“Danchi” is the Japanese word for a housing complex operated by the metropolitan government. This shopping street is like a Showa-era time capsule. Few shops still operate regularly, and soon it might disappear for good.

Approaching the shopping street, I passed this old building (which has since been demolished), painted in a striking blue color.

Rear side of an old building in the Kirigaoka area of Tokyo, Japan, painted in a distinctive blue color. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.
Rear side of an old building in the Kirigaoka area of Tokyo, Japan, painted in a distinctive blue color. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

Most of the shutters inside the shopping street have been painted with colorful graffiti-style images. As some shops rarely, or not at all, open any more, the paintings become a sort of permanent art exhibit.

Colorful graffiti-style paintings on the shutters of shops at Kirigaoka Shopping Street in Tokyo, Japan. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.
Colorful graffiti-style paintings on the shutters of shops at Kirigaoka Shopping Street in Tokyo, Japan. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

Beside one such painted shutter, a rice store was open during my visit.

Adjacent to a shutter painted with a colorful Japanese-style figure, a rice store is open for customers at Kirigaoka Shopping Street in Tokyo, Japan. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.
Adjacent to a shutter painted with a colorful Japanese-style figure, a rice store is open for customers at Kirigaoka Shopping Street in Tokyo, Japan. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

On the opposite side is this shop selling goods for “slacklining”, a balancing activity. No idea how they ended up in this particular shopping street.

At Kirigaoka Shopping Street in the Kita Ward of Tokyo, Japan, this shop sells goods for slacklining, a balancing sport. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.
At Kirigaoka Shopping Street in the Kita Ward of Tokyo, Japan, this shop sells goods for slacklining, a balancing sport. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

A bit closer to the main road is an old toy store. It seems that it also doubles as a popular spot for locals to catch up on the latest news and gossip.

Exterior view of an old toys shop at Kirigaoka Shopping Street in the Kita Ward of Tokyo, Japan. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.
Exterior view of an old toys shop at Kirigaoka Shopping Street in the Kita Ward of Tokyo, Japan. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

Upon leaving, I walked through the rear side of the shopping street, where I passed this minuscule old coffee / tea house and snack shop with a rather upbeat name.

An old coffee / tea house and snack shop named LUCK at Kirigaoka Shopping Street in the Kita Ward of Tokyo, Japan. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.
An old coffee / tea house and snack shop named LUCK at Kirigaoka Shopping Street in the Kita Ward of Tokyo, Japan. © 2021 Norbert Woehnl Photography.

All photos shot with Mamiya 6 and 50mm f/4 lens on Fujicolor Pro 400H medium-format film.
Developed and scanned by Yamamoto Camera.

写真の撮影場所：東京都・北区・桐ヶ丘