For Almost Blue Aram Tanis photographed the boxes and tents in which the homeless live in Tokyo. Here most homeless people are middle-aged or older men, often once white-collar workers or company owners. Japan's working culture is ruthless and the reason for many of these people to eventually choose a life outside the system.

 

Japan has a culture of long working hours. Karoshi, the Japanese term to describe death attributed to overwork, is a well known phenomenon in this country. Nearly a quarter of Japanese companies have employees working more than 80 hours overtime a month, often unpaid, and 12 percent have employees breaking the 100 hours a month mark. 80 hours overtime a month is regarded as the threshold above which you have an increased chance of dying.

​

With Almost Blue Tanis shows us the alternative homes people have created for themselves so they can escape the oppression of Japanese society.

​

​

Irene Beers