The Silent J-Town - 2024

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Once a year, Jakarta changes.

As millions of people leave the city to be with family, the capital slows down in a way that feels almost impossible during the rest of the year.

For a few short days, the usual chaos disappears. The traffic, the noise, the constant rush—all replaced by an unfamiliar quiet. Streets that are normally packed with cars stand empty. Spaces that are never still become silent.

I stayed behind to witness this rare transformation. I walked through the city and documented what it feels like when Jakarta pauses.

The Silent J-Town is a photo story about absence—what remains when people leave, and how silence can reveal a different side of a place we think we know.