佐藤真優

Mayu Sato

Japan’s newtowns are planned residential areas primarily created by clearing suburban land, in the latter half of the 20th century. Younger generations from various regions moved to these systematized environments, striving for an ideal lifestyle. Every morning, stepping out and walking through the quiet residential complex, one encounters the uniform, inorganic buildings and towering water tanks. Though these structures are integral parts of daily life, they somehow lack a sense of reality. An alien atmosphere permeates this artificial space. The western-style buildings, devoid of local character, appear as stage sets designed to enhance the living experience. These constructions obscure the land's original essence and induce a feeling of suspension even within oneself. On clear days in the New Town, this sensation of suspension creates the illusion of time standing still or of perpetual continuity. Through the medium of photography, which lacks the concept of time, I aim to capture these surreal moments.