Street Photography in Tokyo

Thousands of people cross in every direction on each green light, under giant screens. The area pulls a young crowd, so fashion is part of the picture all day. Shoot at dusk and after dark, when the screens light faces. Stand at the corner by the station for eye-level chaos, or find a raised walkway to look down on the flow. Composition idea: one person walking against the crowd, isolated in a clean gap. Caution: a tripod blocks a very busy crossing, so stay handheld and move with the lights.

Next to the busiest station in the world sit two old alley networks. Omoide Yokocho is a strip of tiny yakitori bars full of smoke and lanterns. Golden Gai is a grid of lanes lined with bars that seat five or six people. Go after 8 pm, ideally on a rainy night when the wet ground doubles every sign. Stand at the mouth of an alley and let people walk into the light. Caution: Golden Gai's bar association asks visitors not to photograph without permission, and many doors say no photos. Read the signs and ask before shooting interiors or customers.

Takeshita Street is a narrow lane of youth fashion shops and crepe stands. Sunday afternoon is the busiest and best for bold outfits, though cosplay is rarer than a decade ago. The lane is dense, so a 28mm lets you work close. For cleaner frames walk down to Omotesando, where tree shadows and glass shop fronts give you space. Composition idea: one strong outfit against a busy shop wall, letting the colors fight. Caution: many people here are teenagers, so skip close shots of minors and ask when you want a portrait.

Ginza is Tokyo's upscale shopping district. Chuo-dori closes to cars on weekends and holidays from noon to 6 pm, or to 5 pm from October to March, and shoppers walk down the middle of the road. Come then. Stand at a crossing and use the long straight road as a leading line, or work the big shop windows for reflections. After dark the facades become light boxes and well-dressed shoppers read well in silhouette. Composition idea: a figure in a dark coat against a glowing window. Caution: store security may stop you inside shops, so keep it on the street.

Senso-ji is Tokyo's oldest temple, reached through the Nakamise shopping street. By mid-morning it is full of tour groups. At sunrise it is quiet, with early worshippers and shopkeepers opening shutters, and that is when I would go. Stand inside the Kaminarimon gate looking up Nakamise and wait for one person to cross the empty lane. Later, drift into the side streets where daily life carries on. Composition idea: a giant lantern as the frame edge with a small figure below. Caution: people praying are not props, so stay back and keep it quiet.

The wholesale market and tuna auction moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the Outer Market stayed: a few blocks of seafood stalls and tiny restaurants that open early and wind down by early afternoon. Most shops close on Sundays and holidays, and many on some Wednesdays, so go on a weekday or Saturday morning. Professional buyers have priority until about 9 am. Stand where a narrow lane meets the street and shoot cooks behind steam and counters. Composition idea: hands and knives sharp, a face soft behind. Caution: lanes are tight, so never block a stall.

Yanaka largely escaped the 1923 earthquake and the war bombing, so it keeps wooden houses and small temples around a big cemetery. Life is slower. You get shopkeepers, cyclists, cats and older residents instead of crowds. The Yanaka Ginza shopping street is the center, and the steps at its west end are a known sunset spot. Come late afternoon when low sun runs down the street. Stand at the top of the steps and shoot people walking up into the light. Composition idea: a cyclist crossing a patch of sun between shadowed houses. Caution: this is residential, so keep your distance from homes.