In 1995, Kazunari Tajima, also known as TAJJIEMAX, shot a photo book titled "N/Y" in New York, blending images of Ryuichi Sakamoto with landscapes. The title itself was Sakamoto's idea, stemming from the meaning of NO / YES. At the time, the photo book and its posters received high acclaim, even winning the New York ADC Award. Now, the memories and records of "a certain day" during the shooting of this historic work, where Sakamoto was taken outdoors for shooting, will be presented as an exhibition and photo book. We spoke with photographer Kazunari Tajima about his thoughts on "A Day with Ryuichi Sakamoto."

Nearly two years have passed since Ryuichi Sakamoto left this world.

As opportunities to reflect on his presence, which profoundly influenced not only the music world but culture as a whole, increase, the photo book "N/Y" (1995) by photographer Kazunari Tajima is once again drawing attention. And now, a new exhibition focusing on "a certain day" from the original shooting film is being held, with a new photo book also set for release.

Titled "A DAY WITH RYUICHI SAKAMOTO," this work centers on "one day" in the summer of 1995 when Ryuichi Sakamoto and Kazunari Tajima walked the streets of NY. It stands as a precious record capturing Sakamoto's candid moments, and for Tajima, it holds special significance as "proof of the time shared by a younger me and Sakamoto-san."

1995 is remembered in Japan as a year of consecutive major events, including the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Tokyo subway sarin attack. On the other hand, Japanese street culture was experiencing a significant surge. It was an era where new movements, such as Kogal, Shibuya-kei, and Ura-Hara, were continuously emerging, primarily among the baby boomer generation.

Although the bubble economy had already burst, the dollar-yen exchange rate was around 80 yen, and America's GDP was 65 compared to Japan's 100 – a starkly different situation from today. After a three-year stay in Paris, Tajima was increasing his work in Japan while planning to move his base to NY.

"Fabien Baron became the art director for Harper's Bazaar US, and at that time, the center of fashion photography shifted from Paris to NY. I was shooting new models for a Paris agency, and in Japan, I was working on magazines like CUTiE and album covers for Shibuya-kei artists."

Through his encounter with art director Mitsuo Shindo, Tajima photographed many album jackets for musicians associated with Shibuya-kei. He also gained popularity in the hit magazine CUTiE, becoming a celebrated figure in Tokyo.

"There was a photography boom, and I was featured on late-night TV shows. I felt that if I stayed in Tokyo, I would just be consumed and finished. There was a sense of crisis due to being too popular. Of course, I also wanted to work overseas if I were to pursue fashion. That's why I decided to go to NY."

For Tajima, then 27, meeting Ryuichi Sakamoto was a "chain of coincidences." While in Paris, he heard that his childhood friend in NY was close with Towa Tei. Around that time, being a fan of Deee-Lite, he sent a cassette tape of a Towa Tei DJ mix he had recorded from a French radio station after receiving a letter saying, "Towa-kun wants that mix and doesn't have it."

Their connection deepened, leading to Tajima being in charge of his solo album's photography. Upon arriving in NY, he ended up staying at Sakamoto's home for about three months. At the time, Towa Tei was affiliated with Sakamoto's label 'güt' and they worked together frequently, so Towa Tei apparently mentioned Tajima's arrival in NY.

Sakamoto then reportedly said, "My daughter (Miu Sakamoto) is a fan of his. I'd like to see his photos." Tajima had been a huge fan of YMO since elementary school. He learned about the latest international sounds by listening to NHK-FM's "Sound Street" and it was Ryuichi Sakamoto who sparked his interest in creative work.

"He seemed amused by my photos and asked me, 'How did you take this?' and so on. Perhaps he empathized because he himself has an experimental spirit. Then, he suddenly asked, 'Why don't you shoot my photo book?' I was truly surprised."

During the six-month shooting period, Tajima, nervous about disturbing Sakamoto's work, captured scenes from Ryuichi Sakamoto's office and recording studio. However, at one point, he realized there were no outdoor shots and proposed to Sakamoto, "Shall we take some photos of you walking around the city?" Sakamoto readily agreed, and they toured Manhattan following a route Tajima had planned.

"He probably didn't usually take the subway, but I had him take it that day. We walked around the city, went into cafes, and had meals. The photo book is structured chronologically according to that day. He's wearing a shirt at first, but since it was summer, he changes into a T-shirt, and you can see the sweat spreading."

From the beginning of the shoot, Tajima stated he didn't want it to be like an idol photo book. Consequently, the photo book "N/Y" only features a cool Ryuichi Sakamoto. However, Sakamoto, then 43, possessed both the dignity of a world-renowned artist and a casual, unpretentious demeanor.

Memorable moments include finding a poster for the film "Fair Game," starring Cindy Crawford, and striking a pose as if kissing the male lead, as well as a moment where he wryly smiled after a homeless person on a bicycle asked him, "Are you famous?"

"Sakamoto-san often played around when I pointed the camera at him. Since I was young then and wanted to emphasize his cool side, I would tell him, 'Please make a cooler face,' when he made funny expressions while shooting."

Their relationship continued. Tajima recalls the "Sapporo International Art Festival" (2014), for which Sakamoto served as the general director. Amidst a gathering of fine artists, Tajima was the only photographer tasked with taking photos exactly as Sakamoto ordered. He admits to feeling a strong sense of complex about this situation.

"It was Sakamoto-san's message to me, saying, 'Tajima-kun, you should create your own personal work too.' Later, when I told him, 'I've started taking photos of flowers as my personal work,' he replied, 'I intentionally did that because I thought you would.'"

In 2020, Tajima finally held his first solo exhibition, "WITHERED FLOWERS." Sakamoto, who was undergoing medical treatment at the time, visited the exhibition and asked, "Do you think what you're capturing is different from Irving Penn?" This question arose because the style of flowers against a white background was a signature of Irving Penn's work.

When Tajima replied, "I think it's completely different," Sakamoto reportedly showed a look of relief. Sakamoto was someone who constantly made you consider, "How do I want to be?"

"We continued to exchange LINE messages until just before he passed away. When I sent him a message saying I wanted to make a film someday, he replied, 'What kind of film do you want to make?' I answered, 'Something like Godard's, not very story-driven.' He responded, 'That's the hardest kind. You need to read a lot of books.' It was like a riddle."

To create this photo book, Tajima revisited the past film negatives. He then realized that "this one day" held a special significance.

"Sakamoto-san dedicated an entire day to me, a young photographer. I've only now come to realize that. At the time, I only wanted to capture the cool side of Sakamoto-san, but I hoped his character would come through in his playful expressions."

"When Sakamoto-san was working, he was serious, his posture perfectly straight, as he played the keyboard or composed at his desk. But once work was done and he said, 'Let's go get something to eat,' he'd tell jokes and make everyone laugh heartily. That contrast was very clear. And above all, he was an incredibly kind and considerate person."

"A Day with Ryuichi Sakamoto" is a work that allows us to feel the presence of Ryuichi Sakamoto more humanly and intimately. For Kazunari Tajima, it is also an homage to the "days guided by Ryuichi Sakamoto."

The exhibition will be held at AKIO NAGASAWA GALLERY GINZA starting March 13th.

Exhibition: "Ryuichi Sakamoto / Kazunari Tajima: A Day with Ryuichi Sakamoto"
Limited Edition Original Prints Exhibition and Sale
Dates: March 13 – April 12, 2025
Venue: AKIO NAGASAWA GALLERY GINZA
Address: Ginsho Bldg. 6F, 4-9-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-6264-3670
Admission: Free
URL:https://www.akionagasawa.com/jp/information/

Photo Book: "A DAY WITH RYUICHI SAKAMOTO"
Release Date: March 13, 2025
Publisher: mild ink. / MILD INC.
Price: ¥6,800 (excluding tax)
Sales Page:m ink. online store