Tokyo Times

Japan’s ageing population is well documented, and there are no shortage of examples on these pages. A phenomenon that is especially noticeable in rural areas, as many younger residents are unsurprisingly moving to the cities as soon as they can.

That said, it’s increasingly common to see this population shift in Tokyo as well. Something these photos show, taken, as they were, over two days wandering a few areas of the capital with a visiting friend.

Scenes that are a world away from shopping and entertainment hubs such as Shibuya and Harajuku. Lesser seen locations where the shops are old and the owners often older. A few of these photographs in particular emphasis this point, as the lady sat outside her shop is 94 years old, and the man running the sweet shop (which he opened as a young adult) is now a staggering 96. Ages most of us can only hope of reaching, let alone still be fit enough to work.

Quite a few of these old-style Chinese restaurants have appeared on Tokyo Times over the years. Some are still going strong, whereas others have sadly succumb to the passage of time — the latter an increasingly common occurrence as these types of places flourished in the post war years, so many are now both old, and run by a similarly aged owners. Factors that are very evident when it comes to this lovely establishment.

The shop has been in business for over half a century, and the master is 82 years old. That said, he’s a young 82, and watching him at work is wonderful, as after all those years, and after cooking all those countless dishes, he very clearly still enjoys what he does. Something that on each and every visit is a genuine privilege to see and experience.

The on and off drizzle throughout the day wasn’t quite the weather I was hoping for. On the other hand, the wet roads and pavements, along with the pleasantly soft light, did make the varied colours of dated shops and urban flowers pop way more than they might have otherwise. A nice reminder, as I sometimes need one, that there’s not necessarily any bad weather when it comes to photography.

Most of my posts these days are small sets or series. They are generally a good way of trying to tell stories, as well as putting together connected themes or scenes. The latter in particular come about over time. Not really planned, but regularly photographing what genuinely appeals invariably results in photos that compliment each other.

That said, it doesn’t always work out that way, and these are some recent images taken when out on photowalks with clients, friends or long meanders alone. Urban encounters that for now at least don’t really fit with any others, so here they are as a simple document of urban Tokyo in spring.