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May 10 2017 14 Comments

An abandoned and slowly decaying Japanese clinic

Outside the big cities, Japan’s ageing population can make some areas feel like a very different country. They are visibly older in every way. Far less hectic too. And combined with urban migration, the number of residents is noticeably dwindling. With that in mind then, it’s not surprising that abandoned structures already dot the landscape. A trend that is only going to continue, meaning buildings like the clinic below will in many ways become commonplace.

Founded in 1918, and eventually closing in the early 70s, Japanese society saw more than a little upheaval during the years it was open. Inside, however, all that feels like a very long time ago, as it’s arguably more akin to a very badly kept museum than a mere abandoned building.

abandoned old Japanese clinic

Unfortunately, those forty-odd years of neglect have really started to take their toll. Certain parts of the building have collapsed, and the flooring in general is more than a little suspect to say the least. That said, despite the damage and the general disarray, there’s still a genuine sense of what went on there — not to mention when.

Implements and the like are scattered all over the doctor’s room.

abandoned old Japanese clinic

abandoned old Japanese clinic

abandoned old Japanese clinic

And the connected pharmacy still has some stock on the shelves.

abandoned old Japanese clinic

Plus there’s a real feel of Japan in the 1960s.

abandoned old Japanese clinic

abandoned old Japanese clinic

But the chairs in the waiting room hint at something much darker than colourful calendars and a wonderfully retro TV.

abandoned old Japanese clinic

Namely an operating room that due to all the dirt and damage, is like something out of a horror film.

abandoned old Japanese clinic

A room that is now only connected with decay, rather than any kind of recovery.

abandoned old Japanese clinic

Categorized: Haikyo

May 08 2017 12 Comments

A beautifully lit outdoor bookshop

Some of the shop’s most illuminating titles?

A beautifully lit outdoor Tokyo bookshop

Categorized: Photography

May 05 2017 6 Comments

Life in a Tokyo alley

life in a tokyo alley

Categorized: Photography

May 03 2017 10 Comments

Old, crumbling and abandoned Tokyo

Due to the increasing problems of a shrinking population and urban migration, it’s not really surprising that abandoned homes, along with countless other kinds of crumbling buildings, are now common sights outside Japan’s major cities. Yet despite the capital’s continued growth, and the often prohibitive cost of land, it’s also not that unusual to see similar structures in Tokyo.

Photographed not far from the busy hubs of Ueno and Asakusa, one of these spaces was an office, the other quite possibly a house. But regardless of their former purpose, both of them were long since locked up and somewhat inexplicably left to rot.

Old crumbling and abandoned Tokyo

Categorized: Photography

May 01 2017 10 Comments

Shinto priest: A colour portrait

Recently, when putting together a set of traditional Japan images, I went back to the photograph of this intense looking Shinto priest from December 2012. A portrait that at the time seemed much better suited to black and white.

Now, however, I’m not nearly so convinced. In fact, if pushed to pick one or the other, I’d probably opt for colour.

japanese shinto priest portrait

Categorized: Culture, Photography, Religion

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