SHORT STORIES: Jerusalem

This is the third volume in the “SHORT STORIES” series, which reconfigures Sohei Nishino’s signature work, “Diorama Map”—a massive collage of countless photographs taken while walking through cities around the world—into a small book. Based on photographs of Jerusalem taken in 2012, it was published by Migo in 2026.

“Diorama Map” collages photographs taken from a variety of perspectives, including city streets and rooftops, to create a single, vast cityscape. In this series, the artist crops details from the overall image and edits the work as if walking through the city again, retracing the memories and experiences of the time the photographs were taken.

This volume features landscapes of Jerusalem, where the history and cultures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam intersect. Through fragments of photographs, it brings to light the different layers of culture and time that coexist in the same city, including the faith-rooted lives of its people and the distinct streetscapes and customs of each religious quarter.

The three included essays—“Where Do I Come From?”, “Baptism by an Assistant,” and “A Culinary Journey with My Grandmother” recount the experience of photographing Mea Shearim, where ultra-Orthodox Jews live; the boundaries between neighborhoods that differ according to religion and culture; and memories of the artist’s grandmother, who was a culinary researcher, along with the local food culture. The essays also turn their gaze not only toward the city’s history and religion, but also toward encounters with people during the artist’s travels and their own memories.

By unfolding a portion of a large collage across the pages, the book alternates between an overview of the entire city and an intimate perspective on the people living on its streets. Published simultaneously with “SHORT STORIES: Amsterdam,” it follows “SHORT STORIES: Beppu,” published in 2023. It reinterprets the city of Jerusalem through the lens of travel experiences and personal memory.

[Title] SHORT STORIES: Jerusalem
[Publisher] Migo
[Publication Date] February 5, 2026 (First Edition, First Printing)
[Page Count] 64 pages
[Size] Approx. 154 × 165 × 9 mm / 175 g
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] Japanese, English
[Title Reading] SHORT STORIES: Jerusalem
[Author/Editor/etc.] Sohei Nishino/Photography, Text, Illustration, Editing; Emi Yamane/Editing, Design; Yukari Chibatti/Translation; Takamichi Niizeki/Printing Direction
[Printing/Binding] Atomi Co., Ltd./Printing, Binding
[ISBN] 9784991284649
[Condition] New
[Accessories] -
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibitions] -

Sohei Nishino (Nishino Sohei) 1982–

Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1982. Photographer. While studying at the Osaka University of Arts, he began creating the “Diorama Map” series, in which he manually collaged countless photographs taken while walking through cities to construct single cityscapes. In 2004, he received the President’s Award at the Osaka University of Arts graduation exhibition.

In “Diorama Map,” he combines photographs taken on black-and-white film from various locations, including city streets and elevated vantage points, to reconstruct the overall image of a city based on memory and experience. He continues to work on cities around the world, including Tokyo, London, Amsterdam, and Jerusalem.

In 2005, he received the Fumio Nanjo Selection of Excellence Award at Canon Photo New Century. In 2013, he received the Newcomer Award from the Japan Photographic Association and was selected for the Foam Talent Call by the Dutch photography magazine “Foam Magazine.” In 2017, he was named a finalist for the Prix Pictet “Space” International Photography Award.

He has held exhibitions both in Japan and abroad and presented his work at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Francisco, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, and London’s Saatchi Gallery. In 2013, he also participated in the Triennale at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York.

His major photobooks include “Tokyo,” “Water Line. A Story of the Po River,” “SHORT STORIES: Beppu,” “SHORT STORIES: Amsterdam,” and “SHORT STORIES: Jerusalem.”

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