MEIJI MONUMENT
明治記念碑

2015~

After the Meiji Restoration, Japan began to embrace Western culture in all aspects, including architecture. The traditional wooden Japanese-style buildings gradually transitioned to a mixture of wood and brick in Western-style buildings. By examining these buildings closely, one can understand the changes in urban history, cultural traditions, social development, and the evolving times. Conversely, it is possible to see how the types of buildings and the cityscape played a significant role in Japan's social development.

I traveled throughout Japan to capture photographs of public buildings such as banks, churches, schools, hospitals, and government buildings constructed from the Meiji era to the 1940s. Although China is also an Asian country, the buildings from the Republican era were not well preserved and have been demolished or only partially remain. Consequently, much of the historical value of these buildings has been lost. In contrast, the buildings from the Meiji, Taisho, and the first half of the Showa period in Japan were well preserved. However, even though these buildings still exist, people's memories of that era are gradually fading, and they are disappearing from the public's sight.

As a monument that integrates Japan's modern architecture as a historical relic, it is embedded in the current landscape of modern Japan. In the current era of globalization, how the story represented by Japan's modern and contemporary landscapes will evolve is yet to be seen.