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Sep 26 2023 12 Comments

The ordinary charm of old Japanese shops at night

There are plenty of photos featuring old shops and the like on these pages. Buildings that all have a sort of ordinary charm, although very few of them were taken late in the day with the lights on, and as they tend to look quite different in the dark, here is a small selection of evening shots. The second and last ones were photographed very recently, with the others taken over the previous year or so, but each and every one has a beauty all its own.

old Japanese shops at night

old Japanese shops at night

old Japanese shops at night

old Japanese shops at night

old Japanese shops at night

old Japanese shops at night

old Japanese shops at night

old Japanese shops at night

old Japanese shops at night

old Japanese shops at night

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Don Campbell says

    9/26/2023 at 1:39 pm

    Love the evening/night shots, and hazy faint light at dusk. These definitely have charm, photos stop time and the shops become characters unto themselves. Thank you for sharing this journey.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/27/2023 at 9:46 am

      You are welcome and thank you very much. I totally agree too, they really are special places.

      Reply
  2. Richard says

    9/26/2023 at 8:59 pm

    These take me back to the early 1970’s when I lived in Tokyo. The ones with the awnings are my favorites. THANKS!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/27/2023 at 9:48 am

      My pleasure as always. Definitely see why they take you back. Not many changes at all over the years.

      Reply
  3. Joris says

    9/26/2023 at 9:45 pm

    These photos are lovely. So lovely, in fact, that they could use some more in the way of description. Where were they taken, when, and most importantly, by whom?

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/27/2023 at 9:49 am

      Thanks a lot. Mostly Tokyo over the last year or so, and all taken by me.

      Reply
  4. Sean says

    9/27/2023 at 12:35 pm

    I love the vibe and colors of these. So cool! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/28/2023 at 10:16 am

      Thank you very much. There’s definitely a different atmosphere to them at night.

      Reply
  5. cdilla says

    9/27/2023 at 4:45 pm

    Each place is like a vivid jewel when seen from outside in the dark and you capture that so well.
    That wonderful old time music store was familiar, the shot I have from when you showed it to us also includes the bike the cone and the guy in his yellow t-shirt – just during the day with the trilby (and other hats) shop next door open and on full display.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/28/2023 at 10:20 am

      Thanks a lot. They really do have a different quality after dark.

      Ah yes, forgot we went past there. That shop is very special. So distinctive looking, and very much a labour of love in more ways than one.

      Reply
  6. Once a Japan expat says

    9/28/2023 at 10:48 pm

    Love the shop name of the first photo!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/29/2023 at 8:34 am

      Yeah, a lovely little added extra!

      Reply

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