When the World Lost Its Mind: Photography, Humanity, and the Pandemic

Pandemic Reflections Through Ari Hatsuzawa’s Lens

A Foreigner’s Lens on Japan During the Pandemic

In 2020–2021, I embarked on a 365-day photo project on film. Every single day, I captured one image on film, and looking back, I feel deeply grateful for that decision. The project became my anchor during the early pandemic days—a time that was, let’s face it, utterly surreal. It also made me realize something else: how utterly absurd humans can be. Yeah, I said it.

Children from an ice hockey team had their temperatures checked before entering the arena for practice. Parents, including me, weren’t allowed to watch the practice inside the arena. Photo Jas G.

The mask mandates, the sanitizers at every corner, the plastic separators, and the overly strict protocols—at the time, these all seemed like the "normal" thing to do. But now? With so much information having come out since then, it’s astonishing to think about how easily we fell in line with it all. The media—our beloved TVs and news outlets, owned by profit-hungry machines—fed us fear like it was the only meal on the menu. And boy, did it serve up a feast! It crushed entire years of our lives and, even worse, wreaked havoc on the mental health of young kids whose parents still, in 2025, cling to masks like they’re life rafts.

Did we really think a piece of saran wrap between two desks would save our lives? I’m just glad I made it through those times—now it’s something I can laugh about! Photo Jas G.

OK, that was a long intro, but it’s necessary to set the stage for what I want to share with you today: a photo book I picked up during those strange, sanitized days.

The book is COVID-19 Pandemic in Tokyo by Ari Hatsuzawa. This 160-page A5-sized masterpiece documents life in Tokyo during the pandemic's early days. Let me tell you—having lived in Japan for a while, the Tokyo depicted in those photos hits hard. Sad. Empty. Ridiculously full of absurdity. Yet, that’s precisely what makes the book so incredible. It’s an unfiltered glimpse into a city grappling with chaos, isolation, and, let’s be honest, a fair dose of human ridiculousness.

Ari Hatsuzawa - Covid 19 Pandemic in Tokyo 2020

Ari Hatsuzawa, born in Paris in 1973, is a Japanese photographer celebrated for his documentary work capturing overlooked communities and cultural landscapes. After studying at Sophia University and training at Iino Hiroo Studio, he pursued a freelance career documenting life in regions like North Korea, Iraq, and post-disaster Japan. His acclaimed works include Let us know about Okinawa and Tokyo 2020, 2021. Hatsuzawa's photography combines a journalistic eye with emotional depth, earning him prestigious awards like the Tadahiko Hayashi Prize and the Higashikawa New Artist Award.

The images in Hatsuzawa’s book serve as a poignant reminder of just how strange those days were. They capture a Tokyo you wouldn’t recognize—a place that felt like a dystopian movie set. And while it’s easy to laugh at the absurdity now, the photos also carry an undercurrent of resilience and humanity, even amid the madness.

If you’re into photography or just want a raw, visual slice of what life was like during those bizarre times, I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a time capsule that reminds us of where we’ve been and, hopefully, where we never want to go again.

Until next time!

Jas