Photo Book (Photobook) Maebashi Eki Omoide No Ekisha to Ensen Fukei

[Machine Translation] This photo collection features images of the station building, the plaza in front of the station, and the surrounding area along the railway line, taken over a period of about four years from 1980 (Showa 55), when I learned that the old Maebashi Station building was to be demolished, until the final day of ticket collection and fare inspection operations at the old station. Ever since I took these photos, I had hoped to share them with the public in some form. However, with 2016 (Heisei 28) marking the 30th anniversary of the completion of the Maebashi Station elevated track project and my own 50th birthday, I decided to publish this book as a living testament to that era. The beautiful Western-style wooden station building, constructed in 1927 (Showa 2), was originally planned to be dismantled, relocated, and restored. However, despite the hopes of the citizens, this plan never materialized and has since faded into a distant memory. I hope that these photographs will allow you to reminisce about those bygone days.

この写真集は、旧前橋駅舎が解体されると知った1980(昭和55)年から、旧駅舎での集改札業務の最終日までの約4年間、駅舎や駅前広場・沿線の様子を撮影したものです。撮影当時から将来は何らかの形で写真を世に公開したいと考えていましたが、来たる2016(平成28)年が前橋駅高架化完成から30年、私自身が50歳の節目となることから、生きた証として出版することにしました。1927(昭和2)年に連設された洋風木造建築の美しい駅舎は、解体後移築・復元される計画でしたが、市民の期待も虚しく幻となり、また記憶からも徐々に薄れつつありますが、ご覧いただきます写真で往時を偲んでいただければ幸いです。