There are a huge number of shuttered up shops in Japan. They aren’t just in more rural areas either, as they can be found all over the capital as well. Some of them, of course, are now abandoned properties, and are left to gradually deteriorate before demolition. Many others, however, are still lived in, as lots of traditional little operations are a combination of both the home, and the workplace.
In regards the latter, without a doubt the most poignant place I’ve ever found and photographed was the property of an old lady in her 90s. A woman who I had the pleasure of spending a bit of time with, and the resultant photos and write up can be seen here.
The shop below is a bit different, but in many ways very similar. I’d passed by countless times and seen the woman who owns it moving about in what was once the shop part of the building. And back in 2015, with one of the shutters lifted, I was lucky enough to get this shot of her doing some cooking.
Then there was nothing until last week when I saw her again. A slightly different situation, but very similar headwear, and a life still lived amid the debris of the past.
