vol.4 TERROIR

In the editorial of the fourth issue of "Shashin" magazine, the focus is on the relationship between photography and terroir, exploring this theme extensively.

People live within the confines of their respective terroirs. These are not only shaped by their upbringing, natural surroundings, and local customs but also by encounters, learning experiences, moments of joy, and deep sorrows that accumulate over time. These experiences contribute to the formation of values, beliefs, and personalities. When these intersect with a particular land or community, the unique culture and customs of that place begin to reveal themselves.

While landscapes across Japan may be undergoing homogenization, traditional terroirs have not been entirely lost. The Japanese archipelago, with its rich natural environment of mountains and seas, still retains a deep-rooted culture that values seasonality and coexistence with nature. Moreover, Japan experiences frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions, which continually renew and change the cultural and customary landscape, yet both new and old elements retain their distinct characteristics.

The term "terroir," originating from French, conveys the idea of "taste of the land" and signifies how the local environment influences the taste and characteristics of food products like wine and agricultural produce.

This issue offers a panoramic view of terroir through photographs captured by photographers working across Japan, revealing how the land and environment influence their work and lead to new expressions. Through their work, the current landscapes of various regions in Japan and the awareness and thoughts regarding terroir, culture, and environment are shared.

By reflecting on how photographers have engaged with the memories and histories of the land, through essays and columns transcending genres, the relationship between photography and terroir is surveyed on a national scale, providing an opportunity to deepen understanding of the regions and environments in which we live. In the rapidly changing modern world, as long as we remain organic beings, the interaction between people and the land, as well as among people themselves, continues. Photography, as a storyteller conveying the texture of the land, plays a significant role and holds its charm. It is hoped that the photographs captured by photographers across various regions will deliver their unique flavor to the readers.

Edited by Jinichi Murakami

Contents:

[Artworks]

Ryuichi Ishikawa
Keiko Sasaoka
Masaru Tatsuki
Nao Nakai
Soichiro Yamaguchi
Kazutomo Tashiro
Kazuo Kitai

[Long Essay]

Shun Uchi / Yoshitaka Takahashi / Manabu Torihara / Shino Kuraiishi

[Current Review]

Kotaro Iizawa's "Critique: Perspectives of a Photography Critic"

[Interview]

- Interview with Pauline Bellmare (Interviewer: Masako Sato)
- "Provocative Relationship: Takuma Nakahira _ Daido Moriyama" (Yokosuka Museum of Art, Hayama)
- Shigeru Nitta "Sakhalin" Hinata Okazaki "I Saw the Sky Seeds a Thousand Miles Away"
- Roundtable Discussion: Mitsugu Onishi (Photographer), Kenji Takazawa (Photography Critic), Yuri Yamada (Curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography)

[Report]

- Interview with Yuki Nakazawa at KYOTOGRAPHIE2023 & KG+ 2023

[Special]

Shunji Ito (Critic) _ Naoki Ishikawa (Photographer)
"Akita: Its Terroir and Universality"

[Essay]

Koji Onaka "Matatabi Diary: Early Summer 2022, Hokkaido Edition"
Tomoka Aya / Misato Ugaki / Hajime Oishi / Atsushi Okuda / Erika Karita / Yodo Saito / Tomo Kosuga / Keiko Nomura / Toshifumi Hashimoto / Akihiro Hatanaka