Tokyo Love Hello
By Chris Steele Perkins
Editions Intervalles (2007)
ISBN 2-916355-05-7
Review by Clare Barclay
Emerging from the sideline images taken during his four-year study of Fuji-san, Chris Steele-Perkins has produced a photographic overview of everyday life from the instantly recognisable in western society to that only seen by someone truly immersed in the culture of Japan. Written in French and English this volume includes 100 photographs as well as an introductory essay by Donald Richie.
The photographs provide a cultural reading of Japan that can be interpreted differently depending on the viewers' background knowledge of the country. Having lived in Japan during the time when the early images were taken, I instantly have a recollection of this period and the book enables me to reminisce and identify with the subjects based on my own experiences. Others coming to the book with an entirely clean slate in terms of their knowledge of Japan may read the images differently, whilst those who have been immersed in the culture to the extent that Richie has may agree that the images show the "incongruity of contemporary Japan."
Spanning the period from 1997 to present, each image is presented with the month and year in which it was taken as well as a simple statement of the subject content. It is left up to the viewer to absorb the often multiple meanings and on several viewings their reading may change as a great deal of the images are very information rich.
A few of the pictures are reminiscent of images taken by Henri Cartier-Bresson or Elliot Erwitt but ultimately Steele-Perkins brings his own creative style to the collection in a vibrant way.
This eclectic mix of images certainly gives an insight into modern Japan and includes some personal images of the photographer, which are quite enlightening in terms of his inspiration. There are indeed some images that show the sometimes-misunderstood aspect of the Japanese in terms of their fun loving nature, which is on occasion demonstrated in what westerners may view to be an obscure manner; but also a wide range of images, which give just a glimpse into a culture so different from what we experience in Britain. Covering a wide range of topics from the business world to school and social life as well as the life of a Japanese pampered pet the images don't follow any consistent theme or time scale in any particular order but rather a jumble of topics. The majority however feature the people of Japan in a range of situations and could be considered a cultural study of the country through photography in a certain time or rather Tokyo in a certain time captured for posterity on film.
Chris Steele-Perkins has succeeded in showing some overriding elements of Japanese culture from their use of technology to their street culture as well as their roots in tradition through festivals and offerings at temples for good fortune. Whilst this is not an all encompassing volume on the culture of Japan is does provide a good snapshot of life in Japan in the early part of this new century. The book offers something for those both familiar with Japan and those who have no direct contact with the country.
Chris Steele-Perkins was born in Burma in 1947 and has been a Magnum photographer since 1979.