Despite its massive population and expensive land prices, Tokyo is home to a surprising number of shuttered, as well as often dilapidated shops and houses. An aspect of the city that I personally find fascinating, and as such I’ve started to document it on my Portfolio site, plus almost exclusively on Instagram.
Travel outside Tokyo, however, and the number of such structures is absolutely staggering. A situation brought about by the combination of an ageing population and urban migration. Huge, previously unseen societal shifts that are understandably having a devastating impact on the country’s landscape, resulting in a growing list of towns and cities that are little more than crumbling reminders of better, much busier days.
A fate that has befallen large parts of Fuji city featured below. An area that, as its name perhaps suggests, sits at the foot of Japan’s most iconic mountain. But while it still shares the same name as its majestic neighbour, it no longer boasts much of its beauty.
Yet despite the shutters and the general sense of sadness, there are still pockets of colour to be found.
Plus, and perhaps more importantly, colourful people.
Coli says
Wow. Much of the areas here in Kansai are very similar too. I especially like the Ichikawa photo. By the way is the pink stair well leading to the izakaya/snack in the last photo?
Lee says
The difference outside the big cities is staggering, isn’t it?
Me too. Got lucky with that. The fella walked past, and looked at me, at just the right time!
Nah, it was above an abandoned shop. A bit like in the 5th photo. It was very odd as between the 2nd and 3rd floors there was a bath. A room you had to pass through to get up the stairs…
Harry says
Interesting to see this side of Japan but it’s so sad and gray looking……… 🙁
Lee says
It is. Definitely a rather melancholy feeling about these places. Their best days are long gone, and sadly there’s no way they are ever coming back…
cdilla says
A striking set of photographs that I’ve just spent a good half hour looking at.
I get lost in the myriad layers of wear, fading, corrosion, weathering, encroaching nature, staining, grime, rust… and then, bang! an imaculately dressed man in a suit the colour and intesnsity of a pair of corduroys I wore as a teenager. Wonderful.
I have to share my phone’s translation of the sign in the first photograph.
Mossy garbage Collecting place
Collection date Every week Monday Thursday.
…
Fuji rain government office
Both amazing that it can do it, and humourous at what are probable inaccuracies 🙂
Lee says
Thanks. Great to hear you found them so interesting. I was so glad the man in the suit walked past when he did.
Mossy garbage collection by Fuji rain government is arguably more fitting than the real thing!
LAObserver says
Now there is a photographic topic: a collection of non-traditional business suit colors, in highly conservative Nippon.
Lee says
It would, although from what I’ve seen, it’d be a fairly small set.
Willy says
There is a town here where they got rid of all the shutters and after years of doldrums everything sprung back to life… I have often thought this would be an approach which might help in Japan in some places…
cdilla says
I agree. Shutters are so final.
The big town near me in the UK has taken to covering the boarded up windows and doors of empty shop fronts with rather effective mural/posters so when walking past without looking too close it looks like a pub or newsagent or whatever. They seem to be reasonably free of graffiti too, whereas any boarding or shuttering attracts talentless spay can merchants in seconds. This is, of course, only in the town centre though.
Lee says
That’s a very interesting idea. Whether it would work here or not with all the underlying problems such towns face is highly debatable, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to try. Or falling that, go the mural/poster route to at least brighten the streets up a bit.
Denton says
These are sad but really interesting. This is happening here in the US but I guess Japan doesn’t have the crime problems we have………. 🙁
Lee says
Yeah, such places are very rundown and have seen better days, but crime isn’t a big issue like it is in many other countries. Japan certainly has it’s problems, but thankfully crime isn’t one them.
Hans says
I’m currently visiting Hanamaki in Iwate, I’ve visited here many times now and it is getting more and more like a ghost town. Even the main roads have most shops closed. Really shocking what is happening to the Japanese countryside.
Lee says
Not just in isolated areas either, is it? It’s incredibly widespread. Plus due to the factors that are causing it, it’s really hard to see any way it can be slowed down, let alone reversed…