Tokyo Station Goes Silent And White

Yet on the rare mornings when snow falls over Tokyo, even this familiar landmark feels transformed into something entirely different.

Snow is not a common visitor to central Tokyo. Most winters pass with clear blue skies and crisp, dry air, but, when snow does arrive, it changes the rhythm of the city. The usual sounds seem softer, footsteps become more deliberate, and people pause a little longer than usual to look around. In 2014, when it did snow for a whole day long, the rather busy station went silent and white and I planned to go up the same location and take a snap as to how it looks during snowfall. Serene and beautiful.

The Station was eerily quiet at 6 p.m. in the evening on a work day. Looks like most people were only out for essential work and some enthusiasts with their cameras.It was still snowing heavily and the snow was accumulating along the walk way leading to the Tokyo Station. It was difficult to walk and realised that we were wearing footwear not suited for walking in the accumulated snow, a rare occurrence in Tokyo. 

Accumulated snow and a few taxis around the South entrance of the Tokyo Station.On the North entrance to the Tokyo Station we saw the trees draped with the snow, a scenery and beauty which we never witness on a normal day. It had been snowing for nearly 24 hours long and the city was set for a standstill the next couple of days.

What I enjoy most about photographing snowfall in Tokyo is its fleeting nature. Unlike the snow country of northern Japan, where winter settles in for months, snowfall in central Tokyo is often temporary. The city borrows winter for a few hours and then quietly gives it back.

The top conical portion of the Tokyo Station had also gone white, but by this time I was freezing and wanted to get back home as early as possible

The naughty expectation is that it keeps snowing for a couple of days, stops the train network and we get a holiday to stay back home :). In the age of Internet, Smart Mobile devices and Bring your own device, unfortunately we can also work from home without having to physically travel to office…

By the following morning, much of the snow would be gone. The crowds would return, the lights would compete with daylight, and Tokyo Station would once again become part of the city's daily rhythm. But for a few hours that night, beneath falling snow and glowing lights, one of Tokyo's most familiar landmarks felt almost magical. Thats the mood with which me and my wife returned in our Nissan Note which was FREEEEZING.