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Apr 18 2014 12 Comments

Timeless Tokyo?

Tokyo changes incredibly quickly — so quickly in fact it arguably doesn’t have time to appreciate what it has in the first place. Buildings go up and down at a ferocious pace. Plus trends come and go in what seems like the blink of an eye. And yet for all its attempts at modernity, along with what’s often rather dubiously dubbed ‘progress’, some spots remain mercifully unchanged.

outdoor drinks in timeless Tokyo

Categorized: Food and Drink, Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. willy says

    4/18/2014 at 11:01 am

    Great shot! The steam makes even more inviting!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/18/2014 at 6:21 pm

      Cheers!

      Yeah, that kettle is just wonderful. A fantastic touch.

      Reply
  2. Squidpuppy says

    4/18/2014 at 1:20 pm

    Very nice. This could just as well be a photo from 1968, as I remember it. Nothing betrays the period, even the young ladies’ styles fit right in – the girl in the middle being rather Twiggy / Carnaby Street.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/18/2014 at 6:23 pm

      Thanks.

      Yes, I was really pleased there was nobody on a phone in particular. And as you pointed out, fashion-wise I got really lucky too. Down jackets are a real giveaway in particular, but for once there were none to be seen.

      Reply
  3. Hans ter Horst says

    4/18/2014 at 2:41 pm

    Excellent location, you really have a nose for locations! I agree with Squidpuppy, this could easily have been taken in the 60s, very nice!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/18/2014 at 6:26 pm

      Thank you!

      Yes, a real rarity to have no modern giveaways in the shot. Very pleased with that. And this spot is a real favourite of mine. Good food. Great atmosphere. And cheap to boot. Impossible to go wrong really.

      Reply
  4. Sweatid says

    4/19/2014 at 10:32 pm

    Love this area, where you can eat the best food while meetin the most interesting people. And yes, the concrete of renewed area in Tokyo seems to me lifeless for the moment…

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/20/2014 at 11:19 am

      Yeah, places like this are hard to beat. Like you said, good food, interesting people and a great atmosphere to boot. What more could anybody want?

      Reply
  5. Nathaniel Greene says

    4/20/2014 at 5:07 am

    I like how even though its a back alley it still has that safe community feeling.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/20/2014 at 11:21 am

      Yes, very safe and friendly. Like all big cities, Tokyo has numerous faults, but the fact you can pretty much walk anywhere without having to worry at all about your safety is truly wonderful.

      Reply
  6. Bernadette Marchetti says

    4/21/2014 at 1:38 am

    Great photo! I love that it’s in black and white. There seems to be many things playing off one another, and I think the black and white enhances that. I love the juxtaposition of the cold atmosphere of being one among many in a megacity like Tokyo, but still having that place where you can sit down and enjoy the warmth of fellow patrons of a friendly hole-in-the-wall. How lucky you are to find so many of those!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      4/21/2014 at 9:09 am

      Thank you!

      It’s a wonderful little spot for sure, and like you say, a sanctuary of sorts in a big, often cold city like Tokyo.

      And yeah, I am lucky to be able to experience places like this. Definitely not to be taken for granted.

      Reply

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