In the quiet backstreets of Tokyo's Nihonbashi district sits a small, unassuming store specializing in Iranian groceries — the only shop of its kind in the Japanese capital.
Named Darvish — though unrelated to the popular Iranian Japanese baseball pitcher Yu Darvish — the store is run by Mohammad Hassan Aghasi, a friendly bearded man many refer to fondly as "Amu Hassan," or Uncle Hassan.
In addition to selling a range of Iranian sweets, halal meats, breads and other staples, Hassan is also known to treat customers to cups of Persian tea while reciting poetry or playing with his pet birds.