Photographs from a faded hot spring resort
The tourists still arrive, but the numbers aren’t, and never will, be anywhere near what they once were. Plus those that do turn up generally relax and enjoy a soak in the comfort of their all-inclusive hotels — all too often only venturing out to buy some obligatory souvenirs by the station before they are whisked back from whence they came. And so, in their absence, the rest of the town tries to somehow struggle on.
For more photos of decaying and faded Japan, there’s a large set of images on my portfolio site, here.
A David Lynch-like room in an abandoned hotel
A sword wielding Tokyo bar owner
A Tokyo bank’s ad campaign versus the desperate reality?
Abandoned cable car memories
For over 50 years now, this cable car in west Tokyo has sat totally unused, but unlike so many abandoned structures, it’s still surprisingly intact. And together with having once chatted to a lovely old bar owner who rode in the cabin during the brief period it was in use, it’s not in the least bit difficult to imagine some of the memories still attached to the location.