A wakame fisherman in tiny Irozaki harbour shows off part of his haul in gale force conditions

Old lady selling fruit at Ito train station

This old cat was grumpy as hell and had a very bloodshot eye

This lovely lady sold us a bag of mikans (mandarins) . She was so gracious and look - it's like 9 am on a Thursday morning and she's decked out in make-up and faux fur scarf. I asked if I could photograph her and she replied "ii desu yo" (it's fine by me) as matter-of-factly as if I was asking for a bag of potatoes - then she just stood still and looked into the camera and thanked us for taking her photo.