The spots people queue for despite bad weather might surprise you.

When you live and work in a city, you tend to move through it in different ways to a tourist who might be seeing it with fresh eyes. So when Typhoon Jangmi approached Tokyo on 3 June, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the capital, locals who could work from home did just that, while others took earlier trains on their morning commute to avoid being late for work. For many tourists, though, sightseeing was still on the agenda.

Our reporter Seiji Nakazawa, who lives in Shibuya, could’ve worked from home on the day of the typhoon but decided to stick to his usual routine of catching the subway to the office in Shinjuku. That meant he was able to get a feel for what Shibuya was like, and to his surprise, it was much, much emptier than usual.

▼ The typhoon was eventually downgraded to a tropical storm, but the rain remained heavy throughout the day.

▼ In some areas there was more water than people.

Shops, streets, and even the area around the station felt strangely deserted, but there were two places where people gathered, with the first being the Dotonbori Theater.

Though most people will associate the word “Dotonbori” with the lively theatre and entertainment district of the same name in Osaka, this theatre is located in Shibuya’s Dogenzaka district, a short walk away from the station.

The retro, lantern-style sign out front is evocative of Dotonbori’s exciting atmosphere, and that excitement continues inside because this is a Japanese strip club. Popular with older locals and curious tourists, this live adult entertainment venue is restricted to adults aged 18 and over.

Bemused at the realisation that people will brave extreme weather conditions to watch an erotic performance, Seiji wondered what else might have the power to draw crowds in a typhoon-turned-tropical-storm. That’s when he saw another gathering of umbrellas right outside the station.

▼ What were they queuing for?

▼ The Hachiko statue.

Seiji was surprised to see so many people taking commemorative photos with Hachiko in the pouring rain, and what’s more, they were all foreign tourists with big smiles on their faces. As a local, Seiji usually walks by the statue of Shibuya’s famously loyal dog without giving it a second thought, but seeing the joy it brought these tourists made him appreciate its significance. It also made him realise how these people in the queue might be visiting Japan only once in their lives, and this might be their only day to see Hachiko, so his appreciation for the statue, and the tourists who braved the weather to see it, grew exponentially.

As he walked by, Seiji was struck by another surprise – the vibe of the queue. Usually, lines like these have a sense of tension to them that can make you feel a little on edge, but this one gave off a sense of warmth, due to the joy and passion of everyone in line. It was as if everyone here was living life with no regrets, and as he thought about it, that’s kind of what he felt outside the strip club too.

The pure warmth, free from negativity at the weather, transferred itself onto Seiji as he walked past the strip club and the line of Hachiko admirers. It was as if everyone’s emotions had intensified in the rain, and the energy he felt buoyed his own spirits as he dodged puddles on his way to work. He soon found himself smiling like the tourists, and as he did he realised that’s the power of Shibuya, a place that never loses its magical charm, even in the pouring rain.

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Painted Raven photography posted a photo:

Located in Holyoke, MA, USA. Explored during a photography workshop group, with permission granted by the property owner.

SEOUL, June 2  — Actor and ballet dancer Jeong Min‑chan has been removed from a Seoul musical after a social media post referencing a Starbucks drink triggered online criticism and a swift backlash from fans.

According to reporting from Korea Herald, Jeong posted a photo on Instagram on May 20 showing himself trying a new Starbucks menu item. The post appeared just as public anger was rising over Starbucks Korea’s “Tank Day” marketing image, which coincided with the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Democratisation Movement. Critics said the company’s campaign was insensitive to victims of the military crackdown.

Two days after Jeong’s upload, musical producer Showplay announced that he would exit Diaghilev, where he had been playing Vaslav Nijinsky in Seoul’s Daehangno theater district. Jeong later said he had not been aware of the controversy and apologised, calling his post a result of ignorance.

However, his first apology — written in a Chungcheong regional dialect he had not used publicly before — drew further criticism. Some fans associated the dialect with Ilbe, a far‑right online community, intensifying the backlash.

Four days after his removal from the musical, Shahar Ballet Theater’s artistic director Ji Woo‑young publicly defended Jeong, saying he had not intended to comment on the Starbucks controversy and that the drink simply tasted unexpectedly like makgeolli. She described the criticism as a “witch hunt” and said the ballet company would not drop him from any performances.

The contrasting responses underscore the different dynamics of Korea’s musical and ballet sectors. The Daehangno musical scene operates on a strong “star‑and‑fan” economy, where a small number of leading actors and highly dedicated repeat audiences can significantly influence productions. Producers often respond quickly when fan sentiment turns negative.

By contrast, ballet companies typically stage short runs with limited performances, leaving less room for fan‑driven pressure campaigns.

Industry observers quoted in the article said Jeong’s case reflects a broader trend in which performers face rapid and intense public judgment. Musical critic Choi Seung‑youn noted that fans often view their support as an extension of personal identity, making perceived ethical missteps feel personal.

Jeong was one of three actors rotating in the Nijinsky role, allowing the production to continue without disruption. For now, his prospects in Daehangno appear uncertain.

Known for his atmospheric photographs of landscapes, interiors, and urban centers that feel mysteriously locked in a not-so-distant past, Andrew Moore’s enigmatic images invite us into a slippage of time. Often—but not always—devoid of people, his scenes have a timelessness about them, as if they could have unfolded at any point over the past several decades. Sometimes it feels as though someone may have just walked by; others, it’s as if no one has viewed the scene for many years.

In his current solo exhibition, Theater, the artist’s photographs of grand staircases, aging stages, and box office ticket booths hearken to a bygone era before screens. Additional compositions featuring a bar, art restoration studio, and grand staircase in Cuba emphasize theatricality in architecture and design. Dreamy lighting, well-worn furnishings, and varying levels of decay invoke a distinct nostalgia.

Theater continues through March 21 at Jackson Fine Art.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Nostalgia and Decay Meet Theatricality in Andrew Moore’s Dramatic Photos appeared first on Colossal.

Painted Raven photography posted a photo:

Located in Holyoke, MA, USA. Explored during a photography workshop group, with permission granted by the property owner.

Eric Lafforgue posted a photo:

© Eric Lafforgue
www.ericlafforgue.com

Truus, Bob & Jan too! posted a photo:

Vintage Dutch postcard. Photo Coret, The Hague. From a booklet of postcards on the stage play Boefje/ Little Rascal, adapted for the stage by Jaap van der Poll after the novel (1903) by M.J. Brusse. The little rascal Jan Govers was played by Annie van Ees, his parents M. and Mrs. Govers, by Piet Bron and Mrs. Schwab-Welman. The play premiered in 1923, by 1935 Van Ees had played the part 500 times.

In 1939 a film adaptation followed, directed by Douglas Sirk/ Detlef Sierck, shortly before he moved to Hollywood (he never saw the finished film). In the film, Van Ees again played the part of the rascal Jan Govers, while Bron played the father once more. Shooting took place at the The Hague based film studio complex Filmstad.

Marie Joseph (Rie) Brusse (Amsterdam, June 26, 1873 – Alkmaar, January 5, 1941) was a Dutch journalist and writer. His well-known book *Boefje* was adapted into a film in 1939. According to one of his sons, M.J. Brusse was known as the “prince of journalists.”

Brusse was an innovator in Dutch journalism. He was one of the first to describe situations and events from his own observational perspective. He was also one of the first to present the interviews and conversations he conducted in dialogue form. For his series of articles on Rotterdam sailors’ lodgings, he went undercover (1898). For decades, he wrote daily reports and serialized stories for the (then) Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant under the title “Onder de Menschen.” He wrote extensively about social injustices in the major cities and in rural areas. Many of his pieces were published in book form. A bestseller was his book *Het rosse leven en sterven van de Zandstraat* about Rotterdam’s red-light and sailors’ district around Zandstraat.

During the First World War, he reported extensively on the work of Dutch doctors and nurses in the Balkans, both in newspapers and in books. In 1915, he published *The Horrors of War in Serbia* about Dr. Arius van Tienhoven’s ambulance unit in Valjevo, and two years later, *A Dutch Hospital in a Bombed City* about Dr. Henri van Dijk’s work at the front in Monastir. In 2017, 100 years after its first publication, the First World War Study Center Foundation reissued that latter work.

In 1903, he published a serialized story titled Boefje in the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant, also issued that year as novel. The play Boefje, adapted from Brusse's lovel and written by Jaap van der Poll, enjoyed great popularity and was performed hundreds of times with actress Annie van Ees in the title role, from 1923 onward. In 1939, Douglas Sirk directed a Dutch film adaptation starring the then 45-year-old Van Ees.

Brusse spent the last years of his life with his family in Groet (North Holland). He died in 1941 in a hospital in Alkmaar and is buried at the General Cemetery in Schoorl.

(Source: Dutch Wikipedia)

Kaïopai° posted a photo:

Naturtheater Greifensteine / Greifensteine Theater,
28. Mai 1938