Between the late 1980s and 2011, Alexander James Hamilton undertook an extensive photographic study of Tokyo's diverse taxi industry, capturing the unique illuminated roof signs that once distinguished over a thousand independent taxi firms operating throughout the city. These luminous emblems—ranging from cherry blossoms and stars to frogs and waving cats—served not only as identifiers but also as reflections of Tokyo's rich urban tapestry.

Photographed using a handheld Hasselblad 6x6cm camera loaded with transparency film, Hamilton navigated Tokyo's nocturnal streets by bicycle, seeking out these ephemeral symbols. Each image was captured in-camera without post-production manipulation, preserving the authenticity and immediacy of the moment.

Corporate consolidation has led to the disappearance of all of the smaller taxi firms and their distinctive signage, Hamilton's work stands as a vital archival record of a vanishing aspect of Tokyo's visual culture. The series was published in the book Tokyo Taxi (Merrell Publishers, 2012), featuring 200 color illustrations across 224 pages.

Each photograph in this collection has been hand-printed by the artist between 2004 and 2011 in a limited edition of 10. Prints are initialed, dated, annotated, and numbered (recto), presented in museum-grade mylar sleeves. Paper size: 23.6 x 16.5 inches (60 x 42 cm); image sizes vary according to composition.

Provenance:

Book publication 'Tokyo Taxi' by Merrell, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-8589-4569-9.
Exhibition 'Tokyo Taxi' 2011, Ann330 Gallery, Los Angeles.
Sold direct from the artists studio, recorded in Catalogue Raisonné.

view the entire Tokyo Taxi collection on the artists gallery website.