Motonari Hatakeyama
Kyoto Survey
In Kyoto, water is supplied from Shiga prefecture. Shiga has the lake called "Biwako". The water comes through the canal that is being used for electricity, fire-fighting, as well as water service for houses and industry.
The third governor of Kyoto prefecture, Kitagami Kunimichi decited to excavate a canal to promote the development of industry by connecting Biwako Lake and Kamogawa River to provide water transport as well as water-power, irrigation, and fire prevention. He appointed young Tanabe Sakutaro the chief engineer, who was 23 yers old when the construction started.
They started the construction from the 1st tunnel (2436m) where the greatest difficulty was expected. They also built an incline that was the first built in Japan. The incline was used to move boats up and down between different levels of water. And they studies a hydroelectric power plant in Aspen, Colorado, and constructed the first power plant of Japan in Keage in 1891, using the water of the canal. The incline used the electric power supplied from this plant.
I tried to mix historical places with anonymous places. Because the canal leads water into places where people lives.
Woodwork
I had made these furniture in 2009 - 2011 before I start to take photographs. I have much interest in woods and in the space with furniture.
I think, "The woods are older than us and I don't want to waste. I try to make better use of the woods. I always observe the wood, and imagine the space with the furniture. If I make some furniture by woods, the furniture comes from the forest. It is not me who make it, it is made by forest."
I believe that woodwork speaks about space as photography does.
Toyama
This series was taken around my house in Toyama prefecture that is the northernmost part of Japanese Alps. There used to be an open wide place, and the streets were not between houses but just on the rice-fields. But when I was 6 years kid (1998), people started to build a highway. And this highway divited the area into the inside and outside.
The area changed slowly but surely. The highway just looked like a long concrete wall. My parents and teachers said, "Don't go outside. The highway area is danger." Everybody played only in the inside after school. But my friends and I played under the highway. There was a good place to play. Sounds had echo, frying ball bounced from the wall, and sometimes I found porno magazines. I think this concrete space was a small culture school for me.
By standing under the highway, not in inside nor outside, I developed my sensitivity and curiosity to see and observe in detail.
