Buddhist monks praying and accepting donations aren’t uncommon sights on Tokyo’s streets. Men who, along with their commendable dedication, offer an interesting contrast to the fashion and modernity that mostly surrounds them. But by all accounts, not all of them are genuine, with the general consensus being that some are merely masquerading as monks to make some money.
This fella, however, would appear to be the real deal, as he has been praying under the tracks near Tokyo’s Ueno Station for years. A fascinatingly still and silent presence in a city that is anything but.
Beautiful picture!
Thanks a lot! I’ve always wanted to get a shot of him that I was happy with, and finally just about managed it.
Great light!
Have you given him money?
It was. A lovely day.
I don’t usually, but I did after taking the photo. Seemed like the right thing to do.
I guess it is, there are worse things to lose your money to then a monk
Such a nice photo
Thanks a lot!
Great subject and great execution!
Thank you! Yeah, he’s a great subject, isn’t he? Lovely expression, and those glasses are a very nice addition.
Buddha under the tracks…
“Through a fault of our designing we are lost among the windings of these metal ways” (Brian Eno)
Maybe that is why he is there.
Could well be, but either way, any Brian Eno reference is more than good enough for me.
Not sure to be honest (although I did see him at Fuji Rock many years ago), but he most certainly is in my little part of Japan!
The quality is amazing and the monochrome works well in the picture.