Photographs from a small group of islands
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.
The tedium of waiting for a bus is certainly no different in Tokyo.
Sights such as the one below never cease to intrigue me. Not only do they contain unknown stories, but personally I feel they have a very distinct, melancholic beauty about them. To add to their interest, they are also the exact opposite of almost everything that Tokyo is famous for. An element that in some ways makes them even more special.
On the theme of older, lesser seen Tokyo, I have just started offering photowalks round the capital. So should you be interested, or know somebody who might be, the details are on my portfolio site here: Bespoke Tokyo Photowalks. There’s also a link on the top menu of these pages.
When Friday night drinks run through to daylight on Saturday, it’s almost inevitable that things are going to get messy. And passing out drunk in a grubby little alleyway probably warrants a mention when it comes to messiness.
Although as desperate as her situation clearly was, there was possibly some consolation in the knowledge that she wasn’t the only one.
In operation for 80 years or so, this fabulously dated little office has clearly seen some changes. But, while the current owner obviously hasn’t been there since the beginning, some of the clutter may well have.
Stare, if you dare, into the empty eyes of a Japanese scarecrow.
