shashasha

Rectangular shapes on each and every page. The main characters of this book are shipping containers. These large, metal boxes are indispensable for the modern logistics system to function. Thanks to them, it became possible to move large quantities of cargo with efficiency. They are the pillars that support our daily lives. Yusuke Inoue has captured these shipping containers as they move through highway roads in the city, frozen in place thanks to telephoto lenses and high shutter speeds.

“Inoue’s photographs can be considered a ‘typology of moments’, and they are doubtlessly inspired by technical advances of the camera and changes in the photograph’s role in contemporary society. The unreality of their apparent stillness fascinates us.” (from Kenji Takazawa’s afterword)

Each container is photographed according to strict rules; they are the same size in each image. Different scenes from the megalopolis Tokyo provide the ever-changing backgrounds. Inoue’s photography highlights the state of the city and the logistics system embedded in it.

"Containers in Tokyo" is Yusuke Inoue’s first photobook, comprises a portion of his large series of container photographs in Tokyo and surrounding areas. The photobook includes an extensive essay by Japanese photography critic Kenji Takazawa.