100 Travel Stories
Tokyo: Up Close and Personal
Street Photography by Ash Shinya Kawaoto
Getting closer to his subjects – and sometimes too close to be safe – is part of Ash Shinya Kawaoto’s photography style. Strolling the streets of Tokyo for hours, Shinya captures the expressions and emotions of his subjects – young and old, poor and rich – in this dynamic and changing metropolis that looks like a “huge living creature that continues to grow”.
“The most important thing in my photos is the expressions of the subjects. I believe that people’s expressions represent their lives.”
“Even in the same place in the same town, what you see depends on your own feelings.”
“For me, the place, the period, the time and the weather where the photo is taken are extremely important.”
“Monochrome emphasizes the facial expression of the subject.”
“There are many different things that happen on the street and that pass in the blink of an eye.”
“When I find a subject with an attractive expression, I try to get as close as I can to them to take the photo.”
Ash Shinya Kawaoto
Ash is an award winning photographer from Tokyo, Japan (International Photography Awards 2018 1st Place, Magnum Photography Awards 2017 Finalist)
- Website: ashphoto.jp
Photos are copyright © Ash Shinya Kawaoto.
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