Hirano Satoshi – Reconstruction
Shibuya, 2014-2018
This book documents the large-scale redevelopment of the labyrinthine Shibuya train station in the heart of Tokyo’s world-famous shopping district. Although many such ambitious construction projects have been undertaken throughout Japan’s ever-renewing capital in preparation for the Olympic Games in 2021, the work at Shibuya Station is in a particularly dense and active area—the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing (where up to 2,500 people simultaneously traverse the street in five directions) is only a stroll away, while the station’s nine train lines have remained operational throughout renovations. Presenting black-and-white images taken at various times of day and night, Reconstruction is both a collection of stilled moments from this bustling process of transformation and an unconventional portrait of Shibuya.