Tokyo Times

An urban golfer, who as well as brushing his teeth in the street, was also studying English by mumbling simple phrases into his phone. The latter in particular adding further to his sense of shock at being photographed by a foreigner.

Japan has no shortage of beautiful places and buildings, but personally, it’s the ramshackle and forlorn that really grab my attention. Faded or dilapidated structures that hint at unknown stories, and at the same time boast a unique, unconventional beauty all their own.

This aspect of the country is something I’ve been gradually documenting on my portfolio site, here, and almost exclusively on Instagram. The same goes for the exploration of buildings that have gone beyond mere disrepair, and lapsed into abandonment. These can be found in sets on this site, or as a greatest hits of sorts, here.

A good few of the photos mentioned above, however, were taken in different parts of the country, as urban migration and Japan’s ageing population have really begun to devastate smaller towns and settlements. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t similar sights to be seen in the capital, because there are — lots of them in fact. A situation that finally brings me to the photos below.

Taken while out and about in Tokyo over the last few months, they show a very different side of this modern metropolis — one that is fascinating, but at the same time gradually disappearing.

Massive conglomerates clearly favour bright red, but far more pleasantly, so do mirth-filled octogenarians.