With Tokyo hosting the Olympics next summer, the city’s rapid pace of change seems to be even more pronounced, and yet for all its transformations, some things, somehow, remain more or less the same.
Food and Drink
An old bar, on a hot day, before opening time
A moment of calm, as well as a chance to cool down, before the cooking and general conviviality commences.
A young Japanese woman passed out drunk on the street
It may well be September, but summer in Tokyo shows no sign of letting up, with temperatures still getting above 35 degrees. Heat that, when combined with the similarly unrelenting humidity, is a hard climate to contend with at the best of times. Then on top of that, throw in a long night fuelled by a gargantuan amount of booze, and even the simple pretence of managing is clearly surpassed by the far more pressing desire to simply pass out.
An old Japanese entertainment district before opening time
A traditional little drinking alleyway where the simple passage of time has taken its toll — both on the location, and the people who spend their lives there.
A mostly abandoned old drinking alleyway
Situated near a busy train station, this distinctive looking old alleyway was presumably once full of inebriated salarymen partaking in post-work drinks. Just one half of a block that way back when boasted numerous bars and eateries. These days, however, it’s falling apart and mostly shuttered up, with merriment now only existing in gradually fading memories.
A retro Tokyo bar and the man who runs it
The bar below is one I have a real soft spot for. Partly because of how it looks, but mostly due to this photograph I took through the window several years ago. An affection that has now increased further after meeting the lovely fella who runs it. A man as warm and welcoming as the establishment he presides over.
