Hana Takeda - A Sleepy Town - 1990

A Sleepy Town

Hana Takeda
IPC/1990/Japanese/21.5×24cm

"A Sleepy Town," a photo book by Japanese female photographer Hana Takeda. Born to writer Yasuharu Takeda and essayist Yuriko Takeda, Hana Takeda began taking photographs after her father bought her a camera following her high school graduation. After graduating from college, she continued photography while working part-time jobs and has been active as a freelance photographer. She is currently in charge of portraits and other projects for the Gendai Kashiwa Bunko series. Many of her subjects are cats (stray cats); in addition to publishing numerous photo books featuring cats, she has also produced photo essays and *Yuran Nikki* (*Sightseeing Diary*), a collaborative work with her mother, Yuriko. This book is a photo collection that can be considered Takeda’s masterpiece, having won the 15th Kimura Ihei Photography Award. Comprising photographs taken over approximately two and a half years starting in 1987 while traveling through regional cities such as Soka, Ashikaga, Tatebayashi, and Kiryu, the collection focuses on capturing the unique, weathered scenes characteristic of these areas—such as shops, alleys, and houses. The scenes of these weathered towns evoke a mood distinct from mere nostalgia; while seemingly ordinary, they are at times sculptural or humorous—scenes that linger in the mind—revealing Takeda’s uniquely distinctive perspective.