Spectacular light is the easiest thing in Tokyo to photograph, and the easiest to forget. The best light I've seen at the Tokyo International Forum in years fell on a recent workshop. The photograph I'd keep from that day came from across the street: a taxi driver doing squats outside Yurakucho Station.
Yurakucho Station: shoppers, tourists and salarymen
Yurakucho Station has a wonderful mix of shoppers, tourists and salarymen moving to and from their daily goings-on. Most of the photos you'll see are from under the tracks, and rightly so. It's a dynamic place. But move away from those tracks, and you'll find some very good spots.
That is exactly what I did on a recent workshop. The primary focus was the Tokyo International Forum, but the morning belonged to the streets around the station.
When you're in that mode of exploration, allowing anything to happen, that's exactly when it does.
The taxi driver at the Central West Exit
We found a taxi driver doing a morning callisthenics routine beside his parked cab. Stretching. A lot of squats. He was completely game. Everybody took a turn, got nice and close, and made all kinds of images.
The best part came afterwards, when the pictures were used up. He still had plenty of patience, because everybody had a big smile and a big thank-you for him. He began to tell us about the pin on his lapel. It was from an Olympics in Tokyo, decades past, and he was particularly proud of it. We chatted for several minutes. Everybody left the experience with a big smile on their face and a heart full of goodness.
Because I'm looking after the group, trying to get them to the right place at the right time, I often end up at the back of the line. That's no problem. I do my best to get the best shot I can. Sometimes it isn't as good as what I could have made a few minutes earlier, but that's the way life is. I wouldn't trade these shots or this moment for anything, even though I know I could do a little better.
The Tokyo International Forum Glass Hall
Later we crossed to the Forum. Rafael Viñoly's building opened in 1997, and its Glass Hall is a long hull of steel and glass laid along the railway. On this day the light was the best I've seen there in years. Everybody was making very strong frames. I did as well, but my heart wasn't fully there.
There was a bit of been-there, done-that. And there was a pull back across the street, to Yurakucho Station, to the streets where the taxi driver had been. I'm happy for the students, though. They found some of their own spots, and they borrowed some of mine.
If you come to Tokyo, visit the Tokyo International Forum. It's good at any time of day. The blue hour is beautiful. The best time, though, is mid to late afternoon, when the light comes through the glass. You get reflections and patterns that are a little different every day.
What I'd tell you about Yurakucho
The Forum gave everyone on the workshop a good frame. That's what the light does: it hands the same gift to everybody standing in it. The station gave us a stranger with a story, and only the people standing in front of him that morning have that picture.
So go to the Forum. Then walk across the road. Yurakucho isn't a big station, but it has quite a few small nooks and crannies where you can find a very good shot. If you're open to it, you never know when you'll meet a taxi driver doing squats in the street who's more than happy to let you take a hundred pictures of him.
The light belongs to everyone. The story belongs to whoever stopped.
If you'd like to walk Yurakucho with me, one-on-one or with a friend or two, the details are on the Masterclass page.
— Jeff Austin, Tokyo
The streets never look the same way twice. I’m curious—how does this side of Tokyo hit you? Drop a comment below.
I live on flat whites and shutter clicks. If you’ve found value in these shots, toss a coffee my way to keep the sensor humming.
For those who want to skip the tourist traps and shoot the real Tokyo, my calendar is open for workshops. Explore the Masterclass here or email me at jeff@tokyoforgeries.com.
See you in the shadows.
Tokyo Forgeries is an evolving archive of Tokyo street photography and vintage-lens deep dives. We spend 30 days in every ward, using mid-century brass and glass to capture the city’s soul. This is a roadmap for the active pursuit of craft—documented through the geography of Tokyo and the character of its light.
