Photos Of Tokyo In The 1970s Seen Through The Eyes Of A Canadian Who Moved There At The Time

Two School Girls, 1979

After arriving in Tokyo in the 1970s for what had to be a short trip, Greg Girard instantly made up his mind to stay there. The photographer got a part-time gig working as an English teacher, giving him plenty of time to explore the city with his camera. Renting a darkroom and making black and white prints, and sending his slide film to a commercial processing lab, his pictures from this period remained largely unseen until The Magenta Foundation put them together into a book called ‘Tokyo-Yokosuka 1976-1983’.

More: Greg Girard, Instagram h/t: boredpanda

Ikebukuro Subway Station, 1976

Having just arrived in Tokyo for the first time in 1976, Greg looked out at the city from the Yamanote Line, wondering why nobody had ever told him about this place.

“There was nothing at that time, in terms of available information, that could prepare you for your first visit to the world’s biggest, most intense and most unknown city on Earth,” he told Bored Panda. “I left my luggage in a coin locker and walked around the streets and alleys of Shinjuku all night and by morning decided I was going to try and figure out how to stay there.”

Keiko, Yoyogi Park, 1979

Greg lived in Tokyo for about three years in the late 70s and visited frequently from Hong Kong and Shanghai in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. He lives in Canada now but still visits the city 2-3 times a year.

“I’d visit more if I could.”

Shinjuku, Cinema For Men, 1983

Shinjuku 5:09am, 1979

Shinjuku, 1979

Shinjuku, 05:00 Am, 1979

Lobby, Keio Plaza Hotel, 1980

Kabukicho Neon, 1977

Jakuza Greeting, Mr. Donuts, 1979

Bus Stop, 1977

Woman Kneeling In Street, 1980

American Sailor In Bar, 1976

Juli, Tokyo Bay, 1979

Well Dressed Young Man, 1976

Department Store Elevator Operator, 1977

Man In Suit, 1979

Shibuya Crossing, 1976

Judy Ong, Parco TV Commercial, 1980

Pasolini In Tokyo, 1976

Haneda Airport, Tokyo, 1979

Shinjuku, Kabuki-Cho (USA Club), 1976

Near Haneda Airport, Tokyo, 1979

Shin-Okubo, 1979

Man In Kabuki-Cho, 1976

Man In Cinema Lobby, 1982

Tokyo Bay, Ferry To Okinawa, 1982

Canal Near Haneda Airport, 1979

‘Lorena’, 11pm Show, 1979