Removal of utility poles in Ojima, Tokyo

In 2015, I started to photograph the surroundings of a pedestrian bridge near my home in Tokyo’s Koto ward. I was puzzled by the structure itself and the vantage point it offers on traffic and human activities. Also, framing my vision into a square and letting the unexpected come into the vicinity of the bridge was a different approach from previous projects.

These metallic bridges appeared in the sixties. They were built to protect pedestrians from car accidents as the automobile industry was booming. In the same era, an increasing need for electric power in every home created a maze of poles and wires over the city.

In the 1980’s, plans to remove utility poles and install underground cables in some parts of the capital were established. In anticipation of the 2020 Tokyo games, work was hurried. I happened to document these changes around my dear pedestrian bridge in the spring of 2019.