I’ve posted photos of this lovely, long-closed liquor store before, but its signage and no longer functioning vending machines mean it’s impossible not to take pictures every time I see it. And this particular time worked out better than most, as in the space of a few minutes, an interesting mix of people passed by, adding a bit of life to a place that shut up shop many moons ago.
The sometimes extraordinary nature of ordinary Tokyo
For a while now I’ve mostly been posting small sets of photographs as it’s often easier to try and tell stories, or at the very least hint at them, over a short series rather than just a single image.
This photo, however, feels different. It doesn’t really tell a story either. Instead, it seems to perfectly sum up the sometimes extraordinary nature of what is merely the ordinary. A man walking home through a Tokyo suburb is about as unremarkable as it gets, and yet the scene that presented itself felt, for me at least, quite the opposite.
Older Tokyo in the rain
When leaving home the other day, the weather forecast predicted the rain would have stopped by the time I got off the train. The forecast, however, was out by quite a margin, meaning the first few hours of my walk were considerably wetter than expected. Those conditions, however, helped create a few scenes that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise, so here then are photos of some older, lesser seen sides of Tokyo in the rain.
The disappearance of a dilapidated old Tokyo tobacconist
Discovering this old Tokyo tobacconist 18 months or so ago was a real treat, as turning a fairly nondescript corner complete with an empty plot, the wonderfully ramshackle structure that came into view was a genuine surprise. So unexpected in fact, that after taking some photos I was still so enamoured by it that I completely forgot to mark the location.
Fast forward to fairly recently and I tried to find it once again, but nothing appeared quite right when looking at maps online. Also, any spot that did seem even remotely possible proved the complete opposite when checked on street view.
The only option then was to go back to the area where I thought it was and explore properly. An approach that proved similarly unsuccessful, so as darkness fell, a friend and I gave up and headed for a few consolation beers. On the way there, and absolutely not where I thought the tobacconist was, we stumbled upon a little car park with a rare camera and screen combo. A set-up that caused us to briefly stop for a look. And, when standing there, noticing it was a new house on the corner, there was both relief and the awful realisation that I was actually in the exact spot where the tobacconist once stood.
The life of a red mini in an old school Tokyo garage
It has always been nice to walk past this old school Tokyo garage. The place looks and smells fantastic, plus the owner is absolutely lovely. Then the red mini appeared, and the whole thing became even more wonderful. Better still the car was in there ages for repairs and a repaint, resulting in chances galore to see its bright dash of colour and that iconic design.
These then are some photos from that process. Ideally I’d have been there when it was driven out, but that’s okay. Seeing it just the once would have been great, but I was fortunate enough to get way more chances than that.
Ueno night scenes
In the past I’ve posted numerous daytime photos from Ueno on these pages, as at the right time of year, the light is absolutely lovely. Night scenery, on the other hand, has been much rarer, so for a different take on a favourite area, here is a small series shot during a walk that way a week or so ago.