MIYAKO ISHIUCHI
YOKOSUKA YOKOHAMA CLUB & COURTS
Published by Sokyusha, 2007
Book size 27.4 × 23.1 cm
Pages 88 pages, 77 images
Softcover, Slipcase
Language English, Japanese
ISBN 978-4-86219-055-0
Grainy photographs taken in decaying amusement bars, entertainment clubs and other seedy places in Yokosuka and Yokohama. Shot in the 1970s and 1980s, Ishiuchi captures the lost glamour, the alluring air of the forbidden, the smell of sex but also the exploitation, horror and desperation of the post-war period that kept lingering somewhere within these ruins. Over time, Ishiuchi felt her hate turn into love and affection.
“In 1966, invited by a friend who was engaged to an American soldier, I visited the EM Club for the first time. The EM Club was an establishment that one could not enter unless accompanied by someone from the US military. The three of us watched a movie, played the slot machines, and ate pizza at the restaurant. Despite the fact that I don't remember what movie we saw, I do remember well the footage that showed just prior to the movie. The image which stirred such unease in me that it quite disturbed me was of the American flag, filling the entire screen, rippling. When the music began, the audience stood and greeted the screen.
Lately, I've begun to feel that the distaste I felt then, along with an awkwardness which was a new sensation to me, melded together in a mass of images and perhaps formed the energy that propelled me toward photography.”
― from Miyako Ishiuchi's afterword (included in Japanese and in English translation)
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Grainy photographs taken in decaying bars, entertainment clubs and other seedy places in Yokosuka and Yokohama. Shot in the 1970s and 1980s, Ishiuchi captures the lost glamour, the seductive air of the forbidden, the smell of sex but also the exploitation, horror and despair of the post-war period that lingered somewhere in these ruins. Over time, Ishiuchi felt his hatred transform into love and affection.
“In 1966, invited by a friend who was engaged to an American soldier, I visited the EM Club for the first time. The EM Club was an establishment that you could only enter if you were accompanied by a person from the American army. The three of us watched a movie, played the slot machines and ate pizza at the restaurant. Although I don’t remember the movie we saw, I remember well the images that were shown just before the film. The image that caused me great unease was that of the American flag, filling the entire screen, waving. When the music started, the audience stood up and saluted the screen.
Lately I have begun to feel that this disgust I felt then was mixed with a certain awkwardness: a new sensation for me, which merged into a mass of images and perhaps formed the energy that propelled me towards photography.
― excerpt from Miyako Ishiuchi's afterword (included in the Japanese and English translation)