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Tokyo has earned the name of one of the most futuristic cities in the world with its otherworldly modern and traditional Japanese architecture and nightly neon glow. But Polish illustrator and digital designer Mateusz Urbanowicz has seen a different face of the city and has decided to share it through a watercolor painting series of the Tokyo city storefronts.
“When I moved to Tokyo, more than 3 years ago I was really surprised that upon my walks I encountered so many shops still in business in really old Japanese buildings. Differently to Kobe, where the earthquake wiped out a lot of these old downtown houses and shops, in Tokyo, they still survive,” says Matto (Mateusz’s nickname in Japan). “I chose the best reference pictures from the ones I took during my explorations and decided to make watercolor drawings of old Tokyo storefronts.”
In his illustrations, Mateusz doesn’t bring the mesmerizing contrasts of Japanese culture in Tokyo, instead, he depicts the quiet and ordinary parts of the city, showing us this metropolis through the eyes of locals.
More info: Mateusz Urbanowicz (h/t: demilked)
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Aunt Messy 7 years ago
These are gorgeous, and I think that people who go to Japan on holiday or for business tend to miss them and end up thinking that Tokyo is just a mass of high rises. A block away from Shinjuku Station (the largest passenger rail station on the planet), there are streets full of buildings just like this. I admit we're not typical tourists. We seek out places like this.
varwenea 7 years ago
Not true. I have traveled for work for 17 years and visited Japan many times. Both the tech, high rise and cozy, traditional are well recognized by each different team member without prompting. I've been to many prefectures in Japan that I can't even name them, and each always exude both charm and grace even with a mundane grocery store.
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Inurri 7 years ago
Each one is do beautiful!!! They look like taken from an animation movie. Wow!
Jennifer Tarnow 7 years ago
Yes, I feel like they might just spring into action, with people coming out of them or going in, people working there, some pass by and so on.
Load More Replies... Aunt Messy 7 years ago
These are gorgeous, and I think that people who go to Japan on holiday or for business tend to miss them and end up thinking that Tokyo is just a mass of high rises. A block away from Shinjuku Station (the largest passenger rail station on the planet), there are streets full of buildings just like this. I admit we're not typical tourists. We seek out places like this.
varwenea 7 years ago
Not true. I have traveled for work for 17 years and visited Japan many times. Both the tech, high rise and cozy, traditional are well recognized by each different team member without prompting. I've been to many prefectures in Japan that I can't even name them, and each always exude both charm and grace even with a mundane grocery store.
Load More Replies... Inurri 7 years ago
Each one is do beautiful!!! They look like taken from an animation movie. Wow!
Jennifer Tarnow 7 years ago
Yes, I feel like they might just spring into action, with people coming out of them or going in, people working there, some pass by and so on.
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