And a shirt that would seem to have been lost both literally and figuratively.
Japanese man who has lost his shirt
Photographs from a small group of islands
Photographs from a small group of islands
And a shirt that would seem to have been lost both literally and figuratively.
Tom says
Sad…. Good use of the store behind him.
Lee says
Thanks. The shirt in the shop really emphasised his sadness. A cheap, standard bit of clothing that he simply couldn’t afford. Or indeed need.
cdilla says
The greyness of the guy reminds me of the Grey Scrubbers in Gormenghast taking on the hue of their surroundings and lifestyle.
Bizarrely I think I found the location of this shot based on the pavement. Sounds very sad I know, but I plea serendipity. My backdrop runs a slideshow of all my Tokyo photos from when I visited. When I was reading your post it made one of it’s 10 minutely changes to a shot of the front of the Kinokuniya Bookstore in Shinjuku and the pavement design and general appearance was the same. So I pulled it up on Street View and wandered up and down for a bit and sure enough there is the Aoyama shirt shot a few hundred yards west.
Lee says
Quite a coincidence eh? And quite some detective work too, as you are absolutely spot on. I’m impressed!
Coli says
Another stunning photo Lee. Love how you are able to come across these contrasts in life, however sad they may be. 1000 words here mate 🙂
Lee says
Thanks a lot, Coli. Very kind of you. One of those moments that Tokyo fortunately has a habit of throwing up. Walk for long enough and the city generally offers you some sort of reward.
Mr.Moi says
Used to watch him on a daily basis from my work window in Higashi Shinjuku 14 years ago. Tough to empathize with someone I’ve watched publicly defecate on multiple occasions. It’s a suprsingly simple act if you choose not to wipe. I pity that he is a victim of a short circuit in his head. Pretty sure he is more than happy being margalizied by society. His tats are new. Would love a close up shot of those.
Lee says
Interesting to get a very different perspective. Seen him a few times myself, but fortunately not doing his business is public. Wonder which poor soul had to clean that up…?
Him having new tattoos is a real surprise too. Not something you’d expect someone in his position to be acquiring.
Rita Barreiro says
ironic and iconic