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Michael Wolf's Tokyo Compression shows an undignified way to travel in Japan

Michael Wolf is a German artist and photographer living in Hong Kong and Paris, whose work documents life in big cities. His photo series, Tokyo Compression, focuses on overcrowding on public transport in the Japanese capital.

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All images courtesy of Michael Wolf and the Blue Lotus Gallery

All images courtesy of Michael Wolf and the Blue Lotus Gallery

During the rush hour in central Tokyo, subway passengers are routinely squeezed together - contorted, uncomfortable and even in pain - in a way that few in the West would ever countenance. Wolf's intimate photos capture their misery by focusing in on the details of each face and each train window.

The result is a series of images that help you connect and empathise with the passengers' emotions, regardless of whether you've ever experienced such conditions yourself. While some may see the forbearance and quiet dignity of Tokyo commuters as something to be admired, Wolf is clear where his perspective lies. "This is not a dignified way of living,” he was quoted as saying in a CNN interview. "It's like looking into a ride in hell."

The series goes on show at Hong Kong's Blue Lotus Gallery from April 20-May 13, and a new edition of the accompanying book - which leading photographer Martin Parr has called one of the most important photobooks of the decade - will be launched at the preview night. The exhibition will tour Europe later this year, starting during July's Recontres Arles Photo Festival in Arles, France.

A man's face contorted with discomfort as a child's hand pushes against his head during rush hour on a Tokyo subway train
Man's face pressed against a condensation-covered train window during Tokyo rush hour, from Michael Wolf's Tokyo Compression series
A man presses his face and hand against a rain-covered train window during Tokyo rush hour, his eyes closed in discomfort as other passengers are crushed nearby
Close-up profile of a person's face pressed against a train window during rush hour in Tokyo, eyes closed in discomfort
Person's face pressed against a wet train window during rush hour in Tokyo, captured in Michael Wolf's Tokyo Compression series
Woman with closed eyes pressed against a fogged subway window, her face distorted by the glass in Michael Wolf's Tokyo Compression series
Human fingers pressed against the condensed window of an overcrowded Tokyo subway train, with blurred passengers visible through the fogged glass
Person pressed against a subway window with closed eyes during rush hour in Tokyo, captured in Michael Wolf's Tokyo Compression series
Person with eyes closed pressed against a train window during rush hour in Tokyo, surrounded by other passengers in dark clothing
Woman with closed eyes pressed against a train window during rush hour in Tokyo, her hand touching the glass
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