IN SUGAMO, a district of Tokyo, the river of human traffic turns greyer and slower as it files past shops selling thermal underwear and orthopaedic socks. Pavements have been modified to accommodate wheelchairs. Hand-written signs replace neon. The main street hosts ten chemists, two funeral arrangers and a karaoke bar where the song list stops in the 1970s.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline "Out to pasture"
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