shashasha

In the early 2000s, Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward underwent several major changes: new, more accessible shopping complexes and entertainment centers were built, and Kabukicho was made less lawless. As a result, the area became friendlier and more attractive to new visitors. But, says Haruto Hoshi in his afterword to "Shinjuku 1999-2008," it also lost some of its unique charm, chaos, and diversity.
In roughly 120 photographs taken around the time of these developments, Hoshi captures a sense of the Shinjuku he now seems to miss. His brilliant black-and-white snapshots (most taken at night) focus on people: hosts in front of their clubs, policemen breaking up a fight, friends drinking beer, a girl in a school uniform taking a cigarette break, someone lighting fireworks. Edited by Michitaka Ota (Sokyusha) and framed by black margins on each page, the photographs suggest a sense of the endless possibilities of a Tokyo night out; you just have to meet the right person. Hoshi, it seems, has been very lucky in this regard. In his photographs, people become characters.

“Nowadays, I don’t often get the chance to visit Shinjuku, but I sometimes wander aimlessly around Kabukicho between errands. As I watch people passing by, I sometimes stop and look at people or situations that catch my eye. But I don’t photograph them anymore. The area is busy and crowded, but the nights when I felt excited just by being there seem long gone. Now I even feel relieved at the distance between Shinjuku and me.

But no matter how much the people, the city and myself have changed, I cannot help but feel that one day I will be strongly drawn to the power of human survival that will probably emanate from somewhere in this area.”
― from Haruto Hoshi’s afterword