[Photos] 1994 Hanoi in the Eyes of a Former Japan Ambassador to Vietnam

On a day like any other in November 1994, some Hanoians might have been curious about the fact that their shop front and daily routine were being photographed by a wandering Japanese man.

None of the people photographed, and perhaps not even the man himself, realized that almost two decades later, he would return to the Southeast Asian country as the Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam Fukada Hiroshi.

According to the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, Hiroshi held the position from 2013 to 2016. Before arriving in Vietnam, he was assigned to Senegal. His photos of Hanoi street scenes, shot on film, showcase a capital that, surprisingly, has remained resistant to the forces of change. 1994 street fashion, however, was a far cry from the styles of today, but the busyness of shops and street food vendors seems comfortingly consistent.

Walk the street of Hanoi in 1994 through Fukada Hiroshi’s lens below:

Xích lô and bicycles fill the streets.

A picture shop in Cau Go.

In a dark teal velvet suit, the owner of a votive paper shop calls out to potential customers.

An artist/photography studio.

A row of new Honda Super Cubs at a street food stall.

Phố Cổ from above.

Votive papers on Hàng Mã.

Look! It's Mr. Hiroshi.

For those with a sweet tooth.

A young Hanoian girl.

Students riding home after school in áo dài.

[Photos by Fukada Hiroshi via Redsvn]