Longing For A Big Dream In Japan

For the series ‘Big Dream‘, London-based photographer Tim Bowditch captured solitary men in public spaces while on a trip to Japan. The men in the photographs are playing Keirin, a Japanese betting game on track cycling races. In the soft-toned images, Bowditch has managed to portray the gamblers in an empty environment, absorbed in the game. They’re not losing hope, waiting patiently for the results and the win. In a statement about the series, Bowditch says: “‘Big Dream’ is a Keirin-specific betting term. It is an accumulator bet, placed on the last four races of the day. If you pick the first two finishers in those races, you can win a huge amount of money. […] The air is clear and feels clean. The men in the images are frozen in hope. They’ve worked out the odds, put in the time. There is no reason that today shouldn’t be their lucky day.”

All images © Tim Bowditch