I’ve been to Tokyo and let me tell you, it’s by far the busiest city I have ever experienced. Walking along the famous Shibuya Crossing is like trying to pass a tidal wave of bodies.

Images VIA

Despite being chockablock with other individuals, oddly enough there’s a huge loneliness problem in Japan, with more and more people living in a single person household. No one has captured this phenomenon better than Amsterdam-based photographer Julie Hrudova. She says:

For a city that’s very populated and organised, it’s a city of loneliness, which is a saddening factor in contrast to so many playful elements associated with Tokyo.

The single person household is increasing and the Japanese even have a word for this section of society, combining ‘lonely’ and ‘group’. I sensed this in the urban atmosphere, and tried to capture it in the daily city life.

The result is a photo collection that captures both beauty and sadness in the fascinating Japanese capital:

For more Japanese photo sets, check out gangsters, prostitutes and drag queens from Tokyo’s red light district.