• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

  • Photowalks
  • Book and Prints
  • Newsletter
  • Portfolio
  • About/Contact
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • RSS

Sep 28 2009 6 Comments

Japanese workers working #19

Exactly how many years this little old lady has been plying her trade is a mystery, although feasibly it’s for longer than the salary man whose shoes she’s servicing has actually been salaried.

Tokyo shoeshine

Categorized: Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. KT says

    9/28/2009 at 5:16 pm

    That’s probably the most depressing image I’ve seen in awhile.

    Reply
  2. amantra_c says

    9/28/2009 at 5:18 pm

    Poor woman. Her hands look so damaged……………

    Reply
  3. adam says

    9/30/2009 at 4:58 am

    i really hope she is smiling under there like our young friend who sells jewlery and trinketts

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/30/2009 at 12:17 pm

      Unfortunately not Adam…

      Reply
  4. Rob says

    10/2/2009 at 4:51 am

    I would feel ashamed to have someone else shine my shoes. (Granted, it’s a living, I guess).

    Reply
  5. Duckhams says

    10/6/2009 at 10:22 am

    That image looks so sad.
    But it’s a tough life, you need to work to eat. Though everyone would see she’s working hard to work for money rather than begging.

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

Copyright © 2025 · Tokyo Times