Photographs from a small group of islands
Towards the end of last year, I took a photograph from the same spot as the one in this post. It can be seen here should you wish to make a comparison. A photo that I probably prefer due to the subject’s expression.
The visible smartphone, however, makes it very contemporary, whereas the shot below has a far more timeless feel. An element that in modern, rapidly changing Tokyo, is increasingly hard to achieve.
Tokyo is a city of contrasts, as well as constant surprises, so even if you know what’s round the next corner, you never really know what you are going to see. It could, for example, be a Buddhist playing a bamboo flute. Or possibly even more unexpected, a foreign person taking photographs.
The passage of time?
Down an old and now more or less disused tunnel, one little bar remains. Catering for the small number of late afternoon drinkers who can squeeze inside, it’s the last business left, but even after several decades of serving drinks and really quite delicious food, the owners have no intention of quitting just yet. A decision that’s much appreciated by both the very regular regulars, and those that merely pop in unexpectedly.
One of the key benefits of living in Tokyo is that you never really know what — or perhaps more accurately who — is going to greet you round the next corner. It could be a man carrying a huge tortoise. Maybe even a young bloke in the shortest of very short shorts. Or in this case, merely a bare-chested wrestler taking a post-bout rest.
