【Book Description】
As the pandemic spread and face masks became part of daily life, Tokyo—one of the world’s most vibrant metropolises—began to quietly transform. The bustling crowds thinned, expressions vanished behind masks, and the city’s public spaces were filled with an invisible tension, a sense of anonymity. In the midst of this unprecedented atmosphere, photographer Ari Hatsuzawa did not retreat. Instead, he picked up his camera and stepped into the streets of the city he calls home, capturing Tokyo through his signature sharp and contemplative lens.
This photography collection is the result of Hatsuzawa’s continuous documentation of Tokyo during the COVID-19 crisis. It serves as a “self-portrait” of the city during a time of disruption and introspection. Over the past decade, Hatsuzawa had journeyed through North Korea, the disaster-stricken Tohoku region, and Okinawa, always focusing on themes such as power, memory, and marginalization. Turning his gaze back to Tokyo—a city where he was born, raised, and still resides—he found himself confronting a place that embodies power, contradiction, and personal reflection.
In the book’s afterword, “Tokyo’s Self-Portrait,” Hatsuzawa candidly shares the discomfort he felt while photographing his own city. Tokyo was not only his hometown but also a mirror of his own identity. That very tension—between familiarity and detachment—adds depth and emotional resonance to this collection. Beginning in late 2019, Hatsuzawa prepared himself mentally and physically for the project, immersing in the rhythm of the city. But just as he began to shoot in earnest, the pandemic struck.
The year 2020 was meant to be a historic one for Tokyo: the return of the Olympic Games after 56 years. Many in Japan hoped the event would revive national pride and boost the economy through tourism. But the virus derailed those dreams. Festivities faded, replaced by uncertainty and fear. A subtle but pervasive sense of social pressure began to emerge, amplified by media and politics—suggesting that anyone who did not celebrate the Olympics was somehow unpatriotic. It was during this fraught moment that Hatsuzawa began to press the shutter, choosing to document a version of Tokyo that was raw, conflicted, and deeply real.
This book features 168 photographs, ranging from candid street scenes to intimate portraits, from empty subway cars to quiet corners heavy with suppressed emotion. Each image captures the spirit of its time and becomes a visual record of introspection and survival. More than just a photography book, this is a documentary archive of a shared experience—one that speaks to a generation living through historical upheaval.
Tokyo’s Self-Portrait is among Ari Hatsuzawa’s most personal and honest works. It does not glorify or dramatize. Instead, it calmly and persistently documents how a city is reshaped in the currents of history, and in doing so, invites us to reflect on who we are behind the familiar urban façade.
【Product Details】
Author: Ari Hatsuzawa
Publisher: Tokuma Shoten
Year: 2021
Dimensions: 25 × 18 cm
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 256 pages
