30 Years of Desire and Violence: A Korean Photographer’s Portrait of Kabukicho’s Human Drama

A yakuza delivers a brutal kick to a street tout; he stomps on an office worker who hurled insults—

NEW
|CULTURE
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LINE
A yakuza member delivers a vicious kick to a tout, apparently during a dispute that broke out on the street. Late at night, November 2006.

Behind the scenes of tense photo shoots

“Kabukicho is a place where human desires are laid bare. You can experience people’s raw, unfiltered nature firsthand. It’s a human theater that stimulates me every time I go out to take photographs.”

So says Korean photographer Kwon Choul (59), who has spent the past 30 years documenting Kabukicho in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward. On October 2 and 3, a commemorative exhibition of his photographs was held at the Korean Embassy. Here, Kwon shares his experiences and explains the mysterious allure that makes Kabukicho unlike any other neighborhood.

A group brawl between foreign touts and yakuza. When a tout raises a chair, a yakuza member fights back with a bicycle. June 2009, at night.

I began photographing Kabukicho in the spring of 1996, two years after arriving in Japan. The theme of a seminar at the photography school I attended was “Shinjuku,” so I found myself visiting Kabukicho almost every day. One day, I stumbled upon a massive brawl involving 20 to 30 yakuza armed with steel pipes outside the Kabukicho police box. I was stunned. The intensity and sheer terror of the scene made my knees shake. I was so frightened that I couldn’t even take my camera out of my bag. The experience was unlike anything I had ever encountered, and it left a lasting impression on me. From that day on, Kabukicho became my battleground.

On another occasion, I was photographing yakuza when they detained me in a basement for four hours. They apparently mistook me for a police informant. Ironically, another yakuza member came to my rescue. He seemed to outrank the men who had detained me. After learning that I was a Korean student photographer, he let me go, saying:

“My mother is Korean, too. That makes us fellow countrymen. Be careful when you take pictures from now on.”

After that, whenever he saw me, he would come over and strike up a conversation.

But the people who frightened me even more than the yakuza were foreign touts. Once, while I was taking photographs in Kabukicho, a foreign tout suddenly shouted at me:

“Hey! You took my picture, didn’t you?”

He slammed into me, sending my camera flying and breaking the lens. His intimidating presence was so overwhelming that I couldn’t bring myself to stand up to him.

Many women work in Kabukicho, but it’s important to remember that they have protectors backing them. I’ve repeatedly witnessed drunk customers at adult entertainment establishments refusing to pay their bills and then being brutally beaten by groups of men.

One thing that’s become increasingly noticeable in recent years is the sharp rise in foreign tourists. Some spend time with women soliciting customers on the streets around the hotel district, while others get into trouble with touts. Times may change, but Kabukicho remains a one-of-a-kind place. I’ll continue capturing the allure of the largest entertainment district in the Orient through my photographs.

Massive street brawls involving hosts and tout!

A tout flew into a rage at a drunk office worker who was swearing and stomped on him. In the early hours of June 2009
Hosts engage in a massive brawl right in the heart of Kabukicho. It appears to have been caused by a dispute over customers. Early morning, April 2005
In an effort to improve their public image, hosts stage a parade down Ichibangai Street. Evening, July 2006.
A fight between drunk students. The perpetrator was taken away in a patrol car by police officers who rushed to the scene. July 2007, night
The sharp rise in foreign tourists has made them an increasingly familiar sight. This restaurant is famous for its cosplay shows, and foreign visitors are constantly stopping by to take commemorative photos. Night, March 2018.
A fire breaks out in a multi-tenant building, originating in the building’s management office. Fire engines and patrol cars crowd the scene. Night, April 2007.

Hostess club girls, customers and drunken young people

A group of hostess club hostesses striding along in glamorous yukata. They certainly caught the attention of passersby. One night in September 2012
A woman being pulled along by a leash attached to her collar. The two disappeared into the station just like that. One night in November 2008
A young man who looked like a college student—perhaps drunk from a club gathering—was half-naked and climbing a metal pole. One night in May 2009
Perhaps a regular customer? I came across a club hostess smiling and waving to a man in front of the bar. Late at night in October 2011
A group of heavily intoxicated men lifted a young woman into the air. She showed no sign of resistance. Late at night in July 2008
On New Year’s Eve, a young man on the street downed a one-shō bottle in one gulp while the crowd cheered him on. December 2008, night
In this bustling entertainment district, where trouble is a constant occurrence, the police barely get a moment’s rest. A man carrying a knife flees from responding officers but is quickly caught and arrested. Night, January 2013.
A man who was threatening passersby with an iron pipe was subdued by a police officer. Late at night in March 2013

Kwon Choul
In this bustling entertainment district, where trouble is a constant occurrence, the police barely get a moment’s rest. A man carrying a knife flees from responding officers but is quickly caught and arrested. Night, January 2013.

From the October 23 & 30, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”

  • PHOTO： Kwon Cheol (Documentary Photographer)

Photo Gallery17 total

Featured Articles

Related Articles