Tales of the Riverbank

Hiroyoshi TAIRA

It was in 2011 that Hiroyoshi Taira, out for a walk near the Arawaka River in Eastern Tokyo, noticed a settlement of several huts built along the riverside. Curious and astonished, Taira began portraiting the people who formed this little community just outside society.

"They were warm-hearted and welcomed me.
Each of them had a rich character and warm humanity.
I sought to know more about them and this area.
I became a regular visitor to Arakawa and drank with them from time to time.
Their surroundings have gradually changed.
This place might disappear in the near future.
But their intention to live on day at a time is profound.
These works are a document of people living life to the full,
Abandoning themselves to the flux of time.
I continue to follow the journey of their lives."

— Excerpt from the artist’s afterword

Book Size
257 x 182 mm
Pages
48 pages
Binding
Softcover
Publication Date
2016
Language
English, Japanese
Limited Edition
500

Artist Profile

Hiroyoshi TAIRA

Born in Tokyo in 1987, Hiroyoshi Taira graduated from the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Sociology, Hosei University. Working as a freelance photographer, he has pursued long-term projects rooted in personal history and connections to place, including the people living along the Arakawa River and his ancestral home of Miyakojima, Okinawa. In recent years, he has focused on Zomeki, a body of work photographing Awa Odori in Tokushima and Koenji, Tokyo.

Beginning with his encounter with Koenji’s Awa Odori in 2011, Taira became drawn to the powerful sounds and energy of the dance, as well as its connection to mourning and remembrance. In Awa Odori, dance and music are performed to console the spirits of the dead, and through Zomeki, Taira explores the ways in which memory, grief, and human bonds are transformed into sound and movement. The series received the Grand Prix in the Under 40 category of Limelight 2024 and was published as a photobook by Gallery Niépce in 2025. It was selected for KG+SELECT 2026.

Gallery Exhibitions