xyzAsia

personal website of David Astley

Older albums (scanned prints) > Japan (4)

Japan 01

The so-called Skyscraper District of Shinjuku-ku - an area four to five blocks square, west of busy Shinjuku station - is home to tens of thousands of office workers during the week, but almost deserted on Sundays. About two million people a day pass through Shinjuku station.
Japan 02

The striking architecture of the twin towers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government office buildings makes a dramatic contrast to the deep blue sky of a summer's day in Tokyo.
Japan 03

A woman walks her dog through Shinjuku Chuo Park. Throughout the park, many homeless people can be seen living in cardboard boxes, tents and under tarpaulins -- a consequence of the decade-long recession that Japan has suffered. However, the park is still relatively clean and there is very little of the squalor that is associated with homeless people in other big cities of the world. It seems that Tokyo's homeless people still maintain an element of civic pride.
Japan 04

Not all of Tokyo's homeless people are completely destitute. Many have possessions that they cart around on bicycles and handcarts from one place to another, cooking meals in camping stoves on sidewalks and in parks.