Seen: ドヤ街 Doyagai ー Day labouring districts of Japan
Who: Seung-Woo Yang, Shoko Hashimoto, Haruto Hoshi, Issei Suda and Seiryu Inoue
Where: Zen Foto Gallery, Roppongi
When: July 22 - August 17 / September 15 - October 7, 2017
Doyagai are parts of Japanese cities where day laborers congregate- this exhibition collects work from five photographers who have frequented these areas- places where cameras aren’t welcome- since the 1950s. It’s a fantastic collection of what can be considered classic street photography. The curator of the show, Mark Pearson, notes that“The doyagai are special places. They reflect our essential selves, our origins. Stripped of masks. Stripped of possessions. Stripped of money. Stripped of power.”
The only doyagai that I am somewhat familiar with is the edges of Sanya (namely Minami-Senju) in Tokyo- with the encroachment of new housing towers and strip malls which come along with new urban planning nearby, and the transformation of flop-houses into AirBnB spots, in 2017 I wonder if they’re also under threat of becoming stripped of identity, as well.
This remarkable exhibition closes on Aug. 17, but will return to the gallery for a second showing from Sept. 15 to Oct. 7th. Highly recommended.