Food and Drink

A modern-day hero, felled on the 24-hour battlefield that is Shinjuku’s myriad of little bars.

Crooked and crumbling old shops and restaurants are thankfully not a rarity in Tokyo, but as wonderfully ramshackle as some of them are, the one below definitely takes some beating.

In business for 60 years or so, it’s clearly comfortable in its discolourations and the almost comedic toll those decades have taken. The mesmerising combination of which made sitting down for a leisurely lunch all the more memorable.

Of course how much longer it will last is hard to say, but for now at least it’s still there. There to marvel at of course, but more than anything, there to just simply enjoy.

Before beers were served and meat grilled, the late afternoon light allowed just enough time for a book and a baring of the midriff.

Back in the spring of 2018, I took these 3 frames of the old lady below. She initially pretended she didn’t want to be photographed, then happily slid the door open to be in full view of the camera. A brief but enjoyable moment, and one I am very happy to have captured.

Sadly, however, I never saw her again. The old, former shop is still there, as is the bicycle in exactly the same position, but the drinks machine, and much more importantly the smiles that accompanied it, have now disappeared.

It wasn’t planned at all, but these little ‘before and after’ photo sets have become a growing series of sorts, so if you want to see more of what I have taken up to now, here are the links: Bar-wise, there’s a place owned by a woman who was in her 90s, a once lively little drinking spot that’s now empty and quiet, plus a tiny karaoke joint that one day simply ceased to exist. There’s also an old tofu shop that has been knocked down to make a car park, and finally, for now at least anyway, a once full of life traditional house that’s now abandoned and falling apart.

Before opening up for lunchtime diners, the usual food preparation is required, along with several pinches of salt for purification*.

* Probably.

Recently on Tokyo Times, I’ve posted photos of character-filled old homes, bars and shops that have either been abandoned, or simply demolished. Such scenes are sad, and also sadly inevitable, especially when one considers the age of some of the owners.

That said, there are thankfully many that still survive, and the fishmongers below is happily one of them. First opening its doors for business way back in 1935, it looks absolutely fantastic, especially with the old water pump still in situ, and still in use. So when walking by last week, I couldn’t resist another shot of the owner working away. A photo that turned out to be remarkably similar to the one I took almost 2 1/2 years ago. And all being well, there’ll be a further shot in another few years.

On a similarly positive note, Tokyo Times has had some technical issues over the last few weeks with caching and commenting. I’m happy to say, however, that a server and setup change over the weekend has finally resolved them, and with the summer holiday slowdown also done and dusted, it’s full steam ahead once again.