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Jan 27 2012 17 Comments

Traditional Tokyo in the snow

Like most cities that don’t get a lot of snow, a few centimetres of the white stuff caused all kinds of trouble in Tokyo this week. Trains were delayed. Schools closed. And the TV continually told us how terribly treacherous it was under foot.

But, in older, more traditional Tokyo, rather than chaos it instead created a comforting sense of serenity.

Tokyo snow

And an absolutely sublime silence.

Tokyo snow

Categorized: Photography, Religion

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Al says

    1/27/2012 at 8:43 am

    Did you take these in Yanaka?

    Reply
    • Lee says

      1/27/2012 at 5:46 pm

      Yes! It’s always nice and peaceful there, isn’t it? Even more so after the snow.

      Reply
  2. john says

    1/27/2012 at 10:43 am

    I imagine an interlude of ‘bike tyres on a snowy road’ followed by a tinkling of the bell before you re-enjoy the silence?
    Perhaps TV encouraged people to think safer to cycle.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      1/27/2012 at 5:48 pm

      Thankfully the old dear didn’t use her bell. I used my bike a few days after, and I must admit it was pretty hairy. Not a good idea…

      Reply
  3. David @ Ogijima says

    1/27/2012 at 11:13 am

    “rather than chaos (…) a comforting sense of serenity”

    You exactly describe why I like traditional Japan better than the modern one, snow or no snow.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      1/27/2012 at 5:49 pm

      Yes, the bright lights and busy streets have their moments, but places like Yanaka and Nezu really are lovely places to walk around.

      Reply
  4. JCDU says

    1/27/2012 at 1:02 pm

    Amazing clarity and detail in these shots! 😀
    I’d imagine that taking a stroll over there would be the most relaxing thing ever.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      1/27/2012 at 5:50 pm

      Thanks!

      Yeah, it was great. Very very peaceful.

      Reply
  5. Matt says

    1/27/2012 at 1:19 pm

    The snow seems to suit scene perfectly. Really like the shot of the broken ice.

    Reply
    • Lee says

      1/27/2012 at 5:51 pm

      Cheers Matt. I went there hoping it would be nice, and I wasn’t let down.

      Reply
  6. Ed says

    1/27/2012 at 1:43 pm

    The jitensha shot – one of your best!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      1/27/2012 at 5:52 pm

      Thanks Ed. Glad to hear you like it.

      Reply
  7. winnie says

    1/27/2012 at 4:14 pm

    To me, Snow equal to Beautiful but Dangerous.
    Brilliant shot, love the second picture!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lee says

      1/27/2012 at 5:53 pm

      Thanks! I know what you mean. It was ok on the day, but after a lot of it froze the next night it was a bit dangerous in spots.

      Reply
  8. Hans ter Horst says

    1/31/2012 at 5:11 am

    Funny, I always thought it was only the UK that came to a grinding halt at the sight of the first snowflakes. 🙂 Beautiful photos, by the way, as usual; the B&W does work so well with with this kind of scenery in the snow!

    Reply
    • Lee says

      1/31/2012 at 9:34 am

      No, the UK isn’t alone, although it wasn’t quite snowmageddon!

      Thanks! I had it in my head that black & white, in the snow , and in that area could work quite well. So it was very pleasing when it did.

      Reply
  9. Megan says

    2/9/2012 at 2:18 pm

    I love the lady on the bicycle. I wish I was with her!

    Reply

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