Satisfaction through the process. A trip around the Nakameguro Daikanyama area.

Film cameras, cassette tapes, recorders, minimalism, public baths, draft beer.

While the objects seem unconnected they are tied together by a common bond.

Throughout the world many people have raised concerns about the over-digitalization of our society. Partly for this reason, and along with nostalgic considerations, old goods such as records, cassette tapes, and film cameras have experienced a resurgence in popularity. Alongside this phenomenon people are also choosing locally made products over their cheaper corporate competitors.

This is perhaps result of consumers placing a greater emphasis on the process by which goods are made and the process through which we enjoy them. This “satisfaction through the process” can be manifested in our enjoyment of film development or through the appreciation of a neighborhood brewery’s craft beer.

Four years ago I moved to Japan. Since making this my new home, I have felt the growing presence of this “satisfaction through the process” movement in Tokyo.

The following is a guide that charts a course through the Daikanyama Nakameguro, an area which you can feel the movement growing. Unlike the popular areas of Harajuku and Shibuya, you may come across a new version of Tokyo you may not normally see.