Yasuhiro Ogawa - Signed - Into the Silence - 2024

Yasuhiro Ogawa (Signed) Into the Silence, captures the rugged yet timeless beauty of Japan's northern region while following in the footsteps of 17th-century poet Matsuo Bashō.
The story of Matsuo Bashō's journey through the northern provinces of Japan in the 17th century is told in his travel diary “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (“Oku no Hosomichi”). In the summer of 1689, Bashō set out on his journey with his traveling companion Sora. They traveled on foot, carrying only minimal provisions and staying in humble lodgings along the way. Bashō sought inspiration for his poetry and found it in the natural beauty and cultural richness of the places he visited.Like Bashō before him, Ogawa set out on a journey through the Tōhoku region, unlike Bashō, who traveled on foot with pen in hand, Ogawa preferred to travel by train with camera in hand. His photographs capture the rugged beauty of the landscape, from snow-capped mountains to misty forests and deserted roads with glimpses of wild oceans, often taken through fogged-up windows on a moving train. Through his lens, Ogawa reveals a world that is both remote and timeless, a world in stillness and movement.

Despite the passage of centuries, the challenges Bashō faced on his journey are still evident in Ogawa's photographs. The loneliness and isolation of the road is palpable in shots of empty trains, lonely tracks or roads, and desolate hotel interiors. So are the physical challenges of traversing rugged terrain and inclement weather documented in his muted photographs. There is a stark contrast between the beauty and tranquility of the landscape and the harsh realities of life in this remote region. From simple coastal towns to empty streets, Ogawa's images reveal the toll that economic decline and depopulation have taken on the area. However, there remains a sense of hope and resilience.