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Feb 16 2010 27 Comments

Kissing at Shibuya crossing

As public shows of affection are particularly frowned upon in Japan, even furtive or otherwise signs of fondness are few and far between; however, that’s not to say they never happen of course, and boldly straying way beyond the accepted limit of hand holding, this young couple courageously opted for a carefree canoodle at Shibuya crossing — possibly the most public place on the planet.

kissing at shibuya crossing

Categorized: Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danni says

    2/16/2010 at 2:35 pm

    Wow! Beautiful shot!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/16/2010 at 4:46 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  2. locohama says

    2/16/2010 at 2:36 pm

    Beautiful Pic! That’s one hell of a shot…up there with that sailor and woman at Times Square after WWII or was it before?
    Anyway, wonderful!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/16/2010 at 4:47 pm

      Thank you very much. That’s very high praise indeed!

      Reply
  3. Aneta says

    2/16/2010 at 2:37 pm

    Hey Lee!
    I’ve been a follower of your website for a long time, but I hardly ever have time to comment!
    I rarely find pictures of teenagers kissing or whatnot appealing to look at, but this was just too cute.
    And before I even read the description, I was like, “They must be really brave to do that in Japan!” and I was right!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/16/2010 at 4:48 pm

      Thank you! Yeah, it was a very lucky find. And very bold of them too.

      Reply
  4. Katie says

    2/16/2010 at 5:19 pm

    You are an ace at the candid shots, in Japan of all places! You could never stage these things and get such good results – excellent work as always 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/16/2010 at 7:27 pm

      Thanks Katie! Must admit, I was especially pleased with the way this one came out.

      Reply
  5. Hummy says

    2/16/2010 at 8:51 pm

    That’s very sweet indeed.

    Reply
  6. himawari says

    2/16/2010 at 11:09 pm

    I’m from the US, and seeing these kind of PDAs all the time there annoyed me, but I love it when I see it in Japan. Japan needs more of it.

    Reply
  7. Dave says

    2/16/2010 at 11:39 pm

    I read (look at?) your blog regularly. I never comment, but something about this photo is above and beyond your usual (great) work…that’s definite subjective, but wow, you really captured something here with how much expressiveness they are showing, even with neither of their faces visible. Something else. Lovely photo.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/17/2010 at 12:06 pm

      Thanks for taking the time to post a comment Dave, and especially so for the kind words. Much appreciated.

      Reply
  8. Lizzy says

    2/17/2010 at 1:27 am

    Fantastic shot! Being black & white, I think, adds an even more romantic touch. I agree with locohama. That is exactly what I thought when I saw this.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/17/2010 at 12:07 pm

      Thanks Lizzy! Yes, I shot it in colour, but in black and white it has much more impact.

      Reply
  9. Sara Mari says

    2/17/2010 at 1:15 pm

    I love this photo, it makes me all happy and hopeful. Your timing was great, their hands are just in the perfect places. Thanks so much for sharing this photo! It makes me want a bf who will kiss me in public haha!

    Reply
  10. Tom says

    2/17/2010 at 5:36 pm

    Aha, major props to them! And thanks for sharing~

    Reply
  11. trishamaria says

    2/18/2010 at 2:31 am

    what a beautiful picture. it warms me and gives me hope. really made me smile. thats quite the daring display and how encouraging it is to see in the face of order and standard behavior. id say more relative than the sailor picture indeed. more people can identify with this one.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      2/18/2010 at 12:17 pm

      Thanks trishamaria! Happy to hear it made you smile.

      Reply
  12. SnowGuy says

    2/18/2010 at 3:06 am

    i always see pda back here in canada, its normal and usually doesn’t make too much significance for me, but seeing this image and understanding the context makes me admire this couple. some people just kiss for the sake of kissing, but these two decided to break the norm and show their feelings for one another.

    Reply
  13. The Envoy says

    2/19/2010 at 10:59 am

    A beautiful moment immortalized in time, a kiss as fiery as it is impermanent.

    Reply
  14. Eric says

    2/19/2010 at 4:44 pm

    She clearly deserves a canoodle. love that skirt…

    Reply
  15. James says

    2/20/2010 at 11:51 pm

    Nobody mention that it’s his wife? Check the reflection of his ring. Nice nice catch.

    Reply
    • Aneta says

      2/23/2010 at 7:45 am

      I thought it was the left hand if you’re married?

      Reply
  16. Dani says

    2/23/2010 at 6:10 am

    Nice job, it’s a cute shot! In America you’ll often hear shouts of “PDA!” or “Get a room!” but for the most part acting couple-y is accepted or sometimes even smiled upon. It’s really interesting that it’s so taboo in Japan, next time aim for a pic of the crowd’s faces! haha

    Reply
  17. stuart says

    11/11/2011 at 8:17 pm

    ha ha iv kissed there

    Reply

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