Food and Drink

Several years ago, a friend and I spent an interesting few hours in the bar below.

To be honest, it wasn’t at all what we expected. The exterior suggested something more old school, and much more in the way of basic food and beers rather than belting out banging anthems. But a change is as good as a rest as they say, and good times, along with dubious tunes, were most definitely had.

The change in focus, it turned out, came about due to a change of owner, with the fella in the photo taking over from his father. That was a full ten years before we turned up — a career switch at the age sixty that saw him swap a life in a business suit for one behind a bar.

But only months after the photos were taken, the karaoke machine was fired up one last time before the lights were turned off for good. Then, for reasons unknown, the building, just like so many others, was unceremoniously demolished.

The photo below has appeared on these pages before as part of a monochrome series from Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho, or Piss Alley as it’s also known. It is also a companion piece of sorts with this shot taken just a few minutes later.

Back then, as well as converting the original image to black and white, I’d also cropped it, but going through some older pictures with a view to the print sales mentioned last week, this one caught my attention in relation to how it would look in colour, and if it were cropped slightly differently.

In regards cropping, it’s not something I do very often. Not sure why, but it almost always makes the resultant image seem somehow wrong. Just not what I saw, or something along those lines anyway. It’s hard to explain. This case though is an exception, as the square format works perfectly for the shape of the bar — it’s pretty much made for it.

Also, it’s a shot that nowadays isn’t possible. Of course this particular moment has long since disappeared into the past, but that angle was always interesting, either with the door almost closed, or wide open like in this photo, which allows for a clear view of the bar’s amazingly dirty lamp. And that’s because a while ago, an extra fridge was installed near the window, more or less blocking the view. An element that for me at least gives the scene extra significance. The memory of pressing the shutter as always, but also a reminder that I won’t be able to capture something similar ever again.

It’s currently holiday time in Japan, but with things as they are, travel isn’t really an option. Trouble is, the horribly intense heat and humidity, along with increasing coronavirus numbers, mean even walks in Tokyo aren’t much of an option at the moment either — especially not the long, meandering types I tend to prefer. So from today, Tokyo Times will slow down for a little bit, and rather than the usual 3 posts a week, I’ll just upload new photos on Wednesdays for the next fortnight. The 19th and 26th. Then from Monday August 31st, the regular Monday, Wednesday and Friday updates will return as normal.

The uber-efficent delivery of food is a tried and long tested process in Japan. Traditional bicycle transportation may well have (mostly) given way to faster motorbikes, but invariably it’s still the fella who made the dish that also delivers it. And while a well-known American company is very visibly making inroads, there’s thankfully still lots of sights like this on the roads.

Last week, with the help of a friend who has both the means and the experience, I produced some gallery quality archival prints from a handful of selected photos. The aim, when shipping from Japan finally returns to normal, being to try and sell a few.

Having someone there to not only help, but also guide me through the selection of paper and so on was invaluable, and in the end, the monochrome matte prints in particular stood out. Results that needless to say I couldn’t be happier with, prompting me to immediately start thinking about other photos that might work just as well. And as the bar scene below possibly fits the bill, as well as being an image I have a real soft spot for, I thought I’d post it.

Shot eight years ago in a place that was demolished a month later due to the building’s age and general disrepair, it now has the added element of nostalgia. Not only for the remembrance of a setting that’s long gone, but also in regards the much more recent period before the pandemic. A time so simple that the only precaution one needed for a night of beers and yakitori was to know when the last train home was.

Old, cluttered and decidedly grubby little bars where cats ultimately call all the shots aren’t uncommon in Tokyo, but there’s clutter, and then there is clutter, and this particular establishment most definitely falls into the latter category. In fact, there is so much stuff strewn about the place that the current mama-san, who took over from her mother, almost looks like she’s stood in the aftermath of an explosion.

In business since the early 1960s, it’s a distinct possibility that some of the detritus dates back to a very different time indeed. The cat, on the other hand, which was very keen on making its presence known, is merely entering its second decade. A relative newcomer then, but nonetheless it is clearly comfortable with the chaotic nature of its surroundings.

All in all a bar that is totally unique, and yet at the same time it’s just like so many other little drinking spots in Tokyo’s less central areas. It’s laid back, packed with reminders of the past, and perhaps most importantly of all, is simply a wonderful place to pass a very pleasant few hours.

A minute down the street from the shop below is a well known supermarket. One that was busy too, as convenience and cost understandably come first. But for a little bit more money, this suburban fruit and vegetable seller offers the priceless bonus of a lovely big smile.