The fading of Japan's Showa era in pictures

"Lee Chapman's photographs document the scenes, signages and family businesses of the postwar Showa era Japan."

"They focus on a unique aspect of Japanese life, and one that in Tokyo in particular is rapidly disappearing: the buildings are long past their natural lifespans, and their occupants are reaching the end of theirs."

Photographs document scenes, signages and family businesses of postwar Showa-era Japan. The images focus on a distinct aspect of Japanese life that in Tokyo is rapidly disappearing: buildings that have long exceeded their natural lifespans and the aging occupants who run them. Many once-unique streets and alleys still show small, single-purpose shops and bars serving long-standing local clientele. Most new construction in the country now resembles international urban architecture, reducing visual distinctiveness. The Showa-era streetscape is increasingly recognized both for its visual appeal and for its cultural and historical significance as an era in Japan's urban development.

Read at www.theguardian.com