Tokyo Times

The clamshell phone and cigarette weren’t a surprise. The close proximity of a foreigner with a camera on the other hand, most certainly was.

After finally escaping the huge urban sprawl that is Tokyo and its surrounding areas, the rural landscape one is greeted with really isn’t much prettier. Ramshackle, corrugated homes dot the horizon, and more populated areas are a mass of gaudy pachinko parlours and big box stores. Even the ever-present rice fields aren’t appealing, at least around this time of year, as they merely form a nondescript patchwork of brown, lifeless squares.

But that said, life is lived a lot slower, and day-to-day living seems far less stressful. Plus the people are, without a doubt, much more friendly.

Tokyo is a city full of contrasts, and its architecture is no different. The old and new, ramshackle and resilient — all vying for what little space there is left.

Winter in Tokyo can obviously be quite cold, and as this year proved, a considerable amount of snow is also possible. But, such unusually inclement weather aside, the days are generally nice and bright — the sun and blue skies making the cold much more bearable. In fact not just bearable, but an absolute boon when it comes to photography.