Issue:
April 2024 | Exhibition
Trans Europe Express
Photos by Masatoki Minami
March 30-April 2
From my earliest memories, I have always loved trains. When I wanted to photograph a new railway, my first thoughts were to shoot the international trains of Europe. For Japanese people back then, "international trains" were of particular interest but many Japanese railway enthusiasts had never shown interest in foreign trains, partly because of the huge distances to Europe.
Graph magazine was the first to feature my work. The public response was overwhelming, with many responses from media outlets other than railway magazines. In October 1983, the Fujiko Fujio Special: Doraemon European Railway Journey, a special program for TV Asahi’s 25th anniversary, combining animation and live action, was broadcast. The following year, a film adaptation of TEE EUROPE EXPRESS was made for the theatre, featuring a travelogue shot by me. Through this process, the TEE became widely known throughout Japan. Since then, I have travelled many times to Europe in the 2000s to witness the demise of TEE and the opening of the TGV super-high-speed railway and the ICE in Germany. In 1988, as official photographer, I also covered the visit to Japan of the Orient Express along its historic run from Paris through China and to Japan. When the Covid pandemic hit my travels stopped as did my European photography. Before that, I used to organise tours that took railway enthusiasts on specially prepared tours on the famous Italian train Settebello. I sincerely hope that these tours will be resumed.
Special thanks: Mr and Mrs Peter Lyon of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan
Special thanks: to photographer Yasushi Onishi and Takashi Namiki of Anidofilm.
March 2024, Masatoki Minami.
Peter Lyon is chair of the FCCJ Exhibitions Committee.
