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Lee Chapman

🇬🇧 British street photographer in Japan. Documenting the raw, disappearing side of Tokyo for over 20 years. Founder of Tokyo Times.

Book, print and photowalk info below:

08/09/2026

Old Coca-Cola signs in Tokyo, and indeed further afield, are always lovely to find — the combination of that iconic font and the contrasting Japanese surroundings giving them an appeal way beyond their individual components.

So this then is my ongoing collection, which includes some new finds, old faves, and one that was both revisited and re-shot.

Location:

Camera & Lens: M262, M10P, M10R with Summicron 35mm f/2

06/09/2026

My latest newsletter is out, with this edition covering the recent ban of military uniforms and cosplay at Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine. The photos included cover well over a decade of documenting the kind of sights that may not be seen again.

For the full set of images and the accompanying text, there’s a link to the web version here: https://tokyotimes.beehiiv.com/p/tokyo-s-controversial-yasukuni-shrine

Location:

Camera & Lens: M9, typ262, M10, M10R with Summicron 35mm f/2

01/09/2026

Tokyo changes quickly, so scenery-wise there aren’t that many guarantees, but when it comes to photographing people, there are no givens whatsoever. Each day and walk is a complete unknown, meaning it’s simply a case of being aware and ready for any brief moment that might present itself.

These then are some such sightings captured over the last few weeks, with the ultranationalist sweet potato seller being an especially timely addition, as my latest newsletter covers Yasukuni Shrine’s recent ban on military uniforms, along with cosplay in general. There’s a link in my bio should you be interested.

Location:

Camera & Lens: M10R with Summicron 35mm f/2

25/08/2026

The only real theme of this series is the sheer variety of scenes one can see on the streets of Tokyo. Little moments and urban fragments that make walking the city so rewarding.

Of this little collection, the overgrown toy and stationary shop is an old favourite, but it was especially pleasing to get the flowers in full bloom and the owner in a nicely matching outfit. Also, capturing the man exiting his far-right, Japanese First poster emblazoned building was satisfying in a very different way.

Those two, and indeed all the rest, were taken on a couple of meandering walks towards the end of June.

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Camera & Lens: M10R with Summicron 35mm f/2

23/08/2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcYClcwhuQl/?igsi=dzFwdmh6endiZnhs

18/08/2026

I’ve shown the opening photo in particular quite a few times. Taken back in July 2014, it’s one of a number of images that helped me think differently about photography, and more specifically, the kind of photography I wanted to focus more on. Encounters that are suggestive of all kinds of stories, but over time, they can also become incredibly poignant documents of a disappearing way of life, and indeed of life itself.

A realisation that gradually turned into a more considered way of working, and this small series of photographs is in many ways a culmination of that process. The complete documentation from old to new. Now and then.

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Camera & Lens: M9 M10 M10R with Summicron 35mm f/2

11/08/2026

Founded in the late 1940s as a small, traditional inn, the Hatoya Hotel in Shizuoka Prefecture expanded massively in the 60s and 70s, becoming a modern, hilltop destination that proved incredibly popular, boasting an impressive capacity of over 800 guests. TV commercials at the time also cemented the now nostalgic catchphrase, ‘If you’re going to Ito, you must go to Hatoya’.

Nowadays, however, that once state-of-the-art design is looking more than a little dated, although unlike many hotels of its generation, the Hatoya has somehow managed to survive. As have many of the original fittings and furniture. Even an on-site fire truck. All of which make a stay there akin to stepping back in time.

I’d first seen the hotel when passing through the area several years ago — its rusting and iconic sign creating quite an impression. So much so in fact that I made a promise to go back and stay there. A commitment I finally made good on a few weeks back.

It should be said that for some, the hotel’s worn and faded nature will likely disappoint, with any sense of luxury having long since gone. But for what is essentially a journey back to Showa era Japan, the Hatoya provides an experience like no other.

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Camera & Lens: M10R with Summicron 35mm f/2

06/08/2026

My latest newsletter is out, with this edition featuring a deep dive into danchi — Japanese public housing. Its heyday, decline and potential renaissance.

For the full set of photographs and text, you can find it here along with all the other monthly instalments: https://tokyotimes.beehiiv.com

Location:

Camera & Lens: M10, M10R with Summicron 35mm f/2

04/08/2026

Regularly re-visiting certain areas means many of the streets and structures are familiar. Those involving people on the other hand are always different. As are the weather conditions. Plus now and again, turning a new corner or exploring a previously unseen street results in wholly unexpected finds. Like the old toy and sweet shop in the first few frames.

The rest of the photos are mostly made up of those previously seen locations, but on the day they were all taken, the light and people were different than on other days.

Location:

Camera & Lens: M10R with Summicron 35mm f/2

28/07/2026

Regularly wandering Tokyo’s older suburbs means I pass an awful lot of homes. Many of them are dated, with more than a few abandoned, but these are some that I was fortunate enough to see both the building and the owner.

Location:

Camera & Lens: M10R with Summicron 35mm f/2

住所

Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo