100 products
100 products
Roadside Lights 2020-2025
Regular price £105.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
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Case 2025
- Hardback, 1st edition, 112p
- NEW
Even as night falls over the snowy landscapes of northern Japan, vending machines, lined along roads, standing before houses, or seemingly alone in nature, glow in the dark, offering warm and cold drinks along with a peculiar sense of companionship.
In “Roadside Lights 2020–2025,” Japanese photographer Eiji Ohashi turns his lens to winter nights in his native Hokkaido, sharpening the focus of his long-running “landscapes with vending machines” series. His compositions portray these ubiquitous machines, which have become symbols of Japan’s safety and convenience, as tireless, vigilant workers, continuing their quiet labor regardless of the circumstances. This latest book adds another compelling chapter to a series that continues to captivate audiences both in Japan and abroad.
“Photographing as the snow falls and piles up around me brings back distant memories. I remember playing outside until my boots were filled with snow, and how difficult it was to take them off once I went back inside, or digging into snowbanks to create secret hideouts for myself. While my childhood memories of the snow are rather sweet, life in winter in the northernmost part of Japan where I grew up was harsh. Sometimes the blizzards were so strong it was impossible to put one foot in front of the other, almost as if the full force of nature were blowing against you. Winter was always a reminder of how small and feeble human existence really is. But I also remember the nightly scenes, when the snow reflected the light off the streetlamps, as beautiful and bright. For me, the sight of a vending machine on a snowy night embodies these memories.” ― from Eiji Ohashi’s afterword
Portrait of J
Regular price £70.00
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- Dashwood / Session Press 2025
- Hardback, 1st edition, 232p
- New
Over the past four decades, Takashi Homma has become one of the most influential figures in Japanese photography. From his early exploration of Tokyo’s suburban landscape in Tokyo Suburbia (1998) to conceptual investigations of architecture, nature, and urban history, Homma’s work continues to challenge and expand photography’s role in visual culture. His influence extends far beyond Japan, with exhibitions and publications that contribute to a global conversation around identity, place, and the evolving language of the photobook.
Portrait of J joins the rich tradition of socially engaged portraiture, echoing seminal works such as August Sander’s Face of Our Time, Irving Penn’s Small Trades, and, more recently, Wolfgang Tillmans’s Portraits, Rineke Dijkstra’s studies of adolescents and Paul Graham’s End of an Age. In Japan, similar approaches resonate in the work of Shomei Tomatsu, whose postwar portraits offered intimate glimpses into daily life; Yoshihiko Ueda’s Portrait, which documented leading cultural figures; and Hiroh Kikai’s Asakusa Portraits, as well as Issei Suda’s Tokyo-kei and Katsumi Watanabe’s Shinjuku Guntōden 66/73—all of which captured the individuality and quiet dignity of anonymous Tokyoites.
What distinguishes Portrait of J is its intentional focus on ordinary individuals photographed with the same care and reverence often reserved for cultural icons. Shot across a variety of familiar, recognizable locations, mainly in urban environments, Homma’s portraits have an illuminating quality that reveal a psychological depth in their subjects. His approach is less overtly political than Tomatsu’s, more nationally reflective than Kikai’s or Watanabe’s, and more humanistic than Ueda’s. His portraits are guided by empathy and a desire to observe people as they are—free from manipulation or staging. The result is a more inclusive, nuanced visual representation of Japanese identity—expanding the lens through which Japanese people are seen both within Japan and internationally.
While Japan has long fascinated audiences in the U.S., Europe, and beyond—often admired for its aesthetics, traditions, and technological innovation—the lived realities of its people are often idealized, misunderstood, or overlooked. Portrait of J is especially meaningful in that it offers a platform for a Japanese photographer to speak directly, intentionally, and reflectively through his work—presenting a grounded and authentic portrait of contemporary Japan.
At once systematic and deeply personal, Portrait of J is a quiet yet powerful milestone in Takashi Homma’s enduring career—and a poignant, timely archive of the people who shape Japan toda
