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Sep 23 2016 12 Comments

Tokyo: An uphill struggle?

an uphill tokyo struggle

Categorized: Photography

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda says

    9/23/2016 at 10:19 am

    Oh man, this is the picture in the dictionary next to the word “sad.” It’s not just the guy that does it, it’s the buildings that couldn’t be sadder and the ugly graffiti right there like it’s in the spotlight and the potted plants that I can’t decide if they are a touch of life or if that just makes it even sadder still. I’m trying to concentrate on the artistry of how you got him right in the sunny spot, just to keep from total despair.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/23/2016 at 5:07 pm

      It’s not the jolliest of shots, is it? It’s a very poor area, as the background suggests. But on a possibly more positive note, the fella in the frame didn’t seem to be so badly off, and not being that old, he may have been on the road to recovery. Certainly hope so anyway.

      Getting him in the light was easy to be honest. I saw him heading my way so just slowed my pace down so I could get him in the right spot. And fortunately nobody else entered the frame when I pressed the shutter.

      Reply
  2. John says

    9/23/2016 at 10:30 am

    Ya, he heard that there was a rare Pokemon spotted in Odaiba so off he goes…

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/23/2016 at 5:09 pm

      I’ve heard of the game getting all kinds of people up and out of the house, so maybe…

      Reply
  3. Ron says

    9/23/2016 at 10:37 am

    Yeah, I agree with Linda. This is sad, sad, sad. Of all the pictures of despair you have taken, this one probably tops them all.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/23/2016 at 5:19 pm

      That’s very interesting to hear. Considering the area, and how comparatively clean and well turned out the fella is, I saw it in a slightly more positive light. Whether through injury or illness he struggles to walk, but yet that still doesn’t stop him getting out and about. The struggle of doing that, however, is there for all to see. So yeah, even with a slightly different take, it’s still not exactly a pleasant image…

      Reply
  4. Al says

    9/23/2016 at 3:47 pm

    I completely agree with the guys above. Soooo sad…….. 🙁

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/23/2016 at 5:21 pm

      Definitely not the happiest photo I’ve taken…

      Reply
  5. cdilla says

    9/23/2016 at 6:16 pm

    I knew I recognised that location. I had to track back to Mar 18th to find it (https://www.tokyotimes.org/old-faded-and-decrepit-tokyo/). It was a pleasant additional few minutes passing through the many memorable posts you have made along the way.

    The low sun really gives this photograph another dimension. The pot plants look to have thrived in the intervening six months.
    I think your title for this post predisposes visitors to see it as sad. I must admit I didn’t. The sun is one upbeat aspect, but when I see people in my village out and about using sticks, frames or motorized wheelchairs there seems to be an air of positivity about them; something perhaps lost in a frozen instant.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/23/2016 at 9:30 pm

      Thanks a lot. Very nice of you to say so.

      The sun definitely makes a difference. As the image proves, it was a lovely, bright and sunny day. The man’s story on the other hand, is nowhere near as obvious. Being relatively young to be using a frame, it hopefully means it’s only temporary. Which would of course suggest a far more positive outcome than the image suggests. Although if it’s not, then the story could be very different… But either way, he did have a genuine sense of purpose about him.

      Reply
  6. Marc Tobolski says

    9/27/2016 at 12:32 am

    My son & I determined years ago that no matter what, everything in Tokyo was uphill!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      9/27/2016 at 8:21 am

      I know that feeling!

      Reply

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