Buying a book online is without a doubt convenient. Invariably there’s a much better selection too. But, if one picks the right shop, at the right time of day, the old fashioned way can be wonderfully appealing.

When it comes to part-time weekend or evening work, students generally have to change out of their uniforms and into something more suitable. In Tokyo’s infamous Kabukicho red light district, however, some establishments deem schoolgirl uniforms — if not necessarily the schoolgirls themselves — as very suitable.

Both for business, and their brand.

Seeing people passed out on Tokyo’s streets isn’t that unusual, but for them to be female, is. A factor that made the scene below rather surprising — particularly so as it was in the middle of the day and devoid of any of the debris usually associated with heavy drinking.

Yet what made the sight really striking was that it initially looked like the young woman in question was being given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Something that arguably wouldn’t have been all that unexpected considering her clearly unconscious state.

But that wasn’t the case. Instead, her companion was intently picking at her skin, utterly oblivious to me and his surroundings. Behaviour that made the whole situation all the more odd and unsettling.