<figure id="attachment_458814" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1671px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458814"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="42122d6f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/d56f34914d39c04ff1b331019229984d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-458814" class="wp-caption-text">Two women, meeting for the first time, dance together—one a Japanese cosplayer, the other a foreign YouTuber.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>A Cutting-Edge Photographer Captures the Diverse Human Scenes on the Streets</h3>
Japan’s largest entertainment district, Shinjuku’s Kabukicho, is transforming. People are gathering here from all over the world, including Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Over roughly ten days in early February, a rising photographer captured the district every night around 11 p.m., showcasing the appeal of Kabukicho that attracts so many.
“Shall we take a picture together?”
The two women dancing together are a Japanese cosplayer and a foreign YouTuber—meeting for the first time. Behind them, friends film their performance.
<figure id="attachment_458810" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2063px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458810"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5defe0ba"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/5ca59b28b94345789aea987a0be59388.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-458810" class="wp-caption-text">A cosplaying woman gestures from a second-floor shop window, inviting passersby to join the street performance.</figcaption></figure>
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Photographer Bun Kamiyama, who had been based abroad and returned to Kabukicho for the first time in about six years, remarks:
“Foreigners were always present, but previously mostly from China, Korea, and other parts of Asia. Now, people from Europe, the Middle East, and many other countries gather in Kabukicho. Under the neon lights of this sleepless district, more and more people are filming with their smartphones.”
The core group of YouTubers is young. In one photo, teenagers are doing somersaults on the street after shouting, “Ready, go!” A young man, likely a friend, points his smartphone at them to record the few-second performance.
Kamiyama continues:
“While police and city crackdowns have reduced aggressive touting and overcharging, the anything goes atmosphere remains. Outlandish cosplay that would stand out in other districts feels natural here. People drunkenly sleeping on the street, loud fights between men and women—Kabukicho allows these raw, unfiltered human moments to be visible in a way that other districts do not.”
Kamiyama’s photos condense the energy and appeal of Kabukicho, where people from all over the world now converge.
From &#8220;FRIDAY&#8221;, March 6, 2026 issue
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<figure id="attachment_458811" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458811"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="315bdef2"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/38169f2fb07f2e8f4bd1bd93a8f91c04.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-458811" class="wp-caption-text">Multiple young women do somersaults on the street, shouting, “Hurry and take the picture!”</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_458816" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 1833px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458816"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d04e98a4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/f58a97c48d6ec2a364f02b18db90d0b5.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-458816" class="wp-caption-text">A foreign woman walks through the bustling district in bold attire, unfazed by the many onlookers.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_458817" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 1939px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458817"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="77c3f4e7"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/ed736e7d8f8aa5c33b1b7eea873e7015-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-458817" class="wp-caption-text">A Chinese man helps his intoxicated female partner to stand; they later take a taxi.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_458818" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458818"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="36e81757"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/e9932695c28a16c7b777d404b411b9de.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-458818" class="wp-caption-text">Street touts line up along the sidewalk; around 11 p.m., about 100 were present.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_458819" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-458819"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="84c4cd90"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/25c5211d369eb4f929c44236d946094b.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-458819" class="wp-caption-text">Foreign cosplayers: the woman on the left wears a bright red dress, while the woman on the right dons black attire.</figcaption></figure>

 Fumi Kamiyama

 Kabukicho in Shinjuku is one of the largest entertainment districts in the East. Its contents are gradually changing. Up-and-coming photographer Bun Kamiyama spent about two weeks in Kabukicho to take these shocking photos.

Shinjuku’s Kabukichō Evolves — Late-Night Neon Streets Draw Foreign Visitors and YouTubers

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