MAO ISHIKAWA - A Port Town Elegy

MAO ISHIKAWA
A Port Town Elegy

Published by Zen Foto gallery, 2015
Book Size 178 x 257 mm
Pages 96 pages
Softcover
Language Japanese, English
New edition
Limited Edition 700

"It was in 1983 when I got divorced at the age of 30. Since I was not confident that I could live as photographer with a daughter, I decided to run a bar to make some steady money. I opened a bar in the middle of a residential area near Aja-Shinko port in Naha, where cargo ships come and go.

Most of the guests were men, including port workers and fishermen. They talked in the Okinawan language, drank a lot, fought each other; my bar was always lively.

I fell in love with one of the guests who worked at the port, and we started living together in an apartment near the bar. Near there, I found a little old house where a man was living alone after his wife and children had left. Some men always gathered in the house, drinking all day, sometimes fighting to –– making a man's world.

Nobody approached this house where scary-looking guys got together, but my boyfriend visited there every day. I also went with him, out of curiosity, to the house and started to shoot pictures of those men. Even when they started to fight and beat each other up, I just kept shooting silently."

-Mao ISHIKAWA

"It was 1983 when I got divorced at the age of 30. As I wasn't sure I could make a living as a photographer with a daughter, I decided to run a bar to earn some money. money. I opened a bar in the middle of a residential area near the Aja-Shinko port in Naha, where cargo ships come and go.

Most of the guests were men, including dock workers and fishermen. They spoke in the Okinawan language, drank heavily, argued; my bar was always lively.

I fell in love with a client who worked at the port, and we started living together in an apartment near the bar. Soon after, I discovered a small old house where a man lived alone since his wife and children had left. Some men always gathered in his house, drinking all day, sometimes fighting over - making a man's world.

No one went near this house, which was known for gathering scary guys, but my boyfriend went there every day. Out of curiosity I followed him and started taking pictures of these men. Even when they started fighting, I continued to take pictures in silence."

-Mao ISHIKAWA