Akabane: Tokyo’s Street Photography Secret

Akabane

Jan 16

Akabane: Tokyo’s Street Photography Secret

Each year-end, I spend some time in a special area of Tokyo as a treat for myself. This year, like most years, I chose an off-the-beaten-path location: Akabane.

Most do not know of Akabane at all. Tokyo’s northernmost transportation hub sees the city's east and westbound trains at the same station. I first came to know Akabane as just that; with time and a little exploration, I soon learned of its secret. It is a premium street photography location in Tokyo; no one has figured this out.

Two things set Akabane apart from many great locations within Tokyo for street photography. First, it's charming, and more on that later. Second, it has excellent light. The reason it has such excellent light is all in the architecture. Most buildings are only a few stories high, allowing light to spill everywhere. More significant is the failed attempt to city-plan a perfect grid of streets. It feels like a child was asked to draw a grid of streets, creating this imperfect set of lines that places a hospital next to the red light district and a school in the middle of a shopping area. Yet, somehow, it all blends in an imperfect harmony of shadows, concrete, highlights, glass, rust and steel.

The charming side of Akabane is the overwhelming sense of nostalgia. It is as if time had forgotten all about Akabane, remembered, and then forgotten again. Creating a textured facade of history on every building, around every corner. It is absolutely beautiful to behold.

Akabane is as wonderful a place to photograph as there is in Tokyo. Each time, I get completely swept up in the moment, and soon, the entire morning is gone. I have missed my coffee break, and it feels like I am waking from a good dream.

Shadows on the street in Akabane — **Seven Shadows**

Recommendations:

Visit Akabane in the morning and shoot the area northeast of the station before all the shops open. After further exploration or a coffee break, make another pass as the shops are now open, the commuters are gone, and the locals are out. East of the station is a large covered shopping area that doesn’t have light but has loads of character. Just outside the shopping street is Akabane Park. This park is a time machine to the 1970s and makes an excellent spot for some shooting before heading back to the station.