Kissaten by Dan Bachmann
The latest images gracing the staircase at The Camera Club for the Four Project are from active member Dan Bachmann.
Having friends and family in Japan, I often bypass the typical tourist destinations. This has led me to find excitement in photographing things that others overlook—both Japanese locals and visitors alike. I'm drawn to the fascination found in everyday, mundane moments, transforming them through photography into stories where the previously invisible becomes the protagonist.
Traveling into another culture offers a special experience, but being able to travel through time adds an entirely different dimension.
During my last trip to Japan, I discovered kissaten which transported me to 1980s Tokyo.
Kissaten are restaurant cafés that kept pace with Japanese trends until the economic bubble burst in the 1980s. Then, for reasons unknown, they froze in time. Newspapers and magazines lie scattered about for reading, a vintage video arcade machine blinks in the corner, and people still smoke freely. Cigarettes and lighters sit for sale around the same cash register that rang up orders in 1985. From what I can tell, the same person still works the greasy kitchen behind the counter after all these decades. This makes me believe these places are a dying breed.
These images capture different kissaten visited on the same day. A friend, seeing my excitement, took me to another—this time, part of a
kissaten chain. It was larger, decorated with reproduction nostalgicelements. The sterile atmosphere had scrubbed away the wall stains, taking the magic with it. I was no longer time-traveling. My excitement dimmed—I have my last matcha of the day without being compelled to press the shutter button.