Monzen-Nakacho—Monnaka to the locals—lies low, laced by canals that flow into Tokyo Bay. It’s a refuge from the formality of central Tokyo. And it typifies Japan’s sense of drift: fewer children, dying businesses and flagging faith.

Night Snacks by Nick Burns

Shigemi Masuda is a quick-change artist whose wooden cart becomes a semi-private tent of intimacy each night. He’s a purveyor of oden — traditional boiled fishcakes, turnips and bean curd. A slow stream of people trickle into his street stall, usually as their last stop on a night out.

To view the full project, please visit The Washington Post.

Web design and production by Nick Burns

Originally published by The Washington Post on September 4, 2009.