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Jun 18 2013 11 Comments

Public shaving on the streets of Tokyo

Old men peeing in public aren’t an especially unusual sight in Tokyo, and in many cases it’s totally understandable as, when you have to go, you sometimes really have to go.

This fella, on the other hand, didn’t desperately need to urinate. Not in the slightest.

Japanese public shaving in Tokyo

Instead, he just really wanted a shave. And an incredibly leisurely, self-indulgent shave at that.

Japanese public shaving in Tokyo

Categorized: Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Martin says

    6/18/2013 at 10:12 am

    That’s funny. Looks like he didn’t even notice you.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      6/18/2013 at 4:07 pm

      Yeah, he was utterly oblivious to my presence. A man who really enjoys a shave!

      Reply
  2. Iwao Yamamoto says

    6/18/2013 at 7:18 pm

    Not a black and white picture really makes me it’s a realistic Japanese. But this old man should not shave on the road in public I feel. Want to be a decent Japanese myself even I become older.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      6/18/2013 at 9:49 pm

      He probably feels that if women can do their make up on the train, he’s well within his rights to shave on the street!

      Reply
  3. Fabrice says

    6/19/2013 at 12:09 am

    Must be a common thing maybe in Asia, In Singapore its usual for people (mostly edely) too shave in the bus too.
    I guess that tradition has disappeared amongst the new generation.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      6/19/2013 at 7:52 am

      That’s fascinating. I’ve seen people shaving in cars, but never on a bus. Great way to save time.

      Reply
  4. Jeffrey says

    6/19/2013 at 2:08 am

    I would love to have the knees to achieve that posture.

    Reply
    • Marc Tobolski says

      6/19/2013 at 2:50 am

      Agreed! I may get there but would never be able to stand back up!

      Reply
      • Lee says

        6/19/2013 at 7:55 am

        Yeah, it always amazes me how easy it is for many Japanese to maintain this position, and also look very comfortable the whole time too.

        Reply
  5. winnie says

    6/19/2013 at 9:09 pm

    He is so pro! 🙂 Maybe he has a date later.
    He used the electric shaver is so much better than those who used coin or fingers to pluck it.
    I might not notice anyone using shaver in bus to shave but i often see elderly or sometime it young men used two coins to pluck it in the bus , train, coffee shop or anywhere.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      6/19/2013 at 11:00 pm

      Maybe. It was definitely a thorough shave!

      Thankfully I haven’t seen (or at least noticed) the plucking. Hope it stays that way too…

      Reply

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