Photo Gallery: Salarymen Sleeping in Tokyo Streets

Warsaw-born, self-taught photographer Pawel Jaszczuk has lived in Tokyo for seven years where he has been photographing “salarymen” — sharply dressed, disheveled and asleep on the sidewalks. Frozen mid-gaits and contorted slumps, their sleep poses remind us of fashion magazine spreads and Robert Longo’s Men in Cities. Appropriately titled, High Fashion is a series in progress. Approaching his slumbering businessmen with care and a consistent framing angle, Jaszczuk documents this metropolis phenomena in the current issue of DAMn Magazine. See it in our gallery.


Pawel Jaszczuk, from the High Fashion series

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[...] flavorwire Posted by: bumblebee June 30th, 2011 in [...]

In truth it is against many Japanese laws to take these photos and make them public. "Approaching his slumbering businessmen with care..." Does this mean he asks their permission? Publishing them in a book is illegal and unethical.

Non-Japanese can only see these photos out of context unless they have spent many years in the country. There is nothing shameful about it at all.

Ah, yes. I'm reminded of my time working in Korea... all the shiny-suited businessmen stumbling around drunk and looking for a place to lie down on the sidewalk after a hard day at the office/noraebang.

How exactly does one make it to this shameful place??