First edition of Tokyo Suburbia by Takashi Homma (1998)
First impression
Large format hardback in ear fine condition
Some wear to extremities of boards
Due to the nature of the chopped board binding some very minor wear to extremities of pages
No other internal marks
Comes with a loosely laid text booklet
Accompanied by the original publishers shrinkwrap (opened along one edge; retained for provenance)
About
At first glance, we can make the standard response: suburbs are soulless places, the same the world over, deadening, artificial environments to which only airheads could aspire, bland facades behind which lie nothing but stunted lives and unrequited passions. But Hommas suburbs seem also to evince more positive qualities. Like Ebenezer Howards original vision of the garden city, they seem remarkably well landscaped, luxuriant and well manicured, with little hint of the graffiti and rubbish that accompany the suburbs of the West. The sun seems always to be shining and there are McDonalds aplentyThe tone of Hommas book is ambiguous enough both to intrigue us and keep us guessing.
Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, The Photobook: A History, Volume II
