大西みつぐは1952年、東京・深川に生まれました。1970年代より自身の暮らす東京の下町や湾岸地域を中心に、市井の人々の姿や移りゆく風景を撮り続けています。日常に根ざした視点と時代感覚を併せ持つその作品群は、日本のスナップショット写真における重要な流れを形づくった作家のひとりとして、現在も多くの写真家や表現者に影響を与え続けています。

本書『町の灯りを恋ふる頃 WONDERLAND 1970s』は、大西が20代の頃に撮影した、初期のモノクロスナップ62点を収録した写真集です。1970年代の東京・下町を中心に撮影されたこれらの写真には、当時の町の空気感や人々の暮らしの気配が、瑞々しくも成熟した眼差しで捉えられており、後の大西の歩みを予感させます。

巻末には、大西自身によるテキストに加え、写真や映画、都市文化、そして庶民の生活に深いまなざしを注いできた評論家・川本三郎氏による寄稿文を収録。
1970年代の東京下町の記録として、また写真家・大西みつぐの出発点を示す一冊として、時代と視線が交錯する記録となっています。

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大西みつぐ

1952年東京・深川生まれ。東京綜合写真専門学校卒業。1985年「河口の町」で第22回太陽賞。1993年「遠い夏」ほかにより第18回木村伊兵衛写真賞、平成5年江戸川区文化奨励賞。2017年 日本写真協会賞作家賞。個展多数。写真集・ 著書に『下町純情カメラ』、『遠い夏』、『Wonderland』、『川の流れる町で』、『TOKYO EAST WAVES』など。映画監督作品に「小名木川物語」(2019年)。東京造形大学、武蔵野美術大学、大阪芸術大学などで非常勤講師、客員教授を歴任。日本写真家協会会員、ニッコールクラブシニアアドバイザー。

Mitsugu Ohnishi was born in 1952 in Fukagawa, Tokyo. Since the 1970s, he has been photographing the lives of everyday people and the shifting urban landscape of Tokyo’s downtown and waterfront areas—places where he himself has lived. With a perspective rooted in daily life and a sensitivity to the times, his work has shaped a vital current in Japanese snapshot photography and continues to influence many photographers and artists today.
"When the Town Lights Stir My Heart: WONDERLAND 1970s" is a new photobook featuring 62 black-and-white snapshots taken by Ohnishi in his twenties. Captured primarily in the downtown neighborhoods of Tokyo during the 1970s, these images vividly convey the atmosphere of the city and the everyday lives of its people, offering glimpses—both fresh and mature—into the sensibility that would later define Ohnishi’s career.
The book concludes with an essay by Ohnishi himself, as well as a contribution by Saburo Kawamoto, a cultural critic known for his deep reflections on photography, film, urban culture, and the lives of ordinary people. As both a record of Tokyo in the 1970s and a starting point of Ohnishi’s photographic journey, this book captures a compelling intersection of time and vision.

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Mitsugu Ohnishi

Born in 1952 in Fukagawa, Tokyo. Graduated from Tokyo College of Photography. Received the 22nd Taiyo Award in 1985 for Kakō No Machi (The Riverside Town), and the 18th Kimura Ihei Photography Award in 1993 for Tōi Natsu (The Long Vacation) and other works. Also received the Edogawa City Cultural Encouragement Award (1993) and the Photographic Society of Japan Award for Artist in 2017. He has held numerous solo exhibitions. His major photo books include "Shitamachi Junjo Camera," "Toi Natsu" (The Long Vacation), "Wonderland," "Kawa No Nagareru Machi De," and "TOKYO EAST WAVES." He directed the film "Onagigawa Monogatari" (2019). He has served as a part-time lecturer and visiting professor at institutions including Tokyo Zokei University, Musashino Art University, and Osaka University of Arts. He is a member of the Japan Photographers Society and serves as Senior Advisor to the Nikkor Club.

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出版記念展示：大西みつぐ「町の灯りを恋ふる頃　WONDERLAND 1970s」を読む

@OGU MAG
2025年6月26日( 木)～7月13日(日)
木・金・土・日　13:00～19:00

Publication Launch Exhibition
Mitsugu Ohnishi
Exploring “When the Town Lights Stir My Heart: WONDERLAND 1970s”

@OGU MAG

June 26 – July 13, 2025
Open Thursdays to Sundays, 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM