Photographs from a small group of islands
Japanese fertility festivals aren’t necessarily for the faint of heart, but what they definitely are is fun; good-natured bawdiness that remarkably never seems to slip into sleaziness.
What these events also do is effortlessly mix the traditional, with the not so traditional, such as the standard happi coat and a rather less conventional penis costume. A contrast that is clear to see, although what kind of conversations it conjures up is pure — and possibly puerile — conjecture.
It’s not all that unusual for farmers to fashion scarecrows from mannequin heads and a few old clothes — a look that can be both surprisingly convincing as well as suitably scary.
Others, however, are either not so creative or simply can’t be bothered, and instead just make do by shoving a head on a stick.
It may well have only been the Tokyo Bay area, but vast expanses of water definitely make the mind wander.
Sometimes maybe even wandering as far as a little wistfulness.
Despite Japan’s obsession with conformity, when it comes to fashion, there are a good number of people who defiantly have nothing to do with such deference. Bold individuals who, whether one likes what they wear or not, brighten up the day with their creativity, or even courage.
Like this young lady for example, unconventionally combining East and West to construct her own, very distinct look.
When walking round Tokyo’s entertainment districts, or struggling once again to get on a horribly packed train, it’s hard to imagine that the country’s population is getting smaller. Yet shrinking it most certainly is, with fewer kids and more old people tipping the country towards a worrying imbalance.
A demographic shift that could well result in more scenes like this — one that offers us a look back into the past, as well as forward into an uncertain future.
