I visited the area around Hashimoto Station in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan in the evening. The moment I stepped onto the station platform, the biting cold wind of late autumn brushed my cheeks, and the setting sun in the distance covered my vision. The cityscape that spreads out in front of the station casts a quiet shadow against the evening sky, a blend of orange and purple. The hustle and bustle of the daytime has already faded, and people rushing home quickly cross the intersection. Ahead of their steps, the neon lights of the izakaya signboard begin to flash, and the shutters of the shops are lowered one by one.
Walk slowly around town. The area around Hashimoto Station had a unique atmosphere between the city and the suburbs. Although redeveloped commercial facilities are lined up around the station, beyond that lies an old-fashioned shopping street and the quiet nature of Sagamihara. A mysterious city that is both nostalgic and new. In the depths of this place with such an atmosphere, a construction site that continues into the future has appeared.
Construction site of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen. The huge crane towering over the fence looks like a timeless giant, its countless steel beams shining dullly under the night sky. There are still no stations or platforms there. However, only a glimpse of the future was emerging. Will a linear station really open here in 10 years? Will this construction site eventually turn into Japan's most advanced transportation hub? But right now, the unfinished future is illuminated by the setting sun, creating a fantastical landscape.
This moment will never be repeated. A fleeting yet beautiful moment before the town of Hashimoto undergoes a transformation. We would like you to experience this landscape born between time as a virtual walk.
Hashimoto Station is a transportation hub located on the border between central Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture. This station, where the JR Yokohama Line, Sagami Line, and Keio Sagamihara Line intersect, and connects to Shinjuku and Yokohama, continues to transport many people every day. But the station's role will soon change dramatically. With the opening of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, this area will become part of Japan's new major artery.
The construction plan for the linear station was decided more than 10 years ago. Since then, many years have passed, and this area has gradually begun to change its appearance. There is redevelopment in front of the station, an ever-increasing number of high-rise condominiums, and a huge construction site where construction is progressing. It may be only for a limited time that we can see this scenery, which is a mixture of hope for the future and a little bit of loneliness, right now.
The appeal of Hashimoto is not just the convenience of the city. If you take a short walk, the Sagami River flows quietly and the mountains of Tanzawa can be seen in the distance. It is also a place where you can escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy a somewhat nostalgic landscape at dusk. And there is something that can be felt precisely because it is now, before this city undergoes any transformation. The silence before development, the stirrings of the future, and the transience of time.
Ten years from now, this place will no longer look the same as it does today. The Shinkansen will open, a new town will be born, and many people will come and go through this area. However, before we head towards that future, I would like you to gently engrave in your memory the unique beauty of this town of Hashimoto. I would like you to take a virtual walk with me through the silence of the construction site illuminated by the setting sun and the shadow of the future spreading there.
■Photography date
2024/12/4
■How to get there
JR, Keio Line Hashimoto Station in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xymfNwpTWrjKxkuM8
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■Photography tools
Osmo Pocket3 DJI
DSC-RX100M3 SONY
*Shot in 4k60p HLG HDR.
*Google Translate is used to translate subtitles for each country.
■Chapter list
00:00 1.Opening
08:09 2. Sakaigawa
12:07 3.Kofukuji Temple
20:08 4.Maglev construction site
24:41 5. Ario Hashimoto
34:26 6. Hashimoto Station North Exit
■Hashtag
#japantravel#hashimoto#japanwalk#kanagawa#japantrip#japan