A selection of my favourite photographs from 2021
With 2021 now lurching towards its socially restricted end, it’s time once again to share my favourite photos from the last 12 months.
2021 hasn’t been a good year for many people, and personally it’s one that changed life forever. The tragic loss of my wife Akiko in the summer is still something that feels unreal at times. I miss her enormously, and the daily reminders and memories remain far more upsetting than comforting. A period made just about bearable with the help and support of friends and family. My family, I should add, as Akiko’s family turned on me pretty much the moment she died, swiftly putting into place their plan to steal my home and every last bit of money they could lay their hands on. A plan, looking back, that was clearly hatched the moment we knew Akiko’s time was very limited. The promises they made to her as she lay dying and the lovely things they said to me in front of Akiko were all designed to convince her, and indeed me, that they would carry out her final wishes.
The fog of grief and the stress of dealing with paperwork in my non-native language meant it wasn’t until they fully showed their hand that I knew what was afoot, so I now have legal representation. When the outcome gets clearer, I’ll cover all this in detail, but basically there have been lies, slander, and racial slurs aplenty. So much of it is racially motivated. Despite almost 19 years of happy marriage, I am nothing but a foreign parasite. The actual words they used.
It’s this aspect more than anything that makes me want to write something proper and in-depth about this whole sorry affair. Yes, it‘ll be cathartic, like typing this out now, but more than anything it may help others avoid a similar fate. It doesn’t get a huge amount of coverage, but discrimination is very real in Japan, and it remains an ever-present problem. The fact that it’s generally not overt doesn’t make it any less damaging either, as while Akiko’s parents are just two individuals, my attempts to fight back have been hindered every step of the way by Japanese officialdom. A realisation that has been a wake up call for me, and something that can hopefully be a warning to others.
So yeah, a tough year to say the least, but I do have wonderful friends, a loving family, and of course photography. The latter, just like every year, has helped and provided some much needed joy. Just being out with a camera is hugely beneficial, as along with getting me out of the house, it’s also the best way to lose myself and just be in the moment. Something that has obviously been more important than ever these past 12 months.
Below then are the photos. I’ve done more sets this year, which is something I hope to continue, so quite a few of the images work much better as part of a larger series. With that in mind, I’ve also included links to the original posts.
Like every year, they aren’t in any particular order, just how I think they work best. Also, some of them are included because of memories I have attached to them, or simply the moment I pressed the shutter.
Photos that wrap up Tokyo Times for the year, with normal posts resuming on January 4th. So until then, take good care of yourself, take similarly good care of the people you love, and whatever you do, don’t forget to let them know now and again what they mean to you.
Sanya, a window into a very different Tokyo world
A Tokyo story we will likely never ever know
A dated Tokyo laundrette and its old-style scissor gates
An old school Tokyo booze shop with Super Cub delivery
Ancient Tokyo gun squads, train tracks and traffic lights
Tokyo’s past, present and retro future?
Tokyo Skytree surrounded by rainy season clouds
The silence and decay of an abandoned Japanese mountain village
The distinct personalities of old and disused Japanese vending machines
A concrete and fantastically old school push-button phone slide
A large retro robot in a small Tokyo park
The life cycle of an old Tokyo house and its elderly owner
Gloriously faded and sometimes overgrown old Tokyo shopfronts
Sights and sounds from a dystopian Japanese drinking alley
Looking in and out of an abandoned Japanese mountain complex
An old and local Tokyo tofu shop
This shop has long been a favourite of mine. Sadly its stunning old sign — which I’ve included at the end — got destroyed in a typhoon several years ago, but even without it remains a truly wonderful looking little place.
A fella who lives opposite once told me it has been in business for 100 years or so and supplies some top-class restaurants. While feeding the wealthy, however, it’s still very much a local shop, and the woman in the photos came out of a house a few doors down. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no selection was necessary — they just chatted about the weather while he put her usual order in the Tupperware container she’d taken with her. An admittedly run-of-the-mill, everyday occurrence, but at the same time one that was lovely to see and somehow quite reassuring.
An unconscious but still socially conscious Tokyo drunk
Somewhat inexplicably, this young fella decided to take off his belt before drunkenly falling asleep. Yet despite what was clearly a very long Friday night and Saturday morning, he did maintain the necessary social awareness to keep his immaculately white mask perfectly positioned.
The end of the road for a lovely old Tokyo bar
Japan’s many old school bars run by similarly aged owners are always a pleasure to spend time in. The trouble is, what makes them so special also means there’s the very obvious element of the clock ticking ever louder down to those final last orders. Of course some do carry on for a truly incredible number of years, but ultimately time can never be defeated. All of which rather sadly brings me to the little drinking spot below.
In business for over 50 years, and the owner well into her 80s, it’s amazing it kept going for as long as it did. Originally a ramen shop, the mama-san at some point made the sensible decision to switch to a simpler menu of yakitori and beer, then in the last few years, more or less just beer. Now, however, it’s simply closed.
After the enforced break due to Tokyo’s pandemic-related state of emergency, it’s entirely possible she thoroughly enjoyed the time off and decided to retire. That’s what I hope is the case anyway, as a bit of rest and relaxation is the very least she deserves. Yet whatever the reason, the memories of visits remain as full of warmth as the welcome always was.
