Japanorama’s photographer, Alfie Goodrich, was shooting pics for the BBC at the end of last week for a story about some of the odd things, people and animals you can rent in Japan.

“In Japan, now back in recession, the economic situation has taken a sharp turn for the worse in recent months. But the Japanese still like to use their money to have fun, as Duncan Bartlett has been finding out.”

This was an interesting assignment; I discovered a few places and things in Tokyo that I hadn’t experienced before, got to hang out with some cool cats and dogs and basically just drop into another segment of life in the metropolis.

The job took me over to Ikebukuro, Adachi-ku and Kinshicho. Great fun. Duncan has written up a nice piece for the ‘From Our Correspondent’ section of the BBC website.

See the original story at the link below.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Rent-a-friend in Japan.

See a full selection of my photographs in the gallery below. They are from:

Nekobukuro: 8th Floor, Tokyu Hands, Ikebukuro
Pay 600Yen and stay as long as you like with the cats.

Nekorobi: Higashi-ikebukuro, just around the corner from Tokyu Hands.
1000Yen for the first hour. 300 Yen for each half-hour after that. Nice chilled-out space and you get a baggie of cat-food thrown in with the entrance fee.

Wanpakuland: dog rental, sales, grooming
Umejima, Adahchi-ku. Closest station, Umejima on the Hibiya/Tobu-Isezaki Line

Pet Salon Poko: dog rental, sales & grooming
Kinshi, Sumida-ku
Nearest station, Kinshicho on the Hanzomon/Chuo-Rinkan line.

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