Portraits from a traditional Shinjuku festival

Shinjuku is a wonderful place for surprises. It has also provided me with two of my most complete sets of photos — the area in general and a few of its dingy alleyways. Time, persistence, and perhaps most of all, the city’s ability to regularly produce unique photo opportunities allowing me to gradually piece those series together.

On a recent visit, however, I was fortunate enough to witness an unexpected event of a much more traditional nature. A festival. One both in and outside a shrine. So these then are some of the people I saw.