In Uguisuzawa, a town situated at the foot of the Ōu Mountains in northwestern Miyagi Prefecture, the Hosokura Mine once operated as one of Japan’s foremost sources of lead and zinc.

Eiko Terasaki, born in 1941 in former Manchuria, relocated to Hosokura with her family, who managed a small shop. Following the announcement of the mine’s closure, Terasaki turned to photography as a means of documentation. Prior to the closure, she photographed the town, its residents, children, and even the animals kept there. Thereafter, her focus shifted to the traces of everyday life as they gradually disappeared, and to the landscape itself as it was overtaken by grass and undergrowth.

In total, Terasaki produced approximately 11,000 negatives. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 75, without having printed her photographs. This exhibition presents a selection of works from these negatives, offering insight into her sustained engagement with Hosokura and its transformation.