There are a few Tokyo districts sufficiently unique and well-known to stand independent in their respective identities, glamorous Ginza, chic Shibuya and rockin' Roppongi being among the most obvious examples.
And then there is Shinjuku, which is a bit of everything. A city within a city with plenty of upscale shops and yet more than its share of down-and-out homeless encampments, Shinjuku boasts some of Tokyo's best parks, tallest office towers and the city's largest red-light and gay districts. If Shinjuku lacks a distinct identity, this might be because it is, as American photographer and longtime Tokyo resident Torin Boyd believes, a microcosm of all of Japan.
Boyd, 39, has been photographing Shinjuku with zeal for some five years, and selections from his book in the making are now on exhibition at Scruffy Murphy's, an Irish pub and ad hoc gallery located near Omotesando-dori, which is close to, but not actually in, Shinjuku.