In Passing is a photographic project that explores the quiet tension between permanence and disappearance in the urban landscape of Tokyo. Creative directed by Sunmin Yuk, visualized by Mia Sato O’Neal, and styled by Nita Shunya, the work emerges from a collaboration with Three Dots, a boutique and concept space founded in Tokyo in 2025.

Established by a trio of young Japanese and Korean fashion enthusiasts and artists, Three Dots positions itself as more than a retail environment. Instead, it operates as an artistic refuge, an alternative to a highly commercialised fashion landscape that often prioritises speed and profitability over meaningful cultural dialogue. Through projects such as In Passing, the space aims to foster reflection on time, place, and creative expression.

Located in a rugged corner of Tokyo’s eastern shitomachi, or “low-town,” district, the setting plays a crucial role in the project’s atmosphere. Narrow, shaft-like buildings press tightly against one another, while a small adjacent courtyard is scattered with decayed objects that appear untouched for decades. The environment feels suspended in time, quietly echoing remnants of postwar Japan and the slow transformation of the city’s older neighbourhoods.

Visually, the project draws influence from the I-Photo movement, known for its raw, diaristic approach to everyday life. Echoing this sensibility, the images resist clear narratives. The photographed spaces seem detached from ownership or story; whether the people who once inhabited them still exist remains unknown.

Objects that were once placed with intention now linger without context, becoming silent witnesses to time’s passage.

By positioning contemporary fashion and human presence against deteriorating infrastructure, In Passing reflects an urban landscape in constant transition. The project ultimately suggests a broader perspective: while physical spaces may endure for decades—or even centuries—human presence within them remains fleeting, briefly passing through the timeline before fading away.