Photographs from a small group of islands
Japanese standing bars are wonderful. There’s the usual decent food and cheap booze, along with the added bonus of a really good vibe. The latter is perhaps due to their decidedly rough and ready nature, or maybe even the fairly frequent coming and going of customers, but either way, they are always very convivial. Places where it’s incredibly easy to chat, feel completely at home, and also have fun, unexpected interactions.
Some girls are bigger than others.
This is not the usual image of Tokyo. Well, not usual when compared to what is often seen in the media. And yet in many instances, it’s the kind of sight that’s actually more common.
Coffee Amikane doesn’t open very often, or indeed for very long. Just Tuesdays and Saturdays. From 7am to around 9. There are only 6 seats too. And drinks-wise, you can have coffee. That’s it. No size options. No flavours. No fancy embellishments. Just coffee. But when you are nearing 90 and still working, that’s presumably more than enough to worry about.
A lot of people like to take their children out at the weekend, but the odd individual or two opt for a giant tortoise instead. And when it comes to the reactions of complete strangers, it’s not in the least bit surprising that even the cutest of kids can’t compete with a truly colossal pet.
