Here is my list of 10 great Japanese photo books. The list is unordered and does not represent necessarily the greatest photo books there are. Japanese photography is amazing because it’s so diverse; all genres are so strongly represented. Myself I like certain kind of photography, so I wanted to choose the ones that I love most.
Hotaru (Firefly)
Mizoguchi Yoshio
Kamaitachi
Hosoe Eikoh
Baby Baby
Kawashima Kotori
Satchin
Araki
Farewell Photography
Moriyama Daido
Nadia
Sawatari Hajime
Looking for Forest
Hayashida Setsuko
Nadya’s Village
Motohashi Seiichi
Degree Zero
Nakahira Takuma
Love and Death
Araki
Notes:
Although I like Miraichan by Kawashima Kotori and it’s important photo book I like Baby Baby even more . It’s lesser known, so it deserves a mention.
I simply cannot mention Araki without mentioning both Love and Death and Satchin since both are his signature work.
Hayashida Setsuko’s photo book “Looking for Forest 「森をさがす」of my hometown is a fantastic photo book.
Although Moriyama Daido has published several important photo books I felt Farewell Photography is his strongest work.
There was an article written by a Japanese woman writer. I can’t remember where I saw it. But it stated, “I believe Japanese women are most comfortable when they are alone in their apartment, wearing nothing but their underwear”.
I must be by all means, a Japanese woman.
I stand in front of my mirror, naked. I’m 36. I’m adult now. My body could use a workout. I’m sad a little to see my huge belly. But I dismiss the criticism in my mind; this is me. I must be thankful for my strong and healthy body.
I take a closer look and see the scars on top of my right eyebrow. They are almost invisible. Only if you take a closer look you can make out two small cuts. These are my secret scars. If someone can make them out, maybe he or she wonder if I was in a fight. Or did I fall? The wounds took incredibly long time to heal. Almost a year. Even now sometimes they sting. Maybe they are near a nerve or something.
It’s almost rainy season here in Japan. The blue, humid, season of erotic promise of summer. During daytime, I stay in my house alone, wrapping my naked body in a towelket (towel + blanket, get it?). Although I miss my friends I’d rather stay in. I let my mind wander free.
I can’t tell a lie. I’m that kind of person. Fundamentally I believe I should live like this, with brutal honesty.
Japan can be quite a difficult place to live for a person like me. Like alcohol, for example. Going to my favorite bar, people ask me “don’t you drink?”. If I say “I stopped drinking”, or “I don’t drink” people are going to ask me why. And then eventually they drill me to get real answer. So I realized it’s easier to lie, “Today I’m taking a break”, or “I’m having a hangover” and so on. It’s good to be practical.
Layer of clothing might be necessary in order to deal with outside world comfortably. However, artist is always standing naked in front of the world. The exposure always hurts. I have not found easy solution to this.
But I love the feeling after my exhibition when I know it’s over and done, and the pictures are finally out from my heart. It makes me feel empty and fresh, like something passed through me, and my hands are empty.
I want to approach the opportunity of tomorrow today with this feeling.
I went to visit a library. I borrowed the photo books, Anti-Memory, Contemporary Photography II, Nakahira Takuma’s Degree Zero Yokohama, and Motohashi Seiichi’s Nadya’s Village.
This year I made a special new year’s resolution. I made a promise not to buy a single camera this year. This promise has been a best promise I have ever made. (And I have been able to keep it so far)
I get the sense that photographer is now more than ever, slave of a camera. World is flooded with the digital apparatus that are designed to create desire and make picture taking as simple and easy as possible. There are tons of new advanced features that make getting a technically pristine picture easier.
I remember the original Olympus Pen (film camera) advertisement, “Taking great photographs has never been this easy!”. Now in the era of smartphones the advertisement seems almost silly or ironic.
It is almost as if camera has became a fashion accessory for photographers. Then, I can’t help but feel sad about this situation. Because much potential for interesting conversation (and photo taking!) is being lost.
There is great saying, “Big minds talk ideas, small minds talk people”.
I say; big photographers talk photos, small photographers talk cameras.
Now as I have focused less and less in the photocopying apparatus and more in the photos, I notice my mind is lighter; I just use what I have. And I have more time to think about the mood of the photo, and setting.
In Finnish language, tool is referred as to having “jotain kättä pidempää” (something longer than your hand). This refers to having extended leverage at your disposal. Yes. I have a lever or button in my hands, sort of. And I’m there, you know, with you.
Of course some kind of camera is necessary to take a photo. However, as Araki said, if you have burning desire to write a love letter, it doesn’t matter if it’s pencil or ball point pen.
I don’t have Leica or anything really expensive or special. Just couple of normal cameras. I never keep any cameras what I don’t actively use. I have given some cameras to my friends before.
Then, honestly, these days I don’t particularly enjoy watching cameras or talk about them. No matter how great camera I would get, I wouldn’t be able to take it with me after I die. And we will all die, you know. But the feeling of being in some place and meeting some beautiful people, with my heart beating a little fast.. now that might be forever.
I was really impressed by Simon Baker’s presentation regarding Japanese photography in Japan Foundation today.
He showed several Japanese photographers works that are so important for me as well, for example Kamaitachi, Otoko to Onna, Farewell Photography, just to mention few.
His genuine love for Japanese photography was so transparent.
He pointed out: “Even though Moriyama is a better photographer than Man Ray you can get hundreds of Moriyamas (photo prints) with cost of one Man Ray”.
I will be playing the wonderful old Steinway in Goodman in my exhibition 4th and 18th of July in afternoon. There will be also delicious tea, and talk show about art.
I will be holding photo exhibition in Koenji Goodman in July. The place is open during night time from 19:00 in weekends for jazz lives. I will also play the vintage Steinway in 7/4 and 7/18 in afternoon. Please come and enjoy! I will post more details later.
I really wish japanese society would be more open about discussion about depression. It is truly sorrowful situation, since depression is so very common here. Suicide is the leading cause of death of men here between the age of 22-44.
Instead of considering this topic, the mass media is celebrating latest gadgets and entertainment, OIympic Games, hair sprays. Bird hatchlings are getting stomped on the busy railway station under cheap business shoes.
