With its mix of the modern and traditional, Tokyo really is a city of contrasts — startling ones sometimes. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the capital’s buildings, along with the businesses that inhabit them. Yes, the big name brands occupy plush boutiques and state-of-the-art structures, but for every one of them, there are several mom-and-pop shops down a side street offering all kinds of stuff or services.
These generally tiny places come in all sorts of (often ramshackle) shapes, but arguably the most interesting are the ones that still maintain the traditional home-cum-store setup.
A sliding door, curtain or simply nothing separating the shop from the sitting room — offering a fascinating look into both a person’s livelihood and life.
An aspect of the buildings that while interesting architecturally, is still nowhere near as intriguing as the people who actually live and work in them.