Photography

Like so many old Japanese towns and resort locations, the best days of this place are long gone. Many of the businesses are now closed, and a good number of those still operating seemingly do so more out of habit than any real sense of commerce.

That said, such areas are almost always fascinating to explore, and despite only being small, this one was no exception. There were hints of the past round every corner, and in a region hit particularly hard by the nation’s ageing population, the sight of a long-broken condom dispenser seemed especially poignant. Well, at least as poignant as such a machine can be.

The sets of images I usually post are invariably put together to try and tell a story, or tie similarly themed photos together. These, however, don’t really work that way, as the only things they have in common are their differences, along with the fact they were all taken recently in Tokyo. And in that sense at least, they provide a way to show the surprises a city on such a scale can regularly conjure up. Which, in a way, is a theme in itself.

The crowded nights and bright lights of Shinjuku’s famous Kabukicho red light district do a good job of disguising a lot of its general dinginess. It’s also a fairly similar story when it comes to the much darker reality of what goes on behind the area’s often garishly decorated exteriors.

Away from the capital, however, and in a much smaller city with the time approaching dusk, any hint of glamour surrounding such locations can be considerably harder to find.

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, the horribly intense summer heat and humidity can make it a struggle to be out and about with a camera at the moment, so while going through my archive in blissfully cool, air-conditioned comfort, I chose 20 of my favourite portraits. All of them taken in Tokyo, except the 4th frame which is from Osaka. A photo I simply could not leave out.

A few of them were shot fairly recently, whereas others date back to over a decade ago, but all feel special in their own way. Some simply because of the result. Others due to the interaction involved. Plus many are a combination of the two.

Lastly, and on a totally different topic, the usual 2 posts a week will resume next Friday (16th), and due to just returning from southern Japan, there should be upcoming photos of some different locations. A bit of travelling that timing-wise wasn’t exactly the wisest, as it was even hotter than the capital, but the sights and experiences more than made up for it. Until then, however, it’s Tokyo scenery and the faces of its citizens featured below.