Sometimes, pleasure really does come from the simple things in life. Like a bucket and some water on a suffocatingly hot summer’s day.
Buddhist monk and mesmerised boy
This young boy may well have been in desperate need of a pee, but for a moment at least, his bladder concerns were put on hold by the mesmerising sight of a Buddhist monk praying in the middle of the street. Praying, perhaps, that the little lad in question could find somewhere to go before things got too desperate.
An old Tokyo bar and its no-nonsense Mama-san
Her native Okinawa that she left over 40 years ago must have changed enormously, but the bar this strong-willed Mama-san runs in Tokyo most certainly hasn’t. Or at least not since the 1970s.
A space that in many ways is more like an extended living room than a bar, allowing customers, with the accompaniment of a couple of beers, to feel completely at home.
Traditional geta in modern Tokyo
Despite all the coverage that Japanese trends and technology get, the country is just as traditional as it is modern — maybe even more so. And that’s true in regards both attitudes, and small daily details.
Behind the scenes at an old ramen restaurant
No dreams of Michelin stars or celebrity customers; just good basic food, in suitably basic surroundings.
Gritty, drunk and aggressive Tokyo
Tokyo’s Kabukicho red light district isn’t an area known for its restraint; and that goes for the services on offer, as well as the behaviour of those who drink there.