The tatters of Tokyo 2020
The tatters of Tokyo 2020, and Tokyo in 2020.
An urban Tokyo cowboy?
An urban cowboy expertly navigating the shadowy valleys of Tokyo’s skyscrapers perhaps? Or rather more prosaically, simply an entertainment district host with a love of hats on his way home from work?
Either way though, his intriguing and very distinctive look that day was as welcome as the similarly wonderful light.
The life and death of a traditional little Tokyo bar
Tokyo’s old and traditional little bars are genuinely wonderful places to visit and spend some quality time in. There’s the joy, the banter and perhaps more than anything, the invariably advanced age of the owner. All positives of course, but the latter in particular offers the addition of extra wisdom and life stories, plus a refreshingly carefree attitude when it comes to hygiene and even heating.
The downside, on the other hand, is that every visit could well be the very last visit. Admittedly this is arguably true of any establishment, but when the sole person in charge is in their 70s, 80s and sometimes even 90s, there’s sadly only so long they can physically sustain the workload. And so one day the shutters come down, the demolition crew arrive, or as in the case below, the bar is simply stripped bare.
Tokyo black and white eye contact?
The image itself is black and white, but the young woman’s expression is much more of a grey area.
Disappearing Tokyo places, and people
Last month, I posted a series of photos documenting the demise and pre-demolition abandonment of an old Tokyo danchi, or social housing complex. A sight that signalled the ageing nature of the buildings, as well as the generation that first moved into them.
Photos that fortunately were taken at just the right time, as the fences are now up, meaning the end of a certain era really is nigh.
