I took these photos on oomisoka, or New Year’s Eve, when the family visited Warabi Shrine to welcome in the New Year. I used my 35mm and good ol’ black & white print film (imagine that!). It was a nice evening, equal parts solemnity and festivity, which I hope is evident a little in the pictures below.
The black and white really emphasizes the timeless qualities of the subject. At first I thought these were some more shots from your inlaws old photo albums.