In 2014, I was asked to take photographs of Kamagasaki and visited the town with little concern for how the town would affect me. My friend living in Osaka advised me to carry only small cameras to avoid drawing attention from the residents. I however ended up picking up two medium format cameras, which definitely attracted attention. Needless to say I have no interest in socio-political issues, never feeling any responsibilities to society. I was even once called an ‘observing’ photographer. I am merely a middle-aged stranger. I deserved those sharp glares and alarming jeers that I received from the residents throughout the shoot.

In fact I have visited Kamagasaki several times. Amidst the stench of the town and the glares of the men, what remains in my mind are the popular toy-doll Rika-chan displayed in a shelter built with irregular plywood shapes, and an erotic figure of a woman on a piece of girlie photography clutched in a man’s hand. I was even feeling as if I was in a Buddhist cathedral when I was eating with these men in the Airin Community Centre. Still, Kamagasaki was not a subject of my photography. I was just stopping by the area as a detour when I shot the nearby red light district of Tobita, or Shinsekai, the busiest downtown area of Osaka.

This was how I came to rediscover my negatives from 2000, which had remained untouched for fourteen years. It is also an unexpected pleasure to exhibit this series, which even I would not have looked at, if I had not had this invitation. Comparing these photographs taken in 2000 and 2014, I found that Kamagasaki has gradually been changing. Nevertheless, what has been changing the most is the destination of my own eyes. The town appeared differently as the state of my mind has changed. ── Quote from photobook Kamagasaki Magic Lantern by Issei Suda