Life through a lens

Herbie Yamaguchi

It’s been 57 years since Tokyo was last an Olympic city. To get a sense of how the metropolis has changed between 1964 and this summer’s Games, we take a look at the work of two great chroniclers of the Japanese capital – photographers Masaaki Kasuga and Herbie Yamaguchi

An electronics shop in the district of Akihabara Masaaki Kasuga

An electronics shop in the district of Akihabara

The district of Shinjuku at the time of Japan’s first Olympics Masaaki Kasuga

The district of Shinjuku at the time of Japan’s first Olympics

A clothing store with the Olympic flag proudly on display Masaaki Kasuga

A clothing store with the Olympic flag proudly on display

The west side of Shibuya station, where the Moyai statue stands today Masaaki Kasuga

The west side of Shibuya station, where the Moyai statue stands today

Students protest in Tokyo, 1970 Herbie Yamaguchi

Students protest in Tokyo, 1970

Mourners gather at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace on the day of the state funeral of Emperor Hirohito, 1989 Herbie Yamaguchi

Mourners gather at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace on the day of the state funeral of Emperor Hirohito, 1989

Three children take a ride on their father’s bicycle, 2009 Herbie Yamaguchi

Three children take a ride on their father’s bicycle, 2009

A train promoting the UN’s sustainable development goals passes through Tokyo, 2021 Herbie Yamaguchi

A train promoting the UN’s sustainable development goals passes through Tokyo, 2021