Steam Clock Outside Otaru Music Box Hall | Limited Edition of 10
Canadian Steam Clock Chiming Hourly In Otaru at Night
On a cold evening in Otaru, I found myself standing in front of a building that felt as though it had been lifted from another century. The red brick façade, the stone-trimmed windows, and the formal symmetry of the entrance all carried a certain European weight, yet the signage above the doorway quietly grounded the scene in Japan. And just outside that entrance, illuminated beneath the night sky, stood something even more unexpected: a fully functioning steam clock originally imported from Canada.
It wasn’t just decorative. Every hour, a small crowd would gather nearby waiting for the familiar chime and the plume of steam to rise from its crown. The mechanical faces glowed softly in the dark, repeating the sparkle of the Christmas tree beside it in miniature. The entire corner felt caught between worlds: old-world masonry, Canadian engineering, and Japanese winter tradition, all sharing the same narrow stretch of pavement.
Photographed on location in Otaru on Hokkaido’s western coast, this moment came together naturally as the wet ground began to reflect the ambient light spilling from the street lamps and storefronts. The sheen along the stone pavement creates a subtle lead into the frame, guiding the eye past the clock toward the arched doorway and then on to the illuminated branches beyond. In black and white, the scene becomes less about holiday decoration and more about structure, texture, and light. The carved window surrounds, the polished clock housing, and the layered brickwork take on equal visual importance.
This is not a staged scene or assembled composition; it existed exactly as shown during an evening walk through one of Japan’s most historically preserved port towns. Each print is produced with archival pigment inks on museum-quality archival paper, personally signed by me, and includes a certificate of authenticity.
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© Dan Kosmayer, 2025
Limited Edition of 10
This photograph is released as a signed and numbered limited edition of only 10 prints in total across all available sizes combined—not 10 prints in each size.
Every size is drawn from the same edition. Whether the photograph is purchased as a small print or at the largest available size, it uses one of the 10 edition numbers.
I personally sign and number each print on the reverse, and every print is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity recording its title, dimensions, medium, edition number, and date of issue.
Once all 10 prints have been sold, the edition will be permanently closed. No additional numbered editions of the photograph will be produced in another size or format.
Premium Archival Fine Art Prints
I personally produce every photograph using archival pigment inks on premium archival paper with a subtle luster finish.
The paper provides rich tonal depth, excellent fine-detail reproduction, and a refined surface that reduces distracting glare under normal indoor lighting. It is especially well suited to both color and black-and-white photography.
Each photograph is sold as an unframed fine art print, allowing it to be framed according to the collector’s space and personal style.
Before a print leaves my studio, I carefully inspect it for color, tonal accuracy, surface quality, and overall presentation. Nothing is outsourced, and every finished print passes through my hands.
Worldwide Delivery Included
Every print is personally produced, inspected, signed, numbered, and carefully packaged by me at my studio in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada.
Worldwide delivery is included in the listed price, so there is no additional shipping charge added during checkout. I select an appropriate tracked delivery service based on the destination, print size, and current shipping requirements.
Delivery times vary by destination and may be affected by customs processing or circumstances beyond my control.
Because I also travel extensively to create new photographic work, studio dispatch may occasionally be delayed while I am away. When that happens, the print will be produced and shipped as soon as I return to the studio.
