“Every view in New Zealand was more beautiful and open than I imagined. In front of Uemura’s camera, I naturally stepped away from my role and could simply be myself,” Takaishi said. “I would be happy if readers could feel, through each photograph, the sense I had during the shoot that something inside me was melting away.”
Uemura remembered the weather changing just as work began. “It had been raining until just before the shoot, but it cleared the moment we started,” he said. At first, Takaishi’s presence and expression made a strong impression, but watching her enjoy each moment led him to think she would have looked the same in rain or sunshine. “Her carefree side and her quiet side are both Takaishi. Maybe that is why the book became so uncontrived.”
The book includes a special “New Zealand Itinerary” leaflet with the route and behind-the-scenes stories from the trip.
Book details
- Title: Akari Takaishi 2nd Photobook melt
- Author: Akari Takaishi
- Photography: Tosei Uemura
- Release date: 18 December 2026
- Length: 148 pages
- Price: ¥3,960 including tax
- ISBN: 978-4-8387-3409-2
- Publisher: Magazine House
Name note: The official form of the character 高 in Takaishi’s name uses the ladder-style variant.
Source: Magazine House official book page
