A city held together by gaffer tape. Tokyo’s underground is one of the busiest, most  punctual and best-organised rail networks  in the world. Around 3.1 billion passengers  a year rely on a tightly timed service - delays here are measured in seconds. Yet a rail network of this scale is also a living organism, as the countless  building sites,  diversions and temporary fixes make clear. And this is where a distinctly Japanese pragmatism comes into play: if something works,  the otherwise strong concern for aesthetics can take a back seat. The temporary solution  becomes the norm.

Something too low? Gaffer tape warns you.
Something in the way? Gaffer tape redirects you.
Something coming loose? Gaffer tape holds it in place.  

In summer, when hot, humid air meets the cooler walls and ceilings of the deep underground tunnels, large amounts of condensation form. Station staff then tackle the problem with surprisingly elaborate constructions made from tape, hoses and plastic bottles, designed to catch and channel the water. 

Beautiful? No. Efficient? Absolutely. 

A close ally of gaffer tape is the humble plastic funnel, known in Japanese as jōgo, which frequently forms part of these improvised constructions. The jōgo is another ubiquitous tool of Japan’s everyday DIY engineering – and by no means confined to the underground: They are everywhere.


A publication in the Tokyo Bento series  
Edition of six Zines in a polystyrene sushi container

44 pages, digital print
Print run: 6 copies
2026, printed in Japan