shashasha

“A first-rate record of people and an era.
An invaluable visual document of a city (and Japan) based on a real, compassionate gaze and realized through flexible camera work. I can’t believe how well Sakokawa captured the ‘village.’”
— Daido Moriyama

“Shinjuku Cardboard Village” is a record Naoko Sakokawa’s daily interactions with the homeless people living in front of Shinjuku Station’s west exit in the late 90s. Sakokawa, photographer and assistant manager of the legendary beer bar ‘Berg’ in Shinjuku station, captured their daily lives near Tokyo’s busiest station with sympathy and compassion.

“They built the Metropolitan Government, were deemed disposable, and lived quietly in its shadow. When the ‘moving walkways’ were introduced in the station, they were removed.
The homeless, who usually have nothing to do with each other, gathered together, and for a brief period of time a cardboard village appeared in front of Shinjuku Station’s west exit. For two years, they made their presence known.”
— from the publisher’s description (translation by shashasha)

The book also includes short texts by Tsuyoshi Inaba (co-founder of nonprofit organization Moyai), Tomoya Ino (Berg manager) and the artist (all texts included in Japanese only).