This is not the usual image of Tokyo. Well, not usual when compared to what is often seen in the media. And yet in many instances, it’s the kind of sight that’s actually more common.
Photographs from a small group of islands
This is not the usual image of Tokyo. Well, not usual when compared to what is often seen in the media. And yet in many instances, it’s the kind of sight that’s actually more common.
Al says
It’s not the Japan I’m used to seeing here in the US. Gotta say though I do love those Blade Runner kind of images. Who doesn’t? But I like the side you show too. It makes Japan something I can kind of relate to.
Lee says
Thanks. Glad you find such scenes interesting. Tokyo has many sides, but a fair few of them are rarely shown. A shame really, as they make the city more interesting. Or at least they do for me.
john says
“Evidently Karesansui?” with the stylised blocks representing raked gravel (representing water).
The aesthetic is alive and well in downtown Tokyo…
Lee says
Yes, the new urban movement. Not sure it’ll take off…
Linda says
Those pull-down doors over shop fronts still confuse me. They make it look like the store has gone out of business, even though I know they’re often just closed for the day. I’m guessing that the one on the right with the plants in front is still alive and well, but sometimes I guess wrong. I was really heartbroken on my last trip about a place that seemed to be dead, and then it just turned out they were closed for two random days in the middle of the week and had brought their plants and barrel with a water garden in it indoors.
Lee says
Yeah, it’s not always easy to know if a business is still open. Some of the most dilapidated places can still actually be going concerns. More often than not it just comes down to local knowledge really. Talking of which, the one in the photos is long gone I’m afraid. Or at least it has been closed every time I’ve been past.
Hans Ter Horst says
You reckon lots of these fun areas with loads of character will be pulled down before the Olympics? I think they did that last time.
Lee says
I suspect so. A lot if the city’s character is being destroyed in the run up to the games. Still got a good few years to go too…
Abencomics may well be pretty much dead and buried, but with more people flocking to the cities, and tourism currently booming, buildings are going up and down at a furious pace.
cdilla says
Incredible textures of decay you have captured here. The hole-in-the-wall ventilation, perished awnings and crumbling plaster. And yet the paving is well kept, clean and there are even plants out.
I learn so much from your photographs 🙂
I now have a handle on the Japanese addressing system as the only bit location information I could glean was the little blue sign that says 18-4. On it’s own it was no use as I think just block and building. It would have helped greatly if I could read Japanese, but even then I would have struggled given the size of the blue plates in the photograph. But after much eye strain and attempted pattern recognition my best guess is that the plate says
è’å·åŒº
å—åƒä½
1ä¸ç›®
OK, so the top line is a complete guess relying on the bottom two being correct. But I’m reasonably sure of the bottom like and about 50% confident of the middle line.
And after all that, googlemaps lets me down as there is very little coverage of block 18 of Minamisenju and none at all of building 4.
Lee says
Thanks. Great to hear you get so much out of the photos too.
Google maps isn’t the best round that area for some reason, but here’s the address:
å°æ±åŒº
æ—¥æœ¬å ¤
１ä¸ç›®
１８−４
Not the easiest of systems to work out, is it? Thank goodness for maps and GPS!
John says
Google maps likes your address just fine now. Fascinating thing is that it lets you look at streetview of this location with 4 shots over the course of 3 years. So you can see what’s changed since 2013. The same graffiti has been there all that time. – And the same car in the garage to the left.