The self-consciousness of an untraditional, traditional kimono, selfie?

Photographs from a small group of islands
The self-consciousness of an untraditional, traditional kimono, selfie?

Or at least a fake Louis Vuitton construction worker outfit.

With the nights drawing in and winter well on its way, what could be better than retreating to this incredibly tiny, but at the same time wonderfully cosy, little Tokyo bar?

Shibuya is well known for its youth fashion, busy crossing and bright lights. But it isn’t all kids and a bewildering kaleidoscope of colour. Look carefully and the past still exists in the present. A past that’s just as interesting too — possibly even more so.

A cliched scene for sure. Arguably almost too traditionally Japanese to be true as well. But at the same time it is, without a doubt, really quite beautiful.

For a country obsessed with rules and regulations, Japan is oddly relaxed when it comes to hygiene standards — or at least it is in regards the capital’s countless, and wonderfully comfortable, little bars and eateries. Places where cooking areas often seem as old as the septuagenarians using them, and buckets even make do as a bathrooms. And yet even those elements could arguably be deemed as minor concerns when compared to this lamp. A device that is now almost more artefact than implement.

Tokyo Times is owned and run by me, Lee Chapman, a long-term resident of Tokyo who arrived in 1998 for ‘a year or two’, and, for a myriad of reasons, stayed put.
Japan means many things to many people, but Tokyo Times is how I see it. The places. The people. The day-to-day situations. All of it shot using a Leica, a Nikon and a selection of lenses.
My photographs have appeared in the Guardian and Japan Times, plus numerous magazines and books. Should you wish to use any, or simply ask a question, you can get in touch with me here.
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