Yopparai Tengoku (Drunkards’ Heaven) – In Japan, some hard working business men and women are known for drinking as hard as they work. Going on until they reach their absolute limit.

“My photographs are a record of the people who have reached this limit and exhausted their strength after the daily grind. Each one has a different story, but everyone lives at a frantic pace. People drink with friends as a reward for the hard day’s work and to get ready for the next, just like ancient warriors would – A lot of people struggle through such hard working situations.

I took these pictures with a true feeling of respect for the people depicted. I don’t believe the state my subjects are in is shabby in any way. I can feel they have experienced hardships and extreme fatigue to end up this way.” — Kenji Kawamoto

– Discover more of Kenji’s work here.