LIME WORKS Naoya Hatakeyama

*Available only in Europe

This photo book compiles two series, "LIME HILLS" and "LIME WORKS," which Japanese photographer Naoya Hatakeyama photographed over a period of eight years, from 1986 to 1994, while traveling around limestone mines, lime refineries, and cement factories scattered across the country, from Hokkaido to Okinawa.

First published in 1996, this book has been republished many times by different publishers, and was last published by Seigensha in 2008 before going out of print. However, it was voted one of the top readers' surveys for Seigensha's 30th anniversary reprint project, "Maboroshihon," leading to its long-awaited reprint in 2025.

There were cement factories and limestone mines near his birthplace in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, and as a result, cement factories were a familiar presence for Hatakeyama, who saw them on a daily basis. During his high school years, when he was interested in art, he painted a cement factory as the subject of his first ever canvas painting. However, it was only after graduating from university that he began photographing them. At the time, he was living in Tokyo, a small city, and was overwhelmed by the sheer number of elements that made up the picture plane, making it difficult to take photographs. Whenever he found time to return to his hometown, he was not satisfied with just looking at the cement factory from the outside, so he knocked on the office door and asked for a tour. He was fascinated by the sight of the cement factory and the mine where the limestone that is its raw material is extracted, and he contacted the Limestone Mining Association, and this was the beginning of the series.

This book focuses on the photographs from "LIME HILLS" and "LIME WORKS," and includes contributions from his mentor, photographer Kiyoshi Otsuji, as well as a reflection and afterword from Hatakeyama himself, and newly added comments on this reissue.

This work traces the starting point of Hatakeyama's journey, which led to his subsequent artistic endeavors, such as "BLAST" and "Terrils," in which he delved deeper into the depths of his work.