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Yoichi Watanabe “Buna”
LAG (Live Art Gallery)
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Yoichi Watanabe
LAG is pleased to present the Yoichi Watanabe photo exhibition “Buna” from Friday, July 25, 2025, to Saturday, August 9, 2025, to celebrate the publication launch of the photo book.
Watanabe, a photographer has been shooting photographs set in snowy mountains while being involved in the ski cultural life for many years in Niseko, Hokkaido, his interest was becoming nature all across Japan and its secluded communities in the regions with heavy snowfalls, he has recently worked on his photographs that confront the culture and the human activities steeped in mystery and tradition the places.
This exhibition will feature a collection of photographs documenting the Dosojin Fire Festival over a year. The unique cultural heritage festival has been passed down in the village of Nozawa Onsen in Nagano Prefecture for over 300 years. He spent time with the locals living there and photography this work, which presents the whole process of the rite, to select and chop the beech trees called buna in Japanese from the mountains as divined pillars, construct with them into a large wooden shrine, and burn it to ascend to the heavens, is not only records the inheritance of the traditional culture, but also teaches us with various perspectives, such as the intersection of life and faith and the coexistence of nature and humans, through “Buna.”
A photo book titled “Buna” printed by Live Art Books will be on sale at the LAG. There will also be an artist talk with guests during the exhibition period.
[Related Events]
Opening Event
Date: Friday, July 25
Time: 5:00 pm-7:00 pm
Fee: ¥1000 *No reservation required
・Reception Party Start 5:00 pm
*A chef from Nozawa Onsen Village’s restaurant called “Shichirohei Coffee” will be present to serve light meals made with local ingredients and local sake.
・Artist talk with guests Start 7:00 pm
Presenters： Yoichi Watanabe (Photographer), Kenji Kono（The chairperson of the executive committee of Dosojin Fire Festival of 2024 (Rakuseikai)), Yuta Ueno（Mayor of Nozawa Onsen Village, Nagano）
Watanabe, a photographer has been shooting photographs set in snowy mountains while being involved in the ski cultural life for many years in Niseko, Hokkaido, his interest was becoming nature all across Japan and its secluded communities in the regions with heavy snowfalls, he has recently worked on his photographs that confront the culture and the human activities steeped in mystery and tradition the places.
This exhibition will feature a collection of photographs documenting the Dosojin Fire Festival over a year. The unique cultural heritage festival has been passed down in the village of Nozawa Onsen in Nagano Prefecture for over 300 years. He spent time with the locals living there and photography this work, which presents the whole process of the rite, to select and chop the beech trees called buna in Japanese from the mountains as divined pillars, construct with them into a large wooden shrine, and burn it to ascend to the heavens, is not only records the inheritance of the traditional culture, but also teaches us with various perspectives, such as the intersection of life and faith and the coexistence of nature and humans, through “Buna.”
A photo book titled “Buna” printed by Live Art Books will be on sale at the LAG. There will also be an artist talk with guests during the exhibition period.
[Related Events]
Opening Event
Date: Friday, July 25
Time: 5:00 pm-7:00 pm
Fee: ¥1000 *No reservation required
・Reception Party Start 5:00 pm
*A chef from Nozawa Onsen Village’s restaurant called “Shichirohei Coffee” will be present to serve light meals made with local ingredients and local sake.
・Artist talk with guests Start 7:00 pm
Presenters： Yoichi Watanabe (Photographer), Kenji Kono（The chairperson of the executive committee of Dosojin Fire Festival of 2024 (Rakuseikai)), Yuta Ueno（Mayor of Nozawa Onsen Village, Nagano）
Schedule | Jul 25 (Fri) 2025-Aug 9 (Sat) 2025 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | https://www.live-art-books.jp/lag/exhibition/yoichiwatanabe_en/ | ||||
| Venue | LAG (Live Art Gallery) https://www.live-art-books.jp/ | ||||
| Location | 1F Daiwa Jingumae Bldg., 2-4-11 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0001 | ||||
| Access | 7 minute walk from exit 3 at Gaienmae Station on the Ginza line, 12 minute walk from exit 5 at Meiji-jingumae Station on the Chiyoda and Fukutoshin lines, 14 minute walk from the Takeshita exit of Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-3405-0604 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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