Seen: Sentimental Tokyo 1949-1970
Who: Minoru Hirata
Where: Taka Ishii Gallery Photography / Film
When: March 9th - April 27th, 2019
A very fine collection of black and white street work from Japan’s postwar era is up in Roppongi. I hadn’t really heard of Hirata before but the three photos on the webpage for the show piqued my interest enough to see more in person. The visit to the gallery was well worth it- the work on the walls exceeded my expecations. Of course there’s an inherent bit of charm in any fifty year old grainy 35mm snapshot but Hirata’s straightly-snapped pictures- photos that lack a shred of irony or sarcasm- have held up well.
The photographer’s own words sum up the mood of the show perfectly:
Back then, Tokyo was dirty and dark, scarred by the war’s damages. Yet the people I found there were going about their business on the peaceful streets, with their faces illuminated by their hopeful aspiration for the future.