Not a rogue or a miscreant, of which there are many in Kabukicho, Tokyo’s infamous red light district. But instead an actual rat. And a dead one at that.
Tokyo rat
Photographs from a small group of islands
Photographs from a small group of islands
Not a rogue or a miscreant, of which there are many in Kabukicho, Tokyo’s infamous red light district. But instead an actual rat. And a dead one at that.
Martin says
Not sure what I think about this photo but black and white was the right choice.
Lee says
Likewise. Not an especially nice image. But, as I post the more pleasant things I find, it only seemed right to also post the decidedly less pleasant.
The weird thing was I felt sorry for the rat. Even for such a creature, it seemed like an oddly sad ending.
Hans ter Horst says
It would have been the photo of the year if you managed to get an obvious yakuza in it as well 🙂 The BBC did a calculation and came to the conclusion that one is never more than 50m away from a rat in the cities in the UK and I wonder what that number would be in Japan. I’ve seen plenty of cockroaches in Japanese streets and occasionally in restaurants, but not a rat on the streets yet 🙂
Lee says
Now that would have been something!
Yeah, I’ve seen a good number in Tokyo, especially in Shinjuku and Shibuya. In fact I even saw one wander into a busy basement bar in Shinjuku. It had a look around and then headed off under a table, never to be seem again. At least not by me, anyway. And presumably nobody else, as there were no shouts or screams. Told one of the bartenders about it, and he just shrugged. Rodents were clearly regulars…
John says
The locals might be wondering if you are in street shaving mode or ermm… photographing a dead rat.
Maybe Braun cameras really were the ultimate in stealth street photography at least in Japan.
Lee says
Haha, that’s very true! The fella just in shot on the right was giving me some strange looks. Quite justifiably too…
Lizzy says
I was really hoping you were using “rat” sarcastically to refer to a small dog… Definitely unexpected.
Lee says
Not too much of a shock I hope. Knowing how some people feel about rats, I thought I’d better make the title very obvious.
Lizzy says
Rats don’t bother me at all. Dead animals I’m not fond of, but it wasn’t too shocking. Just a touch disturbing.
Lee says
Glad to hear it.
Linette says
Ew.
Lee says
Yeah, pretty much…
Auberginefleur says
Heat exhaustion!
Lee says
Yes, quite possibly!