Food and Drink

This wonderful old Tokyo street corner with its dated Chinese restaurant and appliance store is interesting in itself, but the added elements of local life over a brief, 5 minute period, lifted it way beyond that, providing a nice bit of context to those lovely retro looks.

The restaurant has been in operation for 60 years, and the owner, after watering all his plants, was intent on showing us what was left of his once large knife after all those decades of daily use. It turns out the old rotary phone outside is still in operation too, although sadly it never rang. Another local eatery owner did, however, provide an unexpected cameo, making what was already a great little encounter all the more memorable.

Last month I posted some east Tokyo night scenes. Quiet and peaceful little vignettes that are a world away from the busy streets and much brighter lights of Shinjuku and the city’s other entertainment hubs.

This short series then is similarly tranquil. The only change is it focuses on a different neighbourhood’s dated shops and their enticing lights rather than the area in general. A gentle walk on a mild early winter evening that turned out to be way more pleasing on the eyes than expected.

Old, small and decidedly less than meticulously cleaned Tokyo bars have featured on these pages before, but arguably none look quite as grubby as this one. With the wear, tear and grime of all its 30 years on display, it was packed full of details despite its almost cupboard-like dimensions.

Elements that were added to by the endearingly shy demeanour of the owner. A man who has run the little place on his own for the entirety of those 3 decades, and when not serving drinks or grilling food, he simply sits and reads or listens to his retro portable radio.

All of which really did make it a bar like no other.

Back in the summer I posted a series of photos from Tsuruhashi, Osaka’s Korea town — a truly fascinating place in regards both its looks and history. So on a recent return to Japan’s second city, another wander round the area’s unique, often labyrinth-like market was a must. A visit made all the more interesting this time with more knowledge about what works photographically, as well as the sight of a few, already quite familiar faces.

Old and broken vending machines have featured on these pages before. There’s just something so incredibly appealing about them with their retro looks and quiet dignity — standing, as they still do, despite destined to never dispense again.

As such, it was the beautifully coloured Sapporo beer machine that caught my eye, but then the shop itself seemed to have a similar kind of feel. Lovely to look at still, but long since closed, it too stands empty and quiet.

Japan may well have loads of fancy, well stocked department stores, but thankfully it also boasts a huge number of fabulously dated old businesses to balance things out a bit. So many in fact that the photos below were all taken very recently.

That said, the sad truth is that the vast majority will only last as long as those who own them, but for now for at least these shops are there to be seen and enjoyed, as we will likely never see their kind again.