Scene: Kohei Hayashi’s Spirits Of Yokohama
Scene is an MC editorial department which catalogs the scenes and locals of your hometown. In this piece, we take a look at the photography of Kohei Hayashi, a Tokyo/Yokohama-based photographer and skater. Born in 1996, Kohei Hayashi is the manager of the Yokohama skate shop Lacquer, and is a prolific skate photographer throughout Japan. Originally from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Kohei moved to Tokyo five years ago where he currently lives.
The below quotes were translated from Japanese to English - you get the gist.
We always have people from all over Japan and the world coming to our shop, so it's lively and fun. Young local skaters are also steadily growing, so I'm looking forward to what the future holds. I want to run a shop that will last for twenty or thirty years. Please come visit us anytime!
I started taking photos when I was eighteen years old. The reason I started was because I wanted to keep a record (memories) of the people I hang with. I started taking skateboarding photos when I was 21 years old.
I usually take photos using both film and digital cameras, but I particularly love film photography. I have a darkroom at home, and I develop and print the photos there to keep as a keepsake.
When it comes to skateboarding photos, I shoot them so that they are complete as a single image, but when it comes to snapshots, I like to use multiple photos and compositions to create a story using various photos, which influenced me to start making zines and photo books. Basically, the subjects of my photography are my colleagues, friends, and family. By cutting out and recording parts of my life, photography fulfills my desire to keep "fragments of memories" close to my heart.
DIARY
A photo diary made using collages of memories with friends and family. A zine made by extracting some of those memories. Published in 2021.
This is the page for Lacquer, where I am the manager. I usually hang out here!
The two members of my crew "UGLY WEAPON". In Tokyo, we document a variety of skaters, with a focus on them.
A photo from 2020 with my buddy Shoma Takeda from my hometown Nagoya. At the time, I was into taking photos of skating on black and white film, and I spent a lot of money on them. Lol
SPIRITS
A zine documenting the town and the skaters who always gather at the local bar "Spirits”. Published in 2020.
Crowded.
Gaze.
Reflection.
Process.
Black and white.
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
A photo book documenting a month of life in NYC during my first visit there in 2022. Published in 2024.
This is the key page in this photobook. The story of the photobook was constructed to lead to this photo.
ONCE / NIGHT
This zine was created using a camera that prints on receipt paper to capture the night. It uses time notation to record the time from night to morning. Published in 2024.
The first photo I took after leaving the house. I always have my skateboard at my feet.
A go-kart, which is common in Japan, was stored on the street with a sheet over it. Lol
The grainy texture created when the monochrome receipt paper is enlarged is irresistible.
PHOTOGRAPHY
These are some of my favorite photos that I recently printed in the darkroom, but didn't use in the zine.
With Jimmy Lannon in SF. I love the rainbow that was captured by chance.
The road in front of my house. A road I walk on every day.
My fridge at home. It gives me a sense of my history and connection.
Lacquer: Local young people. I like their relaxed gaze.
Isn’t it amazing how you can tell they’re skaters just by looking at their feet?
Grandpa, currently undergoing cancer treatment. Good luck!
The usual lineup. UGLY WEAPON.
At Kenny's house.
Welcome to Japan.
