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満開の鳳凰木の花びらが落ちるのを見て、13年前に男の子を撮りはじめた時のことを思い出した。
台湾の男の子たちが教えてくれたのは、誰もが違う状況を、与えられたかたちで、それぞれ壁を乗り越えながら生きているということだった。
地面は花びらで朱色に染まっていて、木には大きな種がついている。
種の形は色々で、花びらもまた自由に飛んでいく。

Watching the petals of the flamboyant tree fall in full bloom, I was reminded of when I first started photographing boys 13 years ago.
The boys in Taiwan taught me that everyone lives in different circumstances, each overcoming their own obstacles in their own way with what they have.
The ground is dyed scarlet by the fallen petals, and the tree bears large, varied seeds. The shapes of the seeds differ, and the petals float away freely.' —— Masashi Urashiba (Mashi).

Since there are 13 types of vitamins, who says there’s only one kind of boy?

Osaka-based photographer Masashi Urashiba has long explored gender, the body, and identity through his photography. During his time living in Taiwan, he captured a vibrant array of young men in their most radiant forms, intertwined with the familiar urban landscapes of this island. Through his use of symbolic imagery and visually engaging compositions, he presents his latest work: New Vitamin Boys.

This compact photobook originates from Vitamin Boys, a small zine he created in 2014, initially dedicated to his younger self, who once struggled with gender identity. At that time, Mashi arrived in Taiwan with a sense of uncertainty. He was first moved by the warmth and humor of this island and later encountered a diverse group of young men whose energy and individuality captivated him. These encounters not only provided deep inspiration but also quietly dispelled his own confusion. He admits, “They gave me the strength to keep going—just like vitamins.”

Lively, passionate, gentle, and beautiful, sometimes playful and humorous—this is New Vitamin Boys. So, boys! It’s okay to feel uncertain at times or even trapped. Because here, in this land of freedom, nothing is too strange. Look around—the dazzling neon signs, the chaotic yet familiar streets, the overlapping sounds, and the people living in their own unique ways have always been here. And through Mashi’s lens—bathed in sunlight, illuminated by artificial lights and flashes—they are blessed and embraced, appearing open and at ease.

Born in Osaka in 1988, Masashi Urashiba is a Japanese photographer based in Taipei. In 2015, he won the Grand Prize at the 13th 1_WALL Photography Award with his male portrait series Yuku, Fureru Ya Inaya. In 2016, he held a solo exhibition, In the Woods of Bodies, at Guardian Garden in Ginza, Tokyo, and later taught at the photography department of Osaka Visual Arts College. Since 2020, he has worked as a freelance photographer and came to Taiwan on a working holiday. In 2021, he obtained an artist visa and has since settled in Taiwan.