kim says

    8/30/2021 at 2:15 pm

    As always, brilliant shots.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      8/31/2021 at 9:06 pm

      Thanks a lot. Definitely a set I’m happy with. See if I can add some more now.

      Reply

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