Hoan Kiem District Police’s headquarters in 1995.
The photographer first visited Hanoi in February 1995. Late last month, he shared a series of photos from the late 1990s, which garnered significant public interest.
He noted that Vietnam has undergone rapid development over the past 30 years, making nostalgic scenes like these increasingly rare.
Le Thai To Street in 1997.
In the 1990s, Kobayashi used a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera to capture his photos. Recently, he converted these film images into digital format. Today, the photographer continues to use an SLR camera, along with a phone, to pursue his passion for photography.
A bookstore on Trang Tien Street 29 years ago.
Yuichi Kobayashi, 57, has been the representative of a Japanese company in Vietnam for the past 18 years. He previously lived in Hanoi with his family, but as his children grew up, they returned to Japan to live and work, while he remained in Vietnam.
The photographer captured several streets such as Ngo Quyen, Ba Trieu, and Giai Phong in 1995.
In the photographer’s memory, this is likely Hue Street. Taken around 1998-1999, the photo captures people dressed in winter clothing, with most relying on bicycles for transportation.
According to the photographer, although Hanoi has developed, the warm relationships between people remain unchanged.
An old house on Hue Street in 1998.
In addition to street photography, the photographer has a passion for collecting cameras and currently owns around 100. Kobayashi shared that in the late 1990s, one of his favorite pastimes was browsing camera shops around Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake.
People walking around Hoan Kiem Lake (at the intersection of Hang Dao and Hang Gai), circa 1998-1999.
The photographer shared that he always enjoys strolling around the lake, as "it remains the heart of Hanoi."
