Every picture tells a story: Fascinating shop fronts in Kyoto

In every alleyway and side-street in Kyoto and Tokyo there are thousands of stories. I took these photos in 2015 and 2016 and reliving them now in the present brings me nostalgic delight. Some shop fronts are adorned in such an ingenious way as to make passersby stop and absorb their magic and energy. The sense of wabi-sabi imperfect perfection is clear. The gnarled, growing trees and ferns snaking past overhead powerlines, rusted old bicycles, the rich, sumptuous colours. There is a nostalgic magic to these places because they appear timeless, or outside of time. As though people are incidental and the place stands primary and prominently. There was never enough time to fully explore every part of these majestic cities. The wonder they elicit always calls me back. What was hidden inside of here will always remain a mystery!