Photographs from a small group of islands
The large, colourful mural below is something I’ve photographed before, as the artwork’s faces and frowns work especially well when combined with passing pedestrians. This previously shot photo of matching expressions is probably as good as I’ll get, but the sheer size and unusual nature of the painting makes further efforts hard to resist. So this is attempt number two, with eye-contact of sorts and the welcome addition of a colour coordinated shirt.
Despite the almost absurd number of convenience stores in Tokyo, small, independently run tobacconists are still a surprisingly common sight. That said, I’ve yet to find one that’s quite as forlorn looking as the one below. An utterly dismal attempt at appealing to passing trade that is perfectly matched by the apathetic appearance of the proprietor.
Some newspaper readers are definitely more interesting than other newspaper readers.
On the topic of news, last week my wife got a third all clear after her cancer diagnosis and treatment back in 2015. A result that, along with the obvious joy and relief, means that summer holiday flights have now been bought. So, from today, the usual 3 posts a week will be reduced to a more manageable 1 each Monday. Then, from September 3rd, the usual Monday, Wednesday and Friday updates will resume as normal.
When he was a fresh faced 29-year-old, the chef below opened his own little Chinese restaurant. Now, 52 years later, he’s still cooking behind the same counter. A staggering amount of time by any standards, and yet it’s a post he doesn’t intend to leave any time soon.
With the Tokyo Olympics now only two years away, the city is changing at an even greater pace than usual, meaning the future is increasingly bright, reflective and generally rather bland. But for now at least there are still older structures to be found, and this one in particular is in such a bad way it’s arguably more post-apocalyptic than merely crumbling.
