Tokyo Times

Jan 27 2026 10 Comments

Now and then photos of Japan’s abandoned Western Village

Western Village first opened in the early 1970s. It was originally quite a modest affair known as Kinugawa Family Ranch, but its Wild West theme caught the public’s attention, and it gradually expanded, which also meant a new name. However, despite that early success, changing times resulted in similarly changing fortunes, and in 2006 it closed, leaving the buildings, and in particular the animatronic figures, to slowly succumb to time, nature, and more than a little vandalism.

I first visited in 2017, with half of these photos taken back then, but finding myself in the area just recently, it was impossible to resist another look. Perhaps unsurprisingly, more damage has been meted out to the increasingly sinister residents, with John Wayne in particular looking very worse for wear. Or at least that’s who I assume the cowboy is supposed to be. His dark and empty eye sockets proving especially unsettling.

Far more disappointing was to find the buildings all boarded up, meaning photos of their inhabitants had to be taken through the windows, although in some ways that made them more atmospheric. Plus the whole area is still watched over by the hugely incongruous Mount Rushmore recreation. A sight that one definitely does not expect to see by the side of an otherwise nondescript Japanese road.

Jan 20 2026 10 Comments

Abandoned scenes north of Tokyo

On a recent trip a few hours north of Tokyo, we saw a whole host of faded scenes — places where time, neglect and the climate had taken their toll. There were also plenty of abandoned buildings to be seen as well. Hotels in particular, of both the conventional and love variety, plus several homes.

These then are photographs of some of the interiors we saw. Sights that in so many of Japan’s small towns and settlements are increasingly the norm. A decline that will only become more visible as the population gets smaller, and those young enough continue to make their wholly understandable exodus to the country’s major hubs and cities. All of which make such locations a fascinating mix of the past, present and future.

Jan 13 2026 4 Comments

The end of an old Tokyo sushi shop

This sushi restaurant had been closed for a long time. The lady’s husband sadly died, so the business went that way as well. However, like many old and traditional places, it also doubled as a home, so she continued to live there.

Well, until recently that is, as when passing by last week, I found the building and those to the left of it emptied out and scheduled for demolition. An all too inevitable end it has to be said, but hopefully not for the lady, who fingers crossed is now living somewhere that is a lot comfier, even if it likely doesn’t have the same kind of character.

Jan 06 2026 6 Comments

Faded and abandoned scenes a few hours north of Tokyo

Before Christmas, my good friend Giovanni and I went on a trip a few hours north of Tokyo — the main aim of our days away being to check out some potential locations, as well as work out the logistics of an autumn workshop we have planned. A nicely varied 8-day adventure that’ll involve street photography, seasonal scenes, and the intriguing decay of old Japanese towns.

Below then is some of what what we saw. A mixture of things we wanted to see, along with plenty of nicely unexpected surprises.

Also, talking of workshops, a last minute cancellation has opened up one spot on the Winter Scenery and Old School Streets trip Giovanni and are running in February, so if that sounds of interest, the details are here.

Dec 23 2025 19 Comments

A selection of my favourite photo series from 2025

With another year almost done and dusted, it’s time once again to choose my favourite photos from the last 12 months. Or perhaps more accurately, favourite photo series, as for a good while now I’ve preferred to put together sets of images. The idea being that such an approach is better suited to telling stories, along with documenting everyday life and locations.

On a more personal level, 2025 has happily been a busy one. My Tokyo Photowalk business continues to do well, with Osaka now very much a part of that as well. Doing the walks for so many years now means it’s also been really nice to welcome back customers for second, third or fourth outings. A lovely, unexpected extra that makes such work all the more rewarding.

This year also marked the start of my newsletter. It’s here if you are interested. Something I’d wanted to try for ages, and now it’s been up and running for a good few months, I’m happy I did. A medium that allows me to write about things and photos slightly differently.

In the 2024 round-up I mentioned a project I’d been working on that was expected to see the light of day in spring 2025. Well, it didn’t. Thankfully though it was just a delay, and it (a book I’m pleased to say) should be out by April or May next year. There’ll be a Tokyo street photography book I’m a part of released in the first half of the year as well. Plus on top of that my good friend Giovanni and I are doing an 8-day, Japanese old school streets and winter scenery workshop in February, with hopefully an autumn one coming soon. So lots to look forward to and be grateful for in 2026.

That, however, is the future. For now, these are the photo series I liked the most over the last 12 months. As always, some are simply down to the resultant images, whereas others are more due to the attachment I have to them, along with several that are a mixture of both. There’s no particular order. Just how I felt they worked best. I’ve also added links to the original posts and full series of photos, as only some from each set are included here.

All of which pretty much wraps up Tokyo Times for the year. Regular Tuesday updates will resume again on January 6th, so until then, enjoy the holidays and be sure to appreciate the people you spend them with.