Eiji Ohashi - Roadside Lights 2020-2025 - 2025

密封中的新作

Even as night falls over the snowy landscapes of northern Japan, vending machines, lined along roads, standing before houses, or seemingly alone in nature, glow in the dark, offering warm and cold drinks along with a peculiar sense of companionship.
In “Roadside Lights 2020–2025,” Japanese photographer Eiji Ohashi turns his lens to winter nights in his native Hokkaido, sharpening the focus of his long-running “landscapes with vending machines” series. His compositions portray these ubiquitous machines, which have become symbols of Japan’s safety and convenience, as tireless, vigilant workers, continuing their quiet labor regardless of the circumstances. This latest book adds another compelling chapter to a series that continues to captivate audiences both in Japan and abroad.

“Photographing as the snow falls and piles up around me brings back distant memories. I remember playing outside until my boots were filled with snow, and how difficult it was to take them off once I went back inside, or digging into snowbanks to create secret hideouts for myself. While my childhood memories of the snow are rather sweet, life in winter in the northernmost part of Japan where I grew up was harsh. Sometimes the blizzards were so strong it was impossible to put one foot in front of the other, almost as if the full force of nature were blowing against you. Winter was always a reminder of how small and feeble human existence really is. But I also remember the nightly scenes, when the snow reflected the light off the streetlamps, as beautiful and bright. For me, the sight of a vending machine on a snowy night embodies these memories.”
― from Eiji Ohashi’s afterword

翻译：

在日本北部的雪野原上，夜幕降临时，沿着道路排成一列、站在房屋前，或在大自然中仿佛独自一人的自动售货机，在黑暗中发出微光，提供热饮与冷饮，带来一种别样的陪伴感。
在《路边的灯光 2020–2025》中，日本摄影师大桥英二将镜头对准故乡北海道的冬夜，进一步聚焦他长期创作的“有售货机的风景”系列。
他的作品将这些无处不在的机器呈现为日本安全与便利的象征，宛如不知疲倦、警觉的工作者，在无论环境如何的情况下都在默默耕作。
这部新书为这一系列再添引人注目的篇章，继续在日本国内外吸引着观众。

“当雪花落下并在我周围堆积时拍摄，唤起了久远的回忆。我记得在外面玩耍直到靴子被雪塞满，回到屋内后很难脱下靴子；也记得挖雪堆为自己打造秘密藏身处。”
“尽管童年的雪景记忆有些甜美，但我在日本最北端长大的地方冬天的生活却非常严酷。有时暴风雪如此强烈，连迈出一步都困难，仿佛大自然的全部力量都向你吹打。冬日总是提醒人类存在的渺小与脆弱。不过，我也记得夜间的场景，雪在路灯下反射出美丽而明亮的光。对我来说，雪夜里看到的售货机正承载着这些记忆。”
――来自大桥英二的后记