A great set of photographs documenting the cusp of change.
Something that interests me about cities is boundaries, or edges. These vary in scale from geographic features to a fence between two houses, and also in nature from a wide river to a conceptual city planners zoning decision. But seeing these photographs and others like them you have shared with us there is another temporal boundary that is transient, and here you show an aspect of that boundary. It’s something amorphous on a large scale but at our scale it can be a sudden, brutal, irreversible affair.
As with many valued experiences in our lives we never get to know when the comfortable and familiar walk past an old tofu shop will be the last one. Even in my small village I’ll be stopped in my tracks by the removal of an old stone lichen covered wall, or a favourite acer tree, and left wondering if I had not taken every opportunity to appreciate them while they were still there.
Yes, that’s so true. With Tokyo being so densely packed, those boundaries, and then spaces, sometimes seem even more jarring. And yes, we never know when something will disappear, so definitely good to appreciate them while we can. Glad I have photography to in a way, ‘keep’ them, as when something suddenly isn’t there, it’s very often hard to fully remember how it once was.
Günter says
After your title I was shocked when I saw the old guy in the shadows.
Lee says
He surprised me to be honest when I walked past. Thought it may have actually been abandoned at first.
Celine says
Beautiful and poignant images. Is the little store still open?
Lee says
Thank you very much.
Can’t say for certain, but I don’t think so.
cdilla says
A great set of photographs documenting the cusp of change.
Something that interests me about cities is boundaries, or edges. These vary in scale from geographic features to a fence between two houses, and also in nature from a wide river to a conceptual city planners zoning decision. But seeing these photographs and others like them you have shared with us there is another temporal boundary that is transient, and here you show an aspect of that boundary. It’s something amorphous on a large scale but at our scale it can be a sudden, brutal, irreversible affair.
As with many valued experiences in our lives we never get to know when the comfortable and familiar walk past an old tofu shop will be the last one. Even in my small village I’ll be stopped in my tracks by the removal of an old stone lichen covered wall, or a favourite acer tree, and left wondering if I had not taken every opportunity to appreciate them while they were still there.
Lee says
Thanks. Certainly glad I found it when I did.
Yes, that’s so true. With Tokyo being so densely packed, those boundaries, and then spaces, sometimes seem even more jarring. And yes, we never know when something will disappear, so definitely good to appreciate them while we can. Glad I have photography to in a way, ‘keep’ them, as when something suddenly isn’t there, it’s very often hard to fully remember how it once was.