Beech Photography Tokyo

These photos serve as a reminder to back up and then back up the back up of any and all digital media you create! I was devastated a little while back to realise I’d lost these images, due to sloppy protocol, or so I thought! Luckily I’d backed up the back up during this road trip, then forgotten😅 I was bummed for a good week thinking these were gone for good, especially given this temple only opens to the public for half of the year, but turns out I’d backed up the back up! Phew!

Early evening inside the geisha house

Abandoned riverside villa in rural Japan. November 2025.

Still at Studio Waraya in Chiba, trying some Genmai Mochi – a traditional Japanese sweet originally from Nagano. Genmai Mochi is a type of pounded rice cake made from whole brown rice popularised again recently through macrobiotic cooking circles, this time served on a bamboo leaf giving it a fresh and slightly earthy aroma. The paste on top is Kurumi Miso, made from crushed walnuts and miso paste - cooked over an open hearth inside Waraya’s traditional kominka farmhouse. Absolute perfection! Shot for and with the good people at @visit_chiba_japan at Studio Waraya @waraya.jp

Studio Waraya in Chiba, is a collection of traditional textiles and antiques gathered from all corners of Japan that focuses on regional garments and household objects from times-gone-by. The collection is housed in a nearly 200-year-old kominka farmhouse, renovated a decade ago by the collections owner, Ryuichi and his wife Hitomi. The interesting thing about their collection is it’s transience, constantly changing form as pieces enter and leave the collection, meaning no two visits are the same. When we visited Hitomi was kind enough to show us some lovely bits currently in the collection ranging from matsuri wear to sleeping garments, footwear to everyday household objects. Of particular note were the:   · Gion Matsuri Jacket from Kyoto, approx 100 years old · Boro Patchwork from Kansai, likely Meiji-era (19-20th C) · Hadetakaya Matsuri Jacket from Gifu, approx 80 years old · Maiwai Fisherman’s Overcoat from Chiba, likely Meiji-era · Katsugi - often worn by the wives of samurai, from Yamagata, Edo-era (17-18th C) · Yogi - a type of wearable blanket, halfway between a kimono and a duvet. Popular through the Edo and Meiji-eras   All in all, a fascinating collection which was a delight to photograph. Visits to the see the collection are by appointment only, see their IG page @waraya.jp for more info.   Shot for and with the good people at @visit_chiba_japan

A late afternoon meander around Nara

An abandoned doctor’s clinic in rural Japan. A beautiful clinic made up of just three rooms: the doctor’s office, a waiting room and an operating room. The warm wood and vast windows gave the place a wonderful feeling of early Showa-era Japan.

First Flight At First Light. Another lockdown memory. Back in 2021 a friend and I had the bright idea of climbing Mt Fuji in the early summer even though the climbing season was officially cancelled due to the virus. We arrived in the early evening, met several hikers at the base, they’d just descended our intended route. Mt Fuji was officially closed but a fair few climbers and locals were heading up daily and this night we were going to do it too! Exciting! We were well prepared having both climbed Fuji through the night before and we were pumped to do it again! Not long after setting off though we were accosted by security, yup they had security on the mountain through the night during the pandemic, and they were adamant we mustn’t continue. We didn’t want to cause trouble so we turned around and headed back down the mountain, feeling rather deflated. That was the end of that. We drove to nearby Lake Shojiko, pulled up and slept there for the night, both of us feeling disappointed with our failed mission. I didn’t sleep much, two fully grown adults in one car is never ideal sleeping conditions, plus it was a super humid evening and so after a very restless night, as first light hit, I decided to grab my camera and take a walk. It was grey and misty out, I was feeling real groggy and Fuji was nowhere to be seen but I did spot a lone fisherman silhouetted against the dreary backdrop so I raised my camera to snap a photo of him. At that very moment not only did the mist give way for the peak of Fuji to appear but a single crane took flight seemingly out of nowhere too, likely passing through on its yearly migration north. Snap! This one shot turned out to be one of my absolute favourite photos ever taken! Swipe right for the full, uncropped version.

Did anyone else go through a stage of photoshopping Totoro into random photos of theirs? No? Ok must have just been me. This was in 2020, at the peak of the virus, when we were all locked down🦠 Aye I had time on my hands!

A solo photo walk through some of Tokyo’s quieter back streets

The brutally beautiful Fujimi Barber, a solid seventies classic, in Naka Meguro

Our pal @satogenmai proving time and again that trips to the hatake to farm and sell fresh produce can be a whole microcosm of drip. At @sun_sunichi