A children’s playground in ageing Japan
Outside Japan’s main cities and popular tourist destinations, the country’s well documented low birth rate and rapidly ageing population are there for all to see. In Tokyo, on the other hand, these changes are often only recognisable in one or two older areas, and even then it can depend on the time, or indeed the day of the week.
When they are noticeable, however, it’s sometimes possible to encounter these societal shifts in a single scene. A moment that is suggestive of the past, but very likely says a lot more about the future.
An old school Tokyo train traveller
No face mask or ubiquitous smartphone for this old fella. Instead, it was just pinstripes, a trilby and total indifference.
Tokyo kitchen confidential
Behind the scenes, or at least the back door, of a busy Tokyo kitchen.
The future in Tokyo is bright?
The answer to the question above, of course, depends on who you ask. Quite possibly when they are asked too. But on a sunny and mild winters day, this young couple’s response, I guess, would have been a clear and confident, yes.
