Sometimes, some scenes look tailor-made for the right person to walk past. What I didn’t realise until it happened, however, was that in this particular case, it was actually two people I was waiting for.
Solitary reflections above Tokyo’s urban sprawl
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku remains an interesting place to visit every now and again. The views of the city below are obviously quite something, but generally I go there to try and take pictures of people looking at said views, or even people looking at me, looking at them.
At the moment, however, it’s rather different. The crowds are gone, and a once bustling observation deck is now almost eerily quiet, making it the perfect spot for solitary reflections.
The terribly sad sight of a quietly decaying old Tokyo house
Six years ago I took this photograph.
It’s an image I hold incredibly dear. The brief connection, the house and the abundance of life on display made pressing the shutter very special indeed. Yet while it was special then, it feels even more precious now.
That extra significance came about a couple of years ago, when I passed by again and was shocked to find the building empty and devoid of life.
Fast forward another two years, and it’s now an even sadder sight. Age, its wooden nature and no maintenance whatsoever mean the structure is in a terribly bad way to say the least.
So bad in fact that growing gaps in the walls and windows allowed me to take a few shots inside. An interior that due to Mother Nature making inroads, has developed a kind of decaying beauty. Something about that sink really does appeal. But mostly — just like this bar from a few months ago — the overriding feeling is one of silence, as well as complete and utter emptiness. A place that despite its incredibly ramshackle nature, was once very much a home, whereas now it is little more than a forlorn looking shell.
Japanese no mask shame, and shaming?
No Tokyo Olympics and almost no people
Today is a national holiday in Japan. It’s Taiiku no Hi to be exact, or Sports Day, which is usually in mid-October, but it was understandably brought forward this year in order to celebrate the first competitive day of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Or at least what would have been the first competitive day of the Olympics.
Instead, it’ll just be another day — a day similar to so many of late. Like the one below in touristy Asakusa last weekend. A spot where up until recently it would have been packed beyond belief, and beyond even that the week before the Olympics. But these days it’s almost like the ghost of the Games haunts what now feels like a sightseeing ghost town.
A Tokyo bar owner, her cat and decades of clutter
Old, cluttered and decidedly grubby little bars where cats ultimately call all the shots aren’t uncommon in Tokyo, but there’s clutter, and then there is clutter, and this particular establishment most definitely falls into the latter category. In fact, there is so much stuff strewn about the place that the current mama-san, who took over from her mother, almost looks like she’s stood in the aftermath of an explosion.
In business since the early 1960s, it’s a distinct possibility that some of the detritus dates back to a very different time indeed. The cat, on the other hand, which was very keen on making its presence known, is merely entering its second decade. A relative newcomer then, but nonetheless it is clearly comfortable with the chaotic nature of its surroundings.
All in all a bar that is totally unique, and yet at the same time it’s just like so many other little drinking spots in Tokyo’s less central areas. It’s laid back, packed with reminders of the past, and perhaps most importantly of all, is simply a wonderful place to pass a very pleasant few hours.
