There’s no way to turn the clocks back, but the timeless nature of this wedding, and perhaps more importantly the complete absence of any smartphones, means it’s still possible to get a glimpse of the past. Or at the very least, a recreation of it.
A lost Japanese gambler?
Lost, or he simply lost?
Yasukuni Shrine strangeness on the anniversary of Japan’s surrender
On August 15th, the anniversary of Japan’s surrender, it’s common to see the extreme right doing their thing at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine. The same is also true for National Foundation Day on February 11th — events I’ve photographed and written briefly about before. A few favourites being this uniform-clad old man last summer, a large gathering of like-minded extremists a few years ago, and further back still, some atmospheric scenes in the snow.
So, due to them being so oddly fascinating, I did the same again on Monday. Just as they did what they usually do too.
But that’s not the whole story of course. There were many thousands of ordinary people, very ordinarily paying their respects. Plus, it has to be said, a very select few doing something that one really wouldn’t call typical at all.
Tokyo no smoking, smoking area?
Smoking is still comparatively common in Japan, but it’s probably fair to say that the days of it being a smokers’ paradise are pretty much over. That said, the gradual transition is clearly still a complicated one.
An old Tokyo karaoke bar and its energetic owner
During the daytime it’s hard to know whether this little bar is a going concern or not; its different signs and decidedly rundown appearance making it seem arguably more defunct than actually functioning. But come 9 o’clock, the lights flicker on, the five or so seats are set ready, and the karaoke machine is ceremoniously fired up.
And fired up is what the owner is as well. His father started the business half a century ago, and as the exterior suggests, its initial focus has changed somewhat, with chicken on a stick making way for chitchat and a singsong. But 10 years ago the current master-san took over, ending a full career as a businessman to start a new one behind the bar. One he was clearly made for too, as despite being 70, he shows no signs of slowing down — or indeed even sitting down.
