When Yuichi Kobayashi first arrived in Hanoi in 1995, he spent days roaming the city, photographing scenes of daily life. He remembers an Old Quarter that was calm and not yet a global destination, with few direct flights to Noi Bai Airport at the time.
One image shows a hat shop on Hang Bai Street flanked by street vendors carrying their wares on bamboo poles balanced over their shoulders. During his most recent return in 2022, Kobayashi was surprised to find the shop and nearby buildings almost unchanged after all those years.
Another photo, taken in 1998, on Trang Tien Street, shows a woman and a child on a bicycle. Behind her is a public phone booth, a sight that has since vanished. He remembers that to make a call back then people had to buy phone cards at the post office.
On Hang Trong Street in August 1999, a cyclo driver struck a pose that Kobayashi found cool. Cyclos served as the city's taxis in those days.
His 1998 photo of Hang Bong Street depicts sidewalk stalls selling tea and snacks. Kobayashi said he had always loved photographing everyday life, a passion that began during his student years in Japan. Upon arriving in Hanoi, he was drawn to the city's life.
"I became fascinated with capturing the expressions of the city," he says.
A bus on Le Thai To Street in March 1998 reflected a time when public transport was limited.
There were few buses, and the system only improved around 2005.
On Hue Street near Hoan Kiem Lake, Kobayashi photographed a portrait artist in a suit and tie in 1998.
When he revisited in 2017, the studio was still there.
"I admired the motorbike taxi drivers' skill when I saw how they could nap," he said of a 1998 photo taken on Trang Tien Street.
The St. Joseph's Cathedral in 1997 stood almost empty. Its courtyard served as a playground for children.
Hanoi had few tourist attractions then. Though Ha Long Bay was nearby, the journey took five hours and the services were rudimentary.
Trang Tien Street on a winter night in 1998. "I remember it was a cold winter," the photographer recalls.
On the right is a bookstore. At the time anyone looking to buy books would head to Trang Tien or Dinh Le streets. After shopping, they would stop for Trang Tien ice cream nearby. In summers the shop would be so crowded that the line often stretched halfway across the street.
Just before Tet in 2007, Kobayashi captured a sidewalk barber on Dinh Le Street. Barbers could be found on nearly every street.
"These barbers were working on prime real estate, just 200 meters from the Metropole Hotel and 300 meters from Hanoi Post Office," he says.
In another 2007 shot from Hang Bo Street, vendors spread their goods on the pavement during weekends in front of closed shopfronts. But by Sunday night everything would be gone as if nothing had happened. Kobayashi found that contrast fascinating.
He noted that the Old Quarter began transforming in the early 2000s. Hang Da Market, once known for handicrafts, even started appearing in Japanese travel guides.
"The way they crossed their legs while waiting for customers looked quite funny," he says about a photo from Hang Gai Street in 2008. The street was already lined with souvenir shops catering to foreign visitors.
Kobayashi has kept hundreds of photos of old Hanoi, which he first shared online about seven years ago with little attention.
Recently interest in the city's past has grown.
"If possible, I'd like to publish a photo book," he says.
According to Kobayashi (R), Hanoi's Old Quarter still carries a deep sense of nostalgia, which is why he cherishes its atmosphere both then and now. He is not sure how the neighborhood will evolve in future, but believes balance is key and that it should serve the lives of Hanoians, preserve its historical values and welcome visitors.
The photo shows the area in front of the “Shark Jaw” building in 1998. The structure has since been demolished to expand Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, creating more public space.
