Scenes from Japan

It's a rare thing indeed to see something resembling a garden, particularly one actually used for growing things, in the centre of Tokyo. While you do find open plots used for agricultural purposes on the suburban side of the Yamanote Line, this little allotment several minutes away from Shibuya is certainly unusual, as any patch of ground bigger than a couple of square metres from here on inwards is occupied by parks, temples and the like.

Koinobori strung across a lake in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

2005 was the hundredth anniversary of the Russian-Japanese War. The Togo Shrine (東郷神社) in Tokyo's Harajuku district, which commemorates the naval commander at the time, Admiral Togo, was having a series of special celebrations, including a mikoshi procession - seen here reentering the shrine after being carried around Harajuku.

Crowds buying tickets at Harajuku Station, Tokyo.

The Roppongi Hills skyscraper towers over central Tokyo.

Second-hand manga on sale in open-air street shelves in Tokyo's Jinbochô district.