Japan @ night

We were lucky to visit Japan as borders reopened from Covid to independent travellers in October 2022, joining in the riot that was Halloween in Shibuya. What follows is my essay as a travel photographer from post-Covid Halloween in Tokyo, quiet walks along cobblestone streets in Kyoto and generally getting lost in Tokyo and discovering a small piece of Japan in the evening.

Two women in matching red floral qipao costumes walk through Shibuya at night during Halloween in Tokyo, surrounded by glowing storefronts and blurred pedestrians.

Neon-lit Shinjuku street at night with glowing Japanese lanterns, restaurant signage, and blurred crowds outside Tokyo bars and eateries.

Halloween partygoers in dramatic white face paint and dark costumes walk past a shuttered Shibuya storefront marked ‘SHIBUYA NIGHT CLUB CENTER.

Costumed women walk through a Tokyo street on Halloween night wearing colorful party outfits, bunny ears, wings, and black boots outside a brightly lit shop.

Crowded Shibuya street at night during Halloween, with people in costumes, cat ears, masks, and gothic fashion moving through Tokyo’s nightlife.

Long-exposure view of Shibuya Crossing at night, with blurred crowds, traffic police, neon signs, Netflix and Uniqlo buildings in Tokyo, Japan.

Outdoor Tokyo ramen restaurant at night with customers seated beneath warm lanterns and Japanese signs, creating a lively street food atmosphere.

Kyoto roadside restaurant at night with chefs working behind a counter, customers waiting outside, a bicycle, and a quiet zebra crossing in the foreground.

Geisha in a kimono and face mask stands beside a bicycle on a quiet Kyoto street at night, illuminated by warm lanterns and traditional wooden buildings.

Small Japanese restaurant at night with glowing round lamps, customers ordering at the counter, and signage for sushi, sake, tempura, and gyoza.

Halloween group in white masks and formal costumes poses for a selfie in front of a closed metal shutter on a Shibuya street.

Narrow Kyoto alley at night with people in kimono walking along stone paving between traditional wooden buildings and softly lit Japanese signs.

Halloween street scene in Shibuya with costumed partygoers posing near a café entrance, including dark fashion outfits, masks, and theatrical props.

Close-up of traditional Kyoto noren curtains with bamboo and blossom patterns hanging outside a Japanese restaurant entrance at night.

Traditional Japanese restaurant entrance in Kyoto with grey noren curtains, butterfly design, glowing paper lantern, wooden lattice doors, and yellow flowers.

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Kusti