A selection of Japanese photobooks. 2009.

Transcription

A Selection of Japanese Photobooks
Maggs Bros Ltd
1430
Catalogue
JAPANESE PHOTOBOOKS
CATALOGUE 1430
MAGGS BROS LTD
Front cover illustration from item 8
Maggs Bros Ltd
50 Berkeley Square
London W1J 5BA
Bank Account: Allied Irish (GB),
10 Berkeley Square London W1J 6AA
Sort code: 23-83-97
Account Number: 47777070
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.30am - 5.00pm
IBAN: GB94AIBK23839747777070
BIC: AIBKGB2L
VAT number: GB239381347
tel: 00 44 207 4937160
fax: 00 44 207 4992007
email: [email protected]
Access/Mastercard and Visa: supply card number, expiry
date, name and invoice number by mail, fax or telephone.
EU members:
please quote your VAT/TVA number when ordering.
The goods shall legally remain the property of the seller
until the price has been discharged in full.
© Maggs Bros Ltd 2009
Design and imaging by Radius Graphics
Printed by BAS
1 AKIYAMA (Ryoji). Narakawa-mura [The Village of Narakawa].
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 4to. Original
flexible boards in dustwrapper and obi, slight staining to covers, but very good
inside. 117pp. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, 1991. Akiyama Ryoji was born in Narakawa (Nagano Pref.) in 1942. After graduating from
the Department of Literature at Waseda University he joined the AP News Agency, and
subsequently became a freelance worker for Asahi Shimbun. Akiyama was surprised to find
a sensitivity in the village that seemed to have disappeared in Tokyo. And while many of
the images are formal (posed) portraits they show the warmth and health of village life.
Only one copy in OCLC.
2 ARAKI (Nobuyoshi). Tokyo Natsu Monogatari - Tokyo Summer
Story. First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 8vo.
Original flexible boards in dustwrapper and obi, a very good copy. 398pp.
Tokyo, Waizu Shuppan, 2003. An interesting photo-documentary of Tokyo on a fine summer day. All of the images were
taken through the window of a taxi moving slowly through various neighbourhoods. The
book is ostensibly a homage to the films by the famous director Ozu Yasujiro (1903-63)
whose slow style revealing gentle family drama has given him enduring appeal. The title
of the book refers to Tokyo Monogatari (1953), Ozu’s most famous work. Needless to say,
Araki’s take on Tokyo and it’s citizens couldn’t be more different from that of Ozu - even
if the pace and the famous low angle of Ozu’s vision (‘tatami-shot’) is similar. Only two
copies in OCLC.
3 ARAKI (Nobuyoshi). Tokyo wa, Aki; Toshi no Janarizumu [Tokyo is
Autumn; Journalism in the Capital]. First edition. Numerous photographic
illustrations. Japanese text. Small 8vo. Original decorated boards in dustwrapper
and obi, a very good copy. 180pp. Tokyo, Sanseido, 1984. Many photographers rate this book amongst Araki’s best work. Street scenes of Tokyo
taken in 1972 and 1973 just after he left Dentsu. The images are combined with a dialogue
between Araki and his wife Yoko. This seemingly innocuous book conveys the essence of
Araki’s technique and the raison d’etre of his work. The first three images are of Golden
Gai, showing the disused tram-line behind the bars. It is a location filled with nostalgia, the
nondescript high-rise in the centre serving to provide a contrast to the decaying traditional
two-story buildings in the foreground. The camera swings to the right to show the back
facade, then goes a little closer to focus on the garbage cans. This is truly post-modern
photography. By focussing on the banal and profane Araki dispenses with the beauty of the
object and by doing so arrives where he wants to be, namely in photography. But Araki’s
images are certainly not random. As he walks around his favourite neighbourhoods he is
keenly aware of the smallest details, the nature and content of billboards, stickers in a
car-window, of the old, the new, and the decaying. As such this is a truly remarkable book.
Only three copies in OCLC.
4 ASAHI SHIMBUN-SHA. NAKAYAMA (Iwata). Asahi Camera - The
Japanese Journal of Photography. Vol. 13, no. 5. Numerous photographic
plates and illustrations. Japanese text. Captions to plates in English and
Japanese. Large 8vo. Original printed wrappers, minor wear to spine, but
overall still a good copy. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbun, May 1932. Asahi Camera was founded by Narusawa Reisen in April 1926. It was not constrained by
any particular photographic genre but rather focused on practical and educational issues
relating to any given tendency, be it amateur or commercial. The present issue is important
for featuring the modernist work by Nakayama Iwata (1895-1949) both on the cover
and inside. The featured essay relates the experiences of Asahi Press photographers who
covered the Sino-Japanese conflicts in Manchuria and Shanghai.
5 ASAHI SHIMBUN-SHA. NARUSAWA (Kimbei), editor. Nihon Shashin
Nenkan - The Japan Photographic Annual 1925-1926. First edition.
Numerous photographic plates (5 tipped in). Japanese and English text. 8vo.
Original flexible boards (frayed edges), light browning, overall a good copy.
41,112, 101, 26pp. Tokyo/Osaka, Asahi Shimbunsha, dated Taisho 15, [i.e.
1926]. Asahi Shimbunsha started publishing the Japan Photographic Annual in July 1925. The
present is the second issue of this important yearbook. Great pride is being taken in
the progress made by Japanese photography both in terms of content and reproduction.
“Compare this volume to that of last year’s. No one, we believe, will glance through
this issue without being struck by the great strides that we have made during the past
year”. (Narusawa Kimbei). Much of this annual is devoted to pictorialist photography with
contributions by Fukuhara Shinzo, Minami Minoru, Kakefuda Isao, Nishiyama Kiyoshi,
Fuchikami Hakuyo, Kometani Koro, Fukuhara Roso, Umesaka Ori, and many others. The
text gives an overview of photographic events during the year with a list of exhibitions and
winning entries, as well as a list of photography clubs, studios, and supply stores together
with their addresses. No copy in OCLC.
6 ASAHI SHIMBUNSHA. NARUSAWA (Kimbei), editor. Nihon Shashin
104 photographic plates (5 tipped in). Japanese text with English abstract.
Large 8vo. Original flexible boards, overall a very good copy. 39,117, [iv],
14(text)pp. Tokyo/Osaka, Asahi Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 4, [i.e. 1929]. Volume five of the annual publication and one can clearly feel that new trends are challenging
the predominance of pictorialism. With contributions by Fukuhara Shinzo, Ezaki Kiyoshi,
Umesaka Ori, Yasui Nakaji, Kometani Koro, Ito Sokai, Nishiyama Kiyoshi, Fukuhara Roso,
Shiotani Teiko, and many others. The text gives an overview of photographic events during
the year with a list of exhibitions and winning entries, as well as a list of photography clubs,
studios, and supply stores together with their addresses. 2 copies in OCLC.
7 ASAHI SHIMBUN-SHA. Nihon Shashin Nenkan - The Japan
Photographic Annual 1929-1930. First edition. 80 photographic plates
(6 tipped in). Japanese text with English abstract. Large 8vo. Original flexible
boards, light spotting to text, overall still a very good copy. 32, 110, 15(text)pp.
Tokyo/Osaka, Asahi Shimbunsha, dated Showa 5, [i.e. 1930]. This is volume six of the annual publication with 111 images selected from 890 contributions.
1930 clearly marks the beginning of the Shinko Shashin movement. The present issue
includes work by Nakayama Iwata, Umesaka Ori, Yasui Nakaji, Kakefuda Isao, Fuchikami
Hakuyo, Ishiyama Yasuhisa, Kurata Kenji, Tabata Eizo and Okubo Koroku. A small section
of images is devoted to advertising photography. 2 copies in OCLC.
8 ASAHI SHIMBUN-SHA. NARUSAWA (Kimbei), editor. Nihon Shashin
120 photographic plates. Japanese text with English abstract. 8vo. Original
decorated wrappers (minor wear to spine) in slipcase, a very good copy. [iv],
47, [vi](ads.)pp. Tokyo/Osaka, Asahi Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 10, [i.e.
1935]. The format of the publication was changed in 1934 with glossy covers taking account of
the change in taste. Each issue is divided into a section of plates followed by a detailed
technical and artistic commentary on each photograph as well as a review of events of the
year. The long list of addresses of clubs, studios, and photographers is dispensed with.
The present issue includes work by Kimura Ihei, Nakayama Iwata, Nojima Yasuzo, Fukuda
Katsuji, as well as a fascinating photo-montage by Matsubara Juzo (see cover). No copy
in OCLC.
Photographic Annual 1938. First edition. 161 photographic plates.
Japanese text with English abstract. 8vo. Original decorated wrappers (wear to
spine) in slipcase, but still a very good copy. 4, 30, [vi](text)pp. Tokyo/Osaka,
Asahi Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 13, [i.e. 1938]. The photographs on the cover are by Yasumoto Koyo and Shibuya Ryukichi. This issue
contains some remarkable modernist images by Yasui Nakaji, Nakayama Iwata, Koishi
Kiyoshi, Nojima Yasuzo, Fuchikami Hakuyo, Kimura Ihei, Hanaya Kambei, and Matsubara
Juzo. No copy in OCLC.
Photographic Annual 1941. First edition. 144 photographic plates.
Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original decorated wrappers in dustwrapper. Overall
a very good copy. 5, 28(text)pp. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 16
[i.e. 1941]. The first image in this annual is a hazy image of a marching soldier by Ueda Shuntaro.
It is the only image that hints at the outbreak of full-scale war with America and the
allies, but maybe this conflict was still not discernable by May ‘41. However, upon closed
inspection one finds that most of the big names of the avant-garde have disappeared, while
photographers like Nishiyama Kiyoshi, Kakefuda Isao, Minami Minoru, Nojima Yasuzo, and
Yasui Nakaji are represented with fairly innocuous work. Furthermore, the English abstract
has been dispensed with.
11 CAMERA MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENT. Arusu Shashin Nenkan;
2601nen ban - Ars Photographic Annual 2601. First edition. Two colour
plates as well as 98 b.-w. plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original flexible boards
in (damaged) dustwrapper, slightly worn, just a good copy. Tokyo, Ars, dated:
Showa 16, [i.e. 1941]. Ars Shashin Nenkan was a supplement to Camera magazine, dedicated to out-standing
examples of contemporary photography. The present issue contains work by Nojima
Yasuzo, Ueda Shoji, Nakayama Iwata, Nishiyama Kiyoshi, Kuwahara Kineo, Yasui Nakaji,
Hamaya Hiroshi and Kimura Ihei. At the back there is small appendix of ‘patriotic images’
relating to the war in China as well as the political situation at home. An index at the back
provides addresses, occupations, and photo-club membership for all the photographers.
The abstract composition on the cover is by Domon Ken. Only one copy in OCLC.
TOGETHER WITH ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS
12 DAI-HONEI KAIGUN HODOBU. ONCHI (Koshiro) design. Daitoa
senso kaigun sakusen shashin kiroku [The Great East Asia War - A
Photographic Record of the Naval Operations]. First edition. 2 vols.
Numerous photographic plates, several folding. Japanese text. Small folio.
Original cloth-backed boards in dustwrapper (minor staining and marginal
tears). Overall still a very good copy. Decorated endpapers. 144, [viii]; 144,
[viii]pp. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 18 [i.e. 1943]. A selection of photographs of the Japanese Navy in World War II covering the period from
the attack on Pearl Harbour on December 1941 to May 15th 1943. Includes photographs
of operations in China, Java, Borneo, Philippines, New Guinea, and other areas in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately none of the images are credited to individual photographers. The
work was edited by the Naval Headquarters News Section and the introduction states
that the images were collected from a variety of military sources including the Army
Information Bureau. Rare. Only one copy of OCLC. Together with 9 original vintage
photographs measuring ca. 16x22cm, (6 of them published in vol. 2) including
one of Japanese invasion of Attu island (Aleutian) and one of Japanese bombers
flying towards Australia (Darwin). [see across]
Original Prints by
Various Photgraphers;
item 12.
13 DODO (Shunji). Shin Sekai - Mukashi mo ima mo [New World
- Yesterday and Now]. First edition. Numerous photographic plates.
Japanese text. Small folio. Original flexible boards in slipcase, a very good
copy. Unpaginated. Osaka, Chosei-sha, 1986. Shinsekai was one of Osaka’s oldest and most colourful downtown neighbourhoods. Until
major redevelopment in the late 1990s the area’s claim to fame was rooted in its mix
of cheap bars, theatres, and gambling halls. It had a reputation for poverty mixed with
petty crime due to the large concentration of homeless and prostitutes, in particularly
transvestites. Dodo Shunji records the narrow street and its characters with deep affection.
No copy in OCLC, no copy in NACSIS.
14 DOISNEAU (Robert). Kodomo no Jokei - Scenes D’Enfants. First
edition. Numerous photographic illustrations, several in colour. Text in French
and Japanese. 8vo. Original printed boards, a very good copy. [iv], 48, [viii]pp.
Tokyo, Heibonsha, dated: Showa 32 [i.e. 1957]. Robert Doisneau (1912-1994) achieved fame as one of France’s most popular and prolific
reportage photographers. His images show a warm vision of human frailty. The present
book on children was only published in Japan. Book-design by Hara Hiromu. Rare. Only
one copy in OCLC.
15 DOMON (Ken) and others. NIHON MINGEI KYOKAI. Shuri to Naha
[Shuri and Naha]. Kogei Vol. 103. First and only edition. One of a limited
edition of 1000 copies. Numerous photographic plates, two large folding maps.
Japanese text. 8vo. Original decorated wrappers, a fine copy. 97(text)pp.
Tokyo, Nihon Mingei Kyokai, dated: Showa 15, [i.e. 1940]. This is a very early and rare publication with work by Domon Ken. In 1940 he and two other
photographers (Sakamoto Manshichi, and Koshi Misuo) were sent to Okinawa to record
local architecture and customs in the capital of Naha. Most of the photographs show Shuri
castle, the royal palace of the Ryukyu kingdom, and other early examples of architecture
and sculpture. A section at the end deals with local arts and crafts, the markets, and local
festivals. Rare. No copy in OCLC.
16 DOMON (Ken). HAMAYA (Hiroshi) and others. Japan. First edition. 65
photographic plates. English text. Small folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper, a
very good copy. [xii], [iv]pp. Tokyo, Ministry of Transportation, 1956. “Travel abroad is one of the great pleasures of life. It is also a means of widening one’s
horizons, of seeing and understanding the life and environment of other peoples, and of
creating friendships among peoples based on such understanding.” (Introduction) In spite
of the innocuous title this is possibly one of the best illustrated tourist publications ever
published about Japan. The printing quality is superb. Includes images by Domon Ken,
Hamaya Hiroshi, Watanabe Yoshio, Yoshida Jun, Higuchi Susumu, and Matsugi Fujio. The
dustwrapper shows a flower arrangement by Teshigahara Sofu. Rare.
17 DOMON (Ken). Nihon Meishoden - [Famous Artisans of Japan].
First edition. Numerous photographic plates (many in colour). Japanese
text. Folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper, lacking cardboard case, still a very
good copy. Unpaginated. Kyoto, Shinshindo Shuppan, dated: Showa 49 [i.e.
1974]. Superb portraits of sixteen major figures from the world of literature (Kawabata Yasunari),
woodcut art (Munakata Shiko), acting (Mizutani Yaeko), pottery (Hamada Shoji), go
(Sakata Eio), as well as the heart-surgeon Sagakibara Shigeru - to name just a few. All
of them were survivors, the old guard of Japan - in a positive sense. The characters are
full of a sense of their own achievement and they were clearly comfortable with Domon’s
presence. Book-design by Tanaka Ikko. Only 2 copies in OCLC.
18 FUCHIKAMI (Hakuyo). SOUTH MANCHURIA RAILWAY COMPANY. Manshu Shashin Nenkan - Manchuria Photographic Annual 1930. First
and only edition. 39 photographic plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original
red cloth (lacking dustwrapper and/or slipcase?), slightly soiled, but very good
inside. Decorated endpapers, a.e.g. 78pp. Dalian, Minami Manchu Tetsudo
Kabushiki Gaisha/Chunichi Bunka Kyokai, dated: Showa 5, 1930. Fuchikami Hakuyo (1889-1960) moved to Manchuria in 1928, where he worked for the
public-relations department of the South-Manchuria Railway Company. It took two years
before he could devote himself to the subject he really loved. This yearbook is in fact the
only one that was issued. It is very much rooted in the pictorialist phase of the ‘Hakuyo’
period. Each plated is faced by a page of text with remarks by the artists followed by an
appraisal by Fuchikami. It includes works by Date Yoshio, Mizuno Masatoshi, Sakakibara
Masaichi, Kato Seiichi, Shiwa Yoson, and Fuchikami himself. Two years later he founded
the Manchuria Photographic Artists Association. Very rare. No copy in OCLC. Five copies
in NACSIS (all in Japan).
19 FUKUHARA (Shinzo). Kikuoka Tatsujiro Shashin Isaku-shu
[Posthumous Photographs by Kikuoka Tatsujiro]. First and only edition.
No. 67 of a limited edition of 300 copies. 24 plates. 8vo. Original flexible
boards (marginal browning), light foxing, but overall a very good copy. [x], iv,
4(text)pp. Tokyo, Nihon Shashinkai, dated: Taisho 15 [i.e. 1926]. Kikuoka Tatsujiro (dates unknown) was a member of the Japan Photographic Society and
a regular contributor to ‘Shashin Geijutsu’ and ‘Shashin Shimpo’ magazines. He was a close
friend of Fukuhara Shinzo who wrote a short appreciation of his work without giving away
much personal details about the man. Very rare. No copy in OCLC. No copy in ALC. Only
one copy in NACSIS.
20 FUKUHARA (Shinzo). Matsue Fukei - The Old Town of Matsue.
First edition. Frontispiece and 30 photographic plates. Small folio. Original
boards with printed label (minor foxing) and decorated slipcase (rubbed
edges, minor wear to bottom corners), but very good inside. [x]pp. Tokyo,
Japan Photographic Society, 1935. Matsue carries the distinction of being both one of the oldest as well as the most beautiful
17th century castle-towns in Japan. The capital of Shimane prefecture it is situated on
Shijinko lake close to the Japan Sea in Western Japan. Due to its location and its numerous
canals it was thought to have scenic qualities very similar to those of the West Lake in
China, in fact it’s name is said to be based on China’s old Songjiang province. In the 19th
century Lafcadio Hearn took up residence here and married one of the town’s daughters.
The present publication is a superb example of Fukuhara Shinzo’s pictorialist style. Both
the focus and the selection of subjects are highly unusual and even avant-garde. His
sepia photographs have a soft and dreamy quality while at the same time being devoid of
sentimentality. Fukuhara Shinzo gave pictorialism a new expression. While the aesthetics
are clearly Japanese the composition has a very abstract and even modern feel. A gem.
21 FUKUHARA (Shinzo). Hikari to sono kaichou. [The Light and it’s
Harmony]. 11th edition. 48 photographic plates. Japanese text. Small 8vo.
Original decorated, cloth-backed boards in slipcase, a very good copy. 18,
[vi](ads.)pp. Tokyo, Shashin Geijutsusha, dated: Taisho 12 [i.e. 1923]. “Separating from the physical connection that would simply photograph the thing as it
is, and moving towards the birth of a spiritual connection that would hold the spirit or
the meaning held by nature - this is the second element of importance... We can also
think of this as the revelation of the spirit of nature as seen in the photograph through
the spirit of man, or the revelation of man through nature...”. And later on the theory of
haiku photography: “Grasping the harmonious instant through impression, the calm of
each separate ray of light, that affect each and every sheet, this feels like the consecutive
reading of short poems. It is as if you can read a haiku in the photograph.” (Translated in:
The World of Shinzo Fukuhara - Poetics of Light. Tokyo, Shiseido 1994, p. 120-121). This
book caused a sensation when it was published. Often described as the first theoretical
treatise of Modern Japanese photography, it is also a very attractively illustrated plate-book
in its own right. Only one copy in OCLC.
SIGNED COPY
22 GOCHO (Shigeo). OTSUJI (Kiyoshi) introduction. Self and Others. First
edition. One of a limited edition of 300 copies. Numerous photographic plates.
Small 4to. Original cloth in dustwrapper, overall a very good presentation copy
signed and stamped (hanko) by the photographer on back free end-paper.
Unpaginated. Tokyo, Privately Printed, 1977. Gocho Shigeo was born in Niigata in 1946. From a young age he was afflicted by a number
of illnesses that resulted in him being physically handicapped. Yet, he was determined to
make the most of his abilities and in 1965 he entered the Kuwasawa design school in Tokyo
where he took up photography. After graduating in 1968 he worked both as a graphic
designer and a photographer. The present is Gocho’s second and rarest publication, one of
only three photo-books published during his life-time. Almost all of the images are staged
portraits, the subject being well aware that he is being photographed. ‘Self and Others’
is nothing short of a visual record of the emotions that exist between people. It is also
an account of life and death: The first image is of a new-born child, the one-but-last is a
self-portrait of a man who is aware of his impending death. The images in-between show
the confrontation with and the reaction of ‘others’ to ‘self’. Gocho is always present in the
expressions of his subjects even when they try to ignore him. It is a very humane work.
The preface was written by his teacher Otsuji Kiyoshi. Only one copy in OCLC.
23 GOTO (Chikao), photographer. SHIRASU (Masako). Hieizan Kaihogyo
[Hieizan Mountain Training]. First edition. Numerous photographic plates.
Japanese text. Folio. Original flexible boards in dustwrapper, decorated
cardboard slipcase and obi, a very good copy. 129pp. Kyoto, Shishindo
Shuppan, 1976. An illustrated work describing the Tendai sect’s practice of ‘Circumambulation’ on
the Buddhist mountain Hieizan. The purpose of ‘kaihogyo’ is to achieve a closer union
with Buddha by praying and walking in the harsh conditions of the mountain. Wearing
nothing but white linen clothes and straw sandals the practitioner aims to become a living
Fudomyo’o (god of fire). He sets off into the mountains just after midnight returning to the
temple the following evening. Throughout the walks he is prepared for death. Initially this
practice takes place over 100 days, but having achieved this the monk can apply for a 1000
day course involving 700 marathons and at the highest level seven and a half days without
sleep and food. Book-design by Tanaka Ikko. Only one copy in OCLC. Works 115.
24 HAGA (Hideo). Ta no Kami - The Rituals of Rice Production in
Japan. First edition. Numerous photographic illustrations. Japanese text with
English abstract. Large 8vo. Original cloth in slipcase, a very good copy. 106pp.
Tokyo, Heibonsha, dated: Showa 34, 1959. Haga Hideo (born in Dalian, China in 1921) spent most of his life documenting customs
and rituals in farming communities throughout Japan and it is only recently that his work is
being appreciated for it’s aesthetic qualities. The present work deals with the area around
Iwaki City in Fukushima prefecture. Haga describes the rites of the New Year, the rituals
of rice planting and transplanting, the rites of ‘Warding off Insects’ (mushi-okuri) as well
as the rituals of harvest and post-harvest. Includes a commentary (in English) by Ishino
Iwao, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Michigan State University. Seven copies
in OCLC.
25 HAMAYA (Hiroshi). Henkyo no machi [The Remote City] Urumchi. First edition. 24 plates. Text in English and Japanese. Large 8vo.
Original decorated boards, together with a loosely inserted sheet providing
technical information on each image. A very good copy. [iv], 48, 11pp. Tokyo,
Heibonsha, dated: Showa 32, 1957. For many centuries Urumchi in Xinjiang Province has been a meeting point for cultures of
the East and West. An area where Uigurs, Hui, Tartars, Mongols, Uzbeks, Russians, Kazaks,
and Han Chinese live together under the adverse conditions of the desert. Throughout
the 1950s Hamaya was fascinated by the effects of harsh natural environment on human
beings. He visited Urumchi in October 1956: “Passing the mud houses, mud walls, poplarlined streets and coming into the main thoroughfare, I saw the city stirring into life in
the dust-whirling wind... The old man slowly washes his face. Scooping up water in both
hands, he curiously rinses or rather jerks his face - not the hands - up and down in his
cupped hand - it’s the way the people wash.” Only two copies in OCLC.
26 HANABUSA (Shinzo) photographer. HASEGAWA (Setsuko) text.
Mizu [Water]. First edition. Kagaku no tomo no. 159. Numerous colour
photographic plates. Japanese text. Square 8vo. Original decorated flexible
boards, a very good copy. [32]pp. Tokyo, Fukuinkan, 1982. Hanabusa Shinzo was born in 1936 in Chiba city. Having graduated from the Tokyo College
of Photography he became a member of the Japan Photographers Association. He won
several prizes during the 60s when he was focused on social issues. The present is some
light relief with a children’s book illustrating the importance and joy of water. Uncommon.
Only one record in OCLC.
27 HARA (Hiromu) book-design. Sekai Shashin Nenkan - Photography
of the World. First editions. 14 vols. Numerous photographic plates (several
in colour). Folio. Original cloth-backed boards in dust-wrappers (minor wear)
and cardboard slipcases. Some very minor spotting to prelims, but overall a
very good set. Tokyo, Heibonsha, 1958- 1972. This yearbook of world photography covers the most exciting period of black-andwhite photography throughout the world all of them printed in superb photo-gravure.
Naturally there is a slight dominance of Japanese photographers there is some very
solid representation of Eastern and Western European, as well as American, Korean, and
Indian photographers. Each issue contains essays on various subjects as well as a section
giving background information for each images as well as biographical details for the
photographer. Superb book-design by Hara Hiromu. The series was started in 1958 and
ran until 1974.
28 HARA (Hiromu) book-design. Sekai Shashin Zenshu - Photography
of the World. First editions. 7 vols. (complete). Numerous photographic
plates (several in colour). Folio. Original cloth-backed boards in cardboard
slipcases. Some very minor spotting to prelims, but overall a very good set.
Tokyo, Heibonsha, 1955- 1957. This survey of world photography was a predecessor of Heibonsha’s yearbook of
photography. Each volume is devoted to one or several countries while volume 7
(bessatsu) gives an illustrated history of photography compiled by Ina Nobuo (and others).
The images are printed in photo-gravure. Each issue contains biographical details of the
photographers. Superb book-design by Hara Hiromu.
29 HARA (Hiromu) designer. OKADA (Sozo) editor. Dai Toa Kensetsu
Gaho - Ajia no mamori, Teikoku Kaigun [Pictorial of Greater East Asia
under Constrction - Guarding Asia, the Imperial Navy]. First edition.
Numerous photographic illustrations including one double fold-out plate
(measuring 112x42,3cm). Japanese text. Large folio, measuring 29,8x42,3cm.
Original decorated wrappers, minor staining to covers, a very good copy.
Unpaginated. Tokyo, Nippon Dempo Tsushin-sha, dated: Showa 17, August
19th, [i.e. 1942]. This is a separate Japanese language issue identical content to ‘FRONT no. 1-2’, a tour-deforce of propaganda, design and photography: Front was intended for foreign audiences
and apparently distributed in fifteen languages throughout the ‘Greater East-Asia CoProsperity Sphere’. Kimura Ihei was the head of the photography section which included
Kazano Haruo, Watanabe Tsutomu, Katsura Koshiro, Oki Minoru, Sekiguchi Mitsumori,
Hamaya Hiroshi, Kikuchi Junkichi, Nishino Kazuo, Sakaguchi Tadahiro, and Tsuji Yunnosuke.
Hara Hiromu was in charge of design working with art directors Ogawa Toraji, Imaizumi
Takeshi, and Hasuike Juntaro. The layout and use of montage was inspired by the Soviet
Propaganda magazine ‘USSR in Construction’, clearly reflected in the title of the present
issue, which is devoted to the Navy. Only one copy in OCLC.
30 HARA (Hiromu), designer. OKADA (Sozo) editor. Manchukoku - Idai
naru kensetsu. [Constructing Greatness - Manchuria]. First edition.
Numerous photographic illustrations including two large fold-out posters
(one measuring 83x59cm, the other 55x42cm). Japanese text. Large folio,
measuring 29,4x42cm. Original decorated wrappers, a close to fine copy.
Unpaginated. Shinkyo/Tokyo, Manshu Shoseki/Toho-sha, dated: Showa 18,
August 8th [i.e. 1943]. This is a separately issued Japanese language issue of FRONT no. 5-6 was to be distributed
in Manchuria. Again the title retains the term kensetsu (construction), a homage to the
Soviet magazine ‘USSR in Construction’. The images show industrial development, happy
workers and farmers, as well as a ceremony at the court of Shinkyo involving the Last
Emperor Pu-yi. Altogether ten issues of Font magazine were published but almost the
entire issue of the last volume was destroyed in an air raid in 1945. Very rare. Only one
copy in OCLC.
31 HASEGAWA (Denjiro). Manshu Kiko, Shashin to Zuiso Picturesque Manchoukuo & Mongolia seen by Artist & Camera. First
edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text with caption in Japanese
and English. Folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper (top flap detached, marginal
tears), still a very good copy. 186pp. Tokyo, Meguro Shoten, dated: Showa
16, 1941. Hasegawa Denjiro (1894-1976) was born in Tokyo. His father was a craftsman of household
goods whose shop was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake. As a result he went to
Hokkaido to work on a dairy farm. This being not much to his liking he decided to go to
India to study arts at the Visva Bharati University which had been founded by Tagore. From
there he undertook several trips to the Himalayas where he photographed extensively.
Upon his return to Japan his first book of Himalayan photographs was published in 1932.
The images in the present book were taken during a three-month trip in autumn of 1939.
His remarkable portraits of Chinese and Russians show an ease in dealing with foreigners
that he must have learned in India. Only one copy in OCLC.
32 HASHIMOTO (Shoko). OZAKI (Norio), editor. Goze [Blind Itinerant
Female Musicians]. First edition. Numerous photographic plates. 8vo.
Original decorated flexible boards in slipcase and obi (slightly worn). Together
with a loose 8pp. leaflet containing an appraisal of the work by Hayashi
Tadahiko. A very good copy. 239pp. Tokyo, Nora-sha, dated: Showa 49 [i.e.
1974]. An excellent documentary showing the life of a several ‘Goze’ throughout the four seasons
of one year. The term ‘goze’ (lit. just blind woman) refers to blind female itinerant
musicians going from one village to the next in small groups or alone - hoping to be put up
for the night with some food in return for an old folk-song or two, sometimes accompanied
by a shamisen. Only a handful of these musicians surv ive today. Hashimoto’s images
have a grainy quality that is particularly well suited to his subjects. This is documentary
photography at it’s best - un-intrusive and yet powerful. No copy in OCLC.
33 HATAKEYAMA (Naoya). Under Construction.
First edition.
Numerous colour photographic plates. Text in English and Japanese. Large
8vo. Original boards in dustwrapper and obi, a fine copy. 147pp. Tokyo,
Kenchiku Shiryo Kenkyusha, 2001. This is a photographic record of the construction of the Sendai Mediatheque, a library built
by the architect Ito Toyo between November 1998 and March 2000. The work is one of
the most beautifully crafted publications relating to contemporary architecture. It oozes
with the professionalism of everybody involved. There is a fresh approach, there is a
fresh look at detail and colour, and there is fresh design. Ito suspended the entire sevenfloor structure from 13 strangely twisted, expanding and contracting tubes. Hatakeyama
compares the architecture to a ship and was surprised to find that the workmen involved
in the construction actually came from a shipyard in his hometown. This is a book that is
full of a sense of achievement, progress, and optimism. In a sense it is similar to Kimura’s
‘In a shipyard’. The design of the book by Matsuda Yukimasa is superb. The front board is
reinforced with strong cardboard, allowing for a beautiful handling of the book.
34 HAYASHI (Tadahiko). Kasutori Jidai [The period of cheap liquor].
Showa 21nen, Tokyo, Nihon. First edition. Numerous photographic plates.
Text in Japanese. 4to. Original cloth in decorated slipcase (slightly rubbed),
decorated endpapers. A very good copy. 126, [ii], 14, [ii]pp. Tokyo, Asahi
Sonorama, 1980. This is Hayashi’s most famous work. ‘Kasutori’ was a type of smelly, cheap liquor that was
available (and affordable) at the time. Hayashi documents the decade after the end of the
war when Tokyo lay in ruins: Demobilized soldiers returning, street kids smoking discarded
cigarette butts, shoe-cleaners below the school-age, G.I.s, cheap bars and prostitutes
show the ability of Tokyoites to adapt and cope with the dire conditions. The over-riding
impression is one of being glad to be alive. When Hayashi looked through the images prior
to this publication he was himself surprised to find that he had captured history. Only two
copies in OCLC.
35 HIBIKI PHOTO STUDIO. IDE (Denjiro). Nagasaki - Souvenir du
Nagasaki. First edition thus. 114 photographic plates (several tipped in and
fold-out) and numerous illustrations with facing tissue guards. Folio. Japanese
text, ca. Original decorated velvet binding (slightly stained) in original cardboard
box, a very good copy. [viii], 53; 114ff. Nagasaki, Hibiki Photo Studio, dated:
Showa 3 [i.e. 1928]. This book is not identical to a work of the same title published in the previous year. The first
part of the present work is a commemorative album for graduates of the Medical School
of Nagasaki University. While being a wide-ranging introduction to the University with its
departments, clubs and societies, as well as an illustrated history of Nagasaki, many of the
images bear the hallmarks of the ‘geijutsu shashin’ movement. The style of this book is
reminiscent of the work by Iida Kosaburo entitled ‘Kohoku Ingashu’ (Privately published,
1914) which is regarded amongst the first artistic photobook to have been published
in Japan: Both use a variety of papers in different colours and textures to produce an
interesting artistic effect - more of a record of memories in the form of an album than a
documentary depiction of the city. Little is known about the Hibiki Shashinkan, apart from
the fact that it was a commercial studio run by Ide Denjiro in Nagasaki during the 20s and
30s. He experimented with the various printing techniques to produce the soft, hazy, and
emotionally laden images that the pictorialists aspired to. No copy in OCLC.
36 HODO SHASHIN - NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY. Dai Toa senso hodo
shashin-roku [A Photographic News Record of the Great East Asia
War]. First edition. 40 photographs mounted on cardboard with Japanese
tipped-in letterpress on verso. Large 8vo. Preserved in original cloth box with
cardboard slipcase, a very good copy. [ii](text)pp. Tokyo, Yomiuri Shimbunsha,
dated: Showa 17 [i.e. 1942]. I appears that every newspaper was expected to publish a photographic account of
unfolding events in the Pacific War. The present collection of photographs was includes
images of Pearl Harbour, the advance on the Malayan peninsula, the fall of Singapore,
the Philippines, the island of Corregidor, etc. The loose sheet of printed text reprints
the Declaration of War released in the name of the Emperor. This text was reprinted in
newspapers throughout the war on the eighth day of each month to re-affirm Japanese
resolve.
SIGNED PRESENTATION COPY TO HENRY MILLER
37 HOSOE (Eikoh). TAKIGUCHI (Shuzo), text. Kamaitachi [Weasel’s
Slash]. First edition. No. 458 of a limited edition of 1000 copies. 34 doublepage photographic plates. Text in English and Japanese. Folio. Original
decorated cloth in acetate dustwrapper (partly damaged) and slipcase (lacking
outer cardboard box), but overall a very good copy, signed by the dancer
Hijikata Tatsumi on the front free endpapers. [x](text)pp. Tokyo, Gendai
Shichosha, 1969. Photographs of the Butoh dancer Hijikata Tatsumi (1928-1886) returning to his hometown in Akita Prefecture. “It will be almost impossible to define Tatsumi Hijikata, between
the terrestrial or the aerial as one of his own attributions, but, before speaking of that,
the significant fact is that our dancer has rushed like a gust of wind to the farm village,
especially to the district of rice crops, where the most contradictory and irrational facts of
social reality in Japan today still remain. He appears there abruptly, just like an eagle flying
down to earth, or a sudden kidnapper from heaven.” (Introduction). This book captures
the meeting of tradition and modernity with superb book-design by Tanaka Ikko. Each of
the plates folds out from the gutter. This copy was presented by Hijikata Tatsumi to the
famous American writer Henry Miller (1891-1980) and his fifth wife Hoki Tokuda, who he
had married in 1967. Hijikata Tatsumi signed very few books, and this is an important
association copy.
SIGNED COPY
38 INAKOSHI (Koichi). HASEGAWA (Kei) text. Maybe, maybe. First
edition. Numerous photographic plates. Text in Japanese and English. 4to.
Original boards in dustwrapper and (slightly worn) slipcase, a very good
presentation copy signed by the photographer on front free endpaper.
Unpaginated. Tokyo, Kyuryudo, 1971. Inakoshi Koichi was born in 1941. He became a freelance photographer in 1970 and the
present is his first work, a collection of images of New York. The text by Hasegawa Kei
seems to be a short play in four acts entitled ‘The Window’, ‘The Road’, ‘The chair’, & ‘The
Sea’, slightly reminiscent of Beckett’s work. The high-contrast photographs have a feeling
of profound loneliness. Only seven copies in OCLC.
39 INOUE (Atsumu). Asu no Sekai Bunka - Kogata Kamera ni yoru
Nyu Yoku Bankoku Hakurankai Shashinshu [World Culture Tomorrow
- A Photobook of the New York Expo]. First edition. 94 photographic
plates. Japanese text. Folio. Original boards (lacking dustwrapper). Overall
a very good copy. 37(text)pp. Tokyo, Bancho Shobo, dated: Showa 15 [i.e.
1940]. A superb photographic record of the New York World Fair held in 1939 at Flushing Meadows
under the modernist theme of ‘World of Tomorrow’. It was one of the largest world’s fairs
of all time and over 44 million people came to visit. Many countries participated including
the USSR and Japan. It was initially organised by a group of retired NYC policemen to help
the city overcome the Great Depression of 1935. This Japanese record of the fair is very
rare. No copy in OCLC. Only 2 copies in NACSIS.
SIGNED COPY
40 ISHIDA (Hirokazu). Beijing Biyori - Beijing Weather.
First
edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 4to. Original boards in
dustwrapper and obi, a fine copy signed by the photographer. Unpaginated.
Tokyo, Sokyu-sha, 2006. Ishida was born in Beijing in 1943, so in some ways this could be called a homecoming.
Most of the images show what the Chinese call ‘laobaixing’ (lit. ‘old 100 names’, i.e. the
‘common man’) . For somebody who has visited the country in the last twenty years there
is a certain amount of nostalgia in these images.
41 ISHIDA (Hirokazu). NAGANO (Shigeichi), introduction. Baramon to
Janta: Indo [Brahman and the People: India]. First edition. Numerous
photographic plates. 4to. Original flexible boards (light dust-staining), still a
very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Shashin Hyoronsha, 1971. Ishida Hirokazu was born in 1943 in Beijing. In 1964 he graduated from the Tokyo
Photography College, followed by an apprenticeship with Nagano Shigeichi. The present is
his first book-publication: Ishida visited India several times between 1967 and 1970 and
the present is a strong, sombre, (and painful) record of life and death in India. Much of the
book focuses on the abject poverty. The style of the images is reminiscent of Tomatsu’s
work in Afghanistan (Saramu Areikomu, Shaken 1968). Rare. Only two copies in OCLC.
42 ISHIGAME (Yasuro). Kokoni Kodomotachi ga iru, koe ga suru
[There are children here and they make noise]. First edition. Numerous
photographic plates. Text in English and Japanese. Small folio. Original cloth in
dustwrapper (minor defect to lower spine) and (slightly scuffed) slipcase, still
a very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Mihara Shobo, 1971. This is a superb study of children living in the old neighbourhoods of Naples. The title
refers to a previous publication entitled “So there were no children [Soshite kodomotachi
wa inai]” published in 1968. Ishigame has published over a dozen books on children. No
copy in OCLC.
43 ITAGAKI (Takao). Geijutsuteki Gendai no Shoso [Aspects of
Artistic Modernity]. First edition. 12 photographic plates. Japanese text.
Original cloth in (damaged) slipcase, overall a very good copy. Decorated
endpapers. 400pp. Tokyo, Rokubunkan, dated: Showa 6 [i.e. 1931]. An important collection of essays by the art critic and theorist Itagaki Takao (1894-1966)
advocating modernist trends in general and the aesthetics of the machine in particular.
Itagaki had spent time in Europe and was influenced by the visual language of the German
New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit, the name of an exhibition in Mannheim in 1925)
movement represented by the likes of Dix, Schad, and Grosz. This movement had a strong
political content and often identified with socialist aims. The cover of ‘Aspects of Artistic
Modernity’ shows a collage of European Communist publications photographed by Horino
Masao who was strongly influenced by Itagaki and worked with him on several projects.
Only one copy in OCLC.
44 JAPAN PHOTO LIBRARY. HARA (Hiromu). Japan Today Education. First edition. 3 vols. Numerous photographic illustrations. Text
in English, Indonesian, and Malay. Folio. Original decorated wrappers, minor
staining to covers, but overall still a fine set. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Board of
Tourist Industry, dated: Showa 17 [i.e. 1942]. “... Japan never for a moment lost sight of the intrinsic value of her own traditional culture.
She now considers that her period of learning from the West has ended, and that the
task cut out for her is to create an ideal state of civilization” (Introduction). This is a
rare example of three identical issues of a propaganda magazine published in English,
Indonesian, and Malay. Includes contributions by Kimura Ihei. No copy in OCLC.
45 KANSAI SHASHINKAI. Kansai Shashin Kaishi Tokugo [Special
Number of the Kansai Photography Club Journal]. First edition. 19
collotype plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original printed wrappers (minor wear to
spine) minor fingerstaining, but overall a very good copy. 18(text)pp. Osaka,
Kansai Shashinkai, dated Meiji 36 [i.e. 1903]. An exceedingly rare collection of work by the Kansai Photography Club which was based
in Osaka. The collotype plates show examples of early pictorialism in Japan. Unrecorded.
No copy in OCLC or NACSIS.
46 KARAFUTO-CHO. Karafuto Shashin-cho [A photographic Album
of Sachalin]. First edition. 198 photographic plates. Folio. Original silkcovered boards in dustwrapper, a very good copy. 186pp. Tokyo, Karafutocho, dated: Showa 11, [i.e. 1936]. A very rare title published by the Sakhalin Public Office, presumably to encourage
immigration. Colonization of Sakhalin (‘Kita-Ezo’) go back to the late 17th century. After
the Russo-Japanese War the southern part of the island below 50° N was ceded to Japan.
The book commences with images of a newly constructed Shinto Shrine near the capital of
Toyohara (now Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) followed by images of government buildings, as well
as farming, logging, fishing, mining, and other industries. The last part of the album shows
natural scenery and past-times, like skiing, sledging, fishing etc. No copy in OCLC. Three
records in NACSIS.
47 KATO (Kyohei). Choukai Boraku - Kato Kyohei Isaku-shu
[Collapse of the Morning’s Opening - A Posthumous Album of Kato
Kyohei]. First edition. Numerous photographic plates (incl. several colour
plates). Japanese text. 4to. Original cloth in cloth slipcase, a fine presentation
copy signed by his wife. 144pp. Tokyo, Privately Printed, 1987. Kato Kyohei (1909-1983) was one of the pioneers of the hodo shashin (photo reportage)
movement. He was a founding member of the Keio Camera Club and was a member of
the Research Associations of Young Photojournalists which had been founded in 1938 by
Domon Ken, Hamaya Hiroshi, and Tamura Shigeru. Later he worked for Shashin Shuho,
and during the war he was based in Peking. The present isaku-shu is the only monograph
of his work and it is very rare. It was edited by his friend Hayashi Tadahiko. No copy in
OCLC.
48 KIMURA (Ihei). Japanese School Life Through the Camera. First
edition, a very rare variant issue with 50 tipped-in loose photographic plates.
Text and printed captions in English, French, and German. Folio. Original printed
folding case (slightly worn), overall still a very good copy. 6 loose sheets with
introduction and table of content. Tokyo, Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai, 1937. Kimura’s third publication and the very rare issue with loose plates in a folding envelope.
“The photographs contained between the covers of this album are intended to illustrate by
means of the camera the road to learning and culture as it passes through the schools in
Japan.” (Introduction).
49 KIMURA (Ihei). KAN (Itsuo). Jugosei Ichimura Uzaemon butai
shashinshu [A photobook showing stage photographs of the fifteenthgeneration Uzaemon Ichimura]. First edition. Numerous photographic
plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original printed boards in dust-wrappers
(minor dust-staining), but overall a very good copy. [98], [xxii]pp. Kyoto,
Wakei Shoten, dated: Showa 26 [i.e. 1951]. Photograph collection of the fifteenth-generation Uzaemon Ichimura (1874-1945). All of
the images were taken before the war. This is the last in a three volume photobook series
on noted Kabuki performers published by Wakei Shoten in Kyoto. It is also one of the rarest
Kimura items from the 1950s. Only two copies in OCLC.
50 KIMURA (Shohachi). SUZUKI (Yoshikazu) photographer. Ginza
Kaiwai & Ginza Hacho [Ginza Neighbourhoods & Ginza 8-chome].
First edition. Text volume with folding colour woodblock frontispiece, one
further woodblock print, three photographic plates, and numerous maps and
illustrations. Japanese text. Square 8vo. Original decorated boards in glassine
wrapper and decorated slipcase. Bessatsu (orihon) containing large foldout
panorama (measuring 395x18cm) both preserved in original cardboard box
with title-slip. Minor spotting, but overall in very good condition. 334pp. Tokyo,
Toho Shobo, dated Showa 29 [i.e. 1954]. An extraordinary and charming production: The work is ostensibly an illustrated history
of the Ginza, one of the most upmarket shopping districts of Tokyo. The name is derived
from a silver-coin mint which was located here during the Edo period. In the Meiji era it
was developed as a shopping and entertainment district with a Western flair and became
famous for its department stores, bars, and coffeehouses during the early 20th century.
Large parts were destroyed during the firebombing in 1945. However, Tokyoites retained
their affection for the place and it was soon rebuilt. Of particular interest is the panorama
which accompanies the book recording every building on Ginza 8-chome from Shinbashi
bridge to Kyobashi bridge. The photographer Suzuki Yoshikazu (dates unknown) worked
from November 1953 until spring of the following year to take over 200 images having to
make sure that weather and light conditions would be more or less the same in order not
to affect the overall homogeneity of the panorama. Interestingly, Suzuki added an element
of photomontage, placing extra cars (and possibly pedestrians) at intersections to heighten
the sense of drama. In 1966 Edward Ruscha undertook a similar project in ‘Every building
on the Sunset Strip’. Rare. None of the 4 records in OCLC appear to have the separate
panorama.
51 KOISHI (Kiyoshi). Satsuei - Sakuga no shin giho. [A New Method
of Photography]. First edition. Numerous photographic illustrations.
Japanese text. 8vo. Original decorated cloth in (slightly worn) slipcase, but
overall still a very good copy. [ii], 294, [xiv](ads.)pp. Tokyo, Genkosha, dated:
Showa 13 [i.e. 1936]. Published three years after ‘Shoka Shinkei’ the present photographic manual explains his
theories and techniques, incl. multiple exposure, camera movement, solarisation, infrared
photography, and montages. Koishi had been criticised for indulging in the ‘grotesque’
imagery and the nature of this manual is of course more commercial and less avant-garde
than his previous book. But it shows him to be constantly pushing the frontiers of new
techniques. Particularly famous is the composite image entitled: ‘Feeling of Fatigue’ which
shows three clocks staggering across a night sky over a modern city has a surrealist feel (p.
240), as well as an image of Mt. Fuji with a cloud formation seemingly mirroring its shape
(p. 183). A wonderful photomontage of a girl with a cocktail and the Grand Palace neon
lights is an iconic modernist image of the 30s. Very rare. No copy in OCLC.
52 KOKOKUSEI HENSHU-BU. EDITORIAL SECTION OF ADVERTISING
WORLD. Shin Kanban Zuan Kosakushu [The Design and Manufacture
of New Shopsigns]. First edition, second printing. Numerous photographic
illustrations as well as 17 colour lithograph plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original
cloth in slipcase, a very good copy. 193pp. Tokyo, Seibundo Shinkosha, dated:
Showa 13, [i.e. 1938]. A charming publication about design and manufacture of shop-signs, including neon-light
signs. This book is full of modernist sensibilities showing night-time images of clubs and
shops in Tokyo as well as numerous examples of illuminated free-standing advertising
signs. Also includes images from Paris, Berlin and London. Unrecorded in any edition. No
copy in OCLC. No copy in NACSIS.
53 KOKUSHO KANKOKAI. Nihon Shashin-shi no Shihou - Complete
set of six facsimile reprints of important treasures relating to Prewar Japanese photography. Limited edition. Japanese and English text.
Various sizes, and binding techniques, all in publisher’s cardboard box, a fine
copies. Each volume comes with a leaflet by Izawa Kotaro and Kaneko Ryuichi
providing scholarly background information. Tokyo, Kokusho Kankokai, 20052007. 1. Yasui Nakaji shashin sakuhin-shu [1942]. One of a limited edition of 500 copies. 2005
2. Koishi Kiyoshi: Shoka Shinkei [1933]. One of a limited edition of 600 copies. 2005
3. Horino Masao: Kamera me x tetsu kosei [1932]. One of a limited edition of 480 copies.
2005
4. Kimura Ihei: Japan through a Leica [1939]. One of a limited edition of 400 copies.
2006
5. Tampei shashin Club: Hikari [1940]. One of a limited edition of 400 copies. 2006
6. Fukuhara Shinzo: Paris and the Seine [1922]. One of a limited edition of 300 copies.
2007
7. Bessatsu - Koga kessaku-shu. Supplement - Masterpieces from ‘Koga’ magazine [193233]. 2006
VERY RARE
54 KONO (Toru). Wadachi - Kono Toru Shashin-shu - [Tracks] The
Works of Tetsu Kono. Second revised edition. Numerous photographic
plates. Japanese text. Large 4to. Original cloth in decorated slipcase, occasional
minor foxing, overall still a very good copy. Together with a separate list of
plates, as well as a printed letter by Kono Toru, stamped with Kono’s name
and his new address. 124pp. [Kobe], Privately Printed, dated: Showa 52 [i.e.
1977]. Kono Toru (1907-1984) was born in Osaka. He started photographing as a hobby in 1927
and became a member of the famous Tampei photography club in 1931. He was influenced
by Yasui Nakaji and accompanied him on the ‘Wandering Jew’ project in Kobe in 1941.
After the war he continued to photograph in an avant-garde tradition and was a founding
member of the Spiegel Photographers Association, a subsidiary of the Tampei Club. It is
most curious that Kono should have republished a privately printed book just one year
after the first edition: The difference between the two is very slight: One image on page
41 ‘Erosion on a Rock’ (shinshoku sareta iwa) has been replaced with another one of the
same title. Furthermore the bibliographical notes on the last page have been cut by half.
In the letter Kono apologises to the reader for the mistakes of the first edition but does
not explain the circumstances. We can only speculate that another member of the Tampei
Club complained about the inclusion of this image and forced Kono to make amends, a very
costly exercise for a book of this size. No copy in OCLC.
55 MATSUGI (Fujio). Hodo Shashinshu - Kaijun Heigakko [An
Album of News Photography - The Naval Academy]. First edition.
Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original cloth in
dustwrapper (Minor damage to top corner). A very good copy. 134pp. Tokyo,
Bancho Shobo, dated: Showa 18 [i.e. 1943]. Matsugi Fujio was born in 1903 in Kyoto. During the early Showa period he won various
prizes in photographic magazines and from 1935 onwards he became a freelance
photographer. His main strength was in the field of portraits and human studies. The
present book is his first documenting the training of Naval cadets during the early 40s and
represents one of the best examples of so-called ‘news-photography’ (hodo shashin) in the
‘patriotic’ vein. There is something shockingly beautiful in these polished images of men
brimming with illusions of grandeur. Only one copy in OCLC.
56 MATSUGI (Fujio). Gakuto Shutsujin - kaigun yobi gakusei no
kiroku [Departure of Students for the Front - A Record of Student
Marine Reservists]. First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese
text. Large 8vo. Original cloth in dustwrapper, and obi (lacking plastic wrapper).
A very good copy. 153pp. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 41 [i.e.
1966]. The present book published some twenty years after the war shows the training of
Naval cadets during the early 40s and represents one of the best examples of ‘patriotic
photography’. No copy in OCLC.
57 MATSUGI (Fujio). Kaiheidan - Teikoku Kaigun suihei no kiroku
[Marine Corps - A record of a Imperial Naval Sailors]. First edition.
Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original cloth in
dustwrapper, obi, and plastic wrapper. A very good copy. 127pp. Tokyo, Asahi
Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 41 [i.e. 1967]. This is Matsugi’s second volume of ‘patriotic photography’ about the training of Naval
cadets during the 40s. No copy in OCLC.
58 MIDORIKAWA (Yoichi). Yoroppa no fukei - Sketching Tour in
Europe. First edition. Numerous photographic plates (several in colour, 4
folding). Japanese text. Folio. Original cloth in cardboard slipcase. A very good
copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Geibi Shuppansha, dated: Showa 35 [i.e. 1960]. This publication was supported by Shigemori Koen as well as Canon. The tour project
covers Egypt, Greece, Switzerland, France, Holland, Denmark, and Norway. Book Design
by Awazu Kiyoshi.
59 MIKI (Shigeru). YANAGITA (Kunio), text. Yukiguni no Minzoku
[People of the Snow Country]. First edition. 367 photographic illustrations
and one colour lithograph map. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original boards
in dustwrapper (minor damage), overall still a very good copy. Decorated
endpapers. 64(text)pp. Tokyo, Yotoku-sha, dated: Showa 19 [i.e. 1944]. An important photographic item illustrative of the strong interest during the war-years
in folklore studies. The book is a comprehensive overview of the types, dress, customs,
housing, and products of Akita Prefecture. Yanagita Kunio (1865-1972) is widely regarded
as the father of ethnology. After graduating from Tokyo University he became an official in
the Ministry of Agriculture. His work allowed him to travel widely and he became fascinated
with different village customs in various parts of Japan. The film-maker Miki Shigeru (19051978) selected the images from over 2000 photos taken as part of a documentary film
entitled ‘Living of the land’ (tsuchi ni ikiru, 1940). 2 records in ALC.
60 MINAMI (Minoru) editor. Geijutsu Shashin Kenkyu [Art
Photographic Studies]. First edition. Vol. I, no. 1. Numerous photographic
plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original decorated flexible boards, overall
in very good condition. 40(text)pp. Tokyo, ARS, dated: May, Taisho 11 [i.e.
1922]. During the first half of the 1920s this magazine represented the most important trends
in Geijutsu photography. Having published the successful ‘Geijutsu Shashin no Kenkyu’
Minami Minoru (1887-1948) launched the present monthly magazine, promoting a new
artistic approach to pictorialism. Many of the images were taken with a popular Vest Pocket
Camera that lent itself to production of popular hazy images. However, one can clearly
detect a shift in the subject matter, often away from landscape photography. And even
the landscapes began to be seen in a different context, with abstract shapes of light and
shadow playing an increasingly important role. This rare first issue includes works by
Takeda Baitei, Murai Tominosuke, Shindo Seinosuke, Minami Minoru, and the German
photographer Alfred Enke. Very rare. No copy on OCLC, one record in ALC.
61 MORATH (Inge). Panpurona no matsuri - Fiesta in Panplona.
First edition. Numerous photographic illustrations, several in colour. Text in
English and Japanese. 8vo. Original printed boards (minor wear to spine), still
a very good copy. [iv], 40, [viii]pp. Tokyo, Heibonsha, dated: Showa 32 [i.e.
1957]. Inge Morath (1923-2002) was a member of the Magnum photo agency. During the 50s she
lived in Paris and worked with Ernst Haas and Erich Lessing. This work was first published
in Zurich in 1955. Only one copy in OCLC.
SIGNED COPIES
62 MORIYAMA (Daido). Kiroku - Record No. 1-11. Facsimile edition
of 1-5. First editions of 6-11. 11 volumes. Numerous photographic plates.
Japanese text. Small folio. Original flexible boards in original cardboard
portfolio. A fine set signed by the photographer. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Akio
Nagasawa, 2006-09. ‘Kiroku’ was originally published between 1972-73. It was privately published by Moriyama
who thought of it as a personal selection of favourite images. The project came to a halt
in 1973 when the oil-crisis resulted in a doubling of printing costs in Japan. After a break
of over 30 years Akio Nagasawa persuaded Moriyama to bring ‘Kiroku’ back to life. It
is difficult to detect any change in the scenery or the objects that were the hallmark of
Moriyama’s work in the early 1970s. The main difference is in our reaction to the work. We
have grown used to them, they don’t shock any more, on the contrary, they seem to be
infused with a sense of nostalgia. Particularly impressive are the night-scenes. Each issue
of ‘Kiroku’ contains a short personal postscript by Moriyama.
63 NAGANO (Shigeichi). TANIKAWA (Shuntaro), text. Yoru no byoin
- The Hospital at Night. First edition. Numerous photographic plates.
Japanese text. Large oblong 8vo. Original decorated flexible boards, a very
good copy. [32]pp. Tokyo, Fukuinkan, 1979. Little Yutaka has come down with an inflamed appendix. He is rushed to hospital and
operated on in the same evening. This fabulous reportage realistically captures the drama
of the occasion. Pain and worry of the parents is contrasted with the calm professionalism
of the doctors and nurses. The image of the scalpel about to make the incision into the
stomach is followed by a beautiful shot of a pair of pliers holding two threads at the end
of the successful operation. There is a cinematic quality to the sequence of images and it
all couldn’t be more poignant. Published as vol. 9 in the children’s book series ‘Kodomo no
tomo’ by Fukuin-kan, one of the leading publishers of children’s books. A hardcover version
was issued in 1983. No copy in OCLC.
SIGNED COPY
64 NAGANO (Shigeichi). Toi Shisen - A Strange Perspective in Tokyo.
1980-1989. First edition. 42 double-page plates. Japanese text. Large folio.
Original decorated cloth in slipcase, a fine copy signed by the photographer.
[xii](text)pp. Tokyo, Inter Press Corporation, 1989. A strange perspective indeed: Office workers taking a mid-day nap on artificial grass in
the Ikebukuro Sunshine building, somebody sunbathing in the bushes, a used car salesshow in Shinjuku, a policeman watching from a bridge, drunken day workers sleeping
on the pavement in front of Takadanobaba station, a boy sitting inside a coin locker, the
ruins of a public bath, a chicken on a banister in a school yard, all of the scenes become
significant through the angle, the moment, and the size. While being slightly absurd, there
is a palpable sense of the security, confidence, and contentedness of the late 80s. Only
one copy in OCLC.
65 NAKAFUJI (Takehiko). Enter the Mirror. First edition. Numerous
photographic plates. Large folding poster measuring ca. 69x102cm. Japanese
text. Small folio. Original flexible boards, together with a folded sheet of text
(8pp.), in slipcase. A very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Mole, 1997. A moriyama-esque record of New York, Amsterdam, Paris, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo,
with an introduction by... Moriyama Daido: “... a ceaseless unyielding challenge to his own
self as well as oncoming imaginary foe.” The title itself may be a reference to the close
relationship between Nakafuji and Moriyama. Only one copy in OCLC.
66 NAKAMURA (Yoshinobu). Setouchi no hitobito [People of
Seto]. First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Small
folio. Original decorated flexible boards in dustwrapper and (slightly rubbed)
slipcase, a very good copy. 195pp. Tokyo, Shakai Shiso Shaken, dated: Showa
40, [i.e. 1965. Nakamura Yoshinobu was born in 1925 on Naoshima, one of the islands of the famously
picturesque Japan Inland Sea (Seto Naikai). He became a professional photographer in
1955 and in 1958 won the Japan Photography Association’s newcomer prize. Throughout
the 50s he travelled around the islands of photographing villages that seemed to be lost in
the past. He focuses on colourful individuals, a midwife, a postman, a doctor, a policeman,
a primary school teacher, he lovingly portrays their life in the local community. In its focus
on individual characters this charming book is strongly reminiscent of Kinoshita Keisuke’s
popular film ‘Twenty-four Eyes’ (Nijushi no hitomi, 1954) that was also filmed on one of the
islands. It is in the best tradition of documentary photography. No copy in OCLC.
67 NANIWA SHASHIN KURABU. Koga-shu. No. 6. Containing 28
tipped-in collotype plates, captioned on tissue guards. Japanese text. 8vo.
Original flexible boards (some wear, occasional light foxing), but overall in
good condition. 20(text)pp. Osaka, Naniwa Shashin Club, dated Showa 3 [i.e.
1928]. In January 1904 Kuwata Shozaburo and Ishii Kichinosuke founded the Naniwa Photography
Club whose membership was essentially composed of serious amateur photographers who
determined the theme of pictorialism in the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa era. Prominent
members included Kometani Koro, Yokoyama Kinkei, Koishi Kiyoshi, Hanawa Gingo, Yasui
Nakaji, Umesaki Ori, and Fukumori Hakuyo. Unrecorded. No copy in OCLC, no copy in ALC,
no copy in NACSIS.
68 NARAHARA (Ikko). Tokyo, the 50s.
First edition. Numerous
photographic plates. Text in English and Japanese. Folio. Original boards, a
fine copy. 50pp. Tokyo, Mole, 1996. This book documents the extraordinary first steps that Narahara Ikko took with a camera.
“I breathed photographs on Tokyo street corners the way I breathed air. In my viewfinder
those street corners changed into ‘streets in my photographs’. Whenever I released the
shutter, I seemed to hear the beat of modern jazz, which I loved so much” (postscript).
69 NARAHARA (Ikko). Shometsushita Jikan - Where Time has
Vanished. First edition. 101 photographic plates (one in colour). Text in
English and Japanese. Square folio. Original decorated cloth in slipcase and
outer cardboard box, a very good copy. [xx](text)pp. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, 1975. In 1972 Narahara drove across the U.S. in a Chevrolet and came up with an extraordinary
series of iconic images in the best Narahara tradition. One of the most famous is “Two
garbage cans, Indian village - New Mexico” in an Acoma Indian reservation called ‘Sky
City’. The garbage cans were suspended in order to prevent coyotes from getting to the
waste. ‘Sky through twin windows, Colorado’, is an artificial image with a crucifix and
the wing of a bird. Many of the images show reflections or manipulation of perspective
to strange effect. In the accompanying essay entitled ‘A Sea without Water’ Narahara
compares this effect to a negative energy holding electrons in a vacuum. Book-design by
Katsui Mitsuo. Five copies in OCLC.
70 NARAHARA (Ikko). Supein: Idainaru Gogo - Espana Grand Tarde
Fiesta Vaya Con Dios. First edition. 2 vols. Numerous photographic plates.
Folio. Original decorated boards in decorated slipcase and outer cardboard
box, a close to fine copy. Together with a folio booklet of Japanese & English
text. Decorated endpapers. 239; [44]pp. Tokyo, Kyuryudo, 1969. It must have been an act of serendipity that brought Narahara to Spain in the early half
of the 1960s. As he explains in the preface, he felt drawn to Europe on account of being
born in Nagasaki, the city to first open its doors to the “Southern barbarians” (nanbanjin)
from Spain and Portugal. Narahara spent two long summers driving around Spain with his
wife and he got to know the country well. The present record, produced - as he insists
- unintentionally, is the best book of photographs on Spain. This is a book full of Spanish
passion, Spanish sensibilities, and of course the Spanish “dance to the cult of the smell of
blood” [bullfighting] features prominently in the first chapter. “As death, which every one
must meet ultimately in his life, is not in itself the purpose of life, the death of the bull is
never the purpose of this drama of bullfighting.” The final chapter of the book is entitled
“Vaya con Dios”. Here Narahara finds the void of timelessness. One can feel the heat, one
can smell the ham, and the deep humanity in spite of - if not because of - the poverty.
Five copies in OCLC.
71 NIHON SHASHINKAI. Nihon Shashinkai Kaiho [Journal of the
Japan Photographic Society]. Vol. 1, no. 1. 4 collotype plates, 1 colour
plate and several illustrations in the text. Japanese text with English table of
content. Large 8vo. Original printed wrappers, minor wear and spotting, but
overall a very good copy. 90pp. Tokyo, Japan Photographic Society, dated:
Meiji 40 [i.e. 1907]. A very rare issue (possibly the only one) of an early incarnation of the Japan Photographic
Society. Two of the collotype plates show small portraits of 21 members of the Society
including the foreign minister Count Hayashi, Asanuma Tokichi, Konishi Rokuemon,
Nakashima Matsuchi, Maruki Riyo, Ogawa Isshin, and Tamamura Kozaburo. Unrecorded.
No copy in OCLC, ALC, or NACSIS.
72 NISHIYAMA (Kiyoshi). Purezanto Kurabu 40 Kinen Shashinshu
- Pleasant Club 40th Anniversary Album. First edition. No. 46 of a limited
edition of 1000 copies. 119 photographic plates. Japanese text. 4to. Original
cloth in plastic dustwrapper and slipcase, slightly warped, but overall a very
good copy. 24(text)pp. Tokyo, Privately Printed, 1961. The Pleasant Club was founded in Tokyo in October 1921. It was headed by Nishiyama
Kiyoshi (1893-1983) and held its first exhibition in May 1923. Kubokawa Tokusaburo was a
prominent member. The club was dedicated to amateur photography but it did not restrict
itself to a particular style. The present is a very rare retrospective of the activities and
achievements of its club members. Printed in photogravure the book includes articles by
Inagaki Koichi, Ichiba Tokutaro, Oki Igusa, and Shimada Kiichiro as well a chronology of
the club’s activities. Unrecorded. No copy in OCLC or NACSIS.
73 NORTH CHINA PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION. YOSHIDA
(Jun), editor. Tairiku no Fubo - Genchi Sakka Shashinshu [The Face
of a Continent - A Photobook by Local Photographers]. First edition.
Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 4to. Original cloth in slipcase
(lacking dustwrapper), minor wear, slightly shaken, but overall a very good
copy. 150pp. Peking, Hokushi Shashin Sakka Shudan, dated: Showa 16 [i.e.
1941]. ‘Local’ should here be interpreted in the broadest sense, as all of the photographers
are Japanese... The North China Photographers Association was established to control
photographic output in the areas under Japanese control. As usual, there is very little in
these images to hint at a bitterly fought war. ‘China, the beautiful’ could be the subtitle of
this book. Yoshida Jun (1908-2003) features prominently amongst the contributors. Rare.
Only one copy in OCLC. No copy in NACSIS.
74 OGAWA (Hiroshi). TANAKA (Ikko), designer. Kami no forumu 1 & 2
[The Form of Paper]. First edition. 2 vols. Numerous photographic plates
and illustrations. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original boards in dustwrapper
(damage to vol. 1) and slipcases, overall a good set. 166, [vi]; 186, [vi]pp.
Tokyo, Kyuryu-do, 1967-76. “This book inquires into the quintessence of forms which paper can be given” (Introduction
by Hara Hiromu). It is divided into two parts the first being black and white photographs by
Kurihara Minoru showing examples of Ogawa’s paper art. The second part gives examples
of various cutting and folding techniques. Works 041.The very rare first edition of this
work. Works 041. The second volume of paper sculptures follows the pattern of the first.
Black and white photographs - mostly by the artist himself - are arranged under three
chapters, namely ‘face’, ‘band’, and ‘volume’. Rare. Only one copy in OCLC. Works 106.
75 OSAKA ASAHI SHINBUNSHA. Shashin Shuho - Semi Annual
Pictorial. First edition. One folding frontispiece and 200 photographic
plates. Japanese text. Oblong folio. Original decorated flexible boards, minor
wear throughout, but overall still a good copy. Unpaginated. Osaka, Asahi
Shimbunsha, dated: Taisho 11, 11-gatsu, [i.e. November 1922]. Osaka Asahi Shimbunsha was at the forefront of sponsoring amateur photographers in the
Kansai area. To celebrate the acquisition of a photogravure printing press in 1919 and the
subsequent publication of weekly photographic magazine ‘Asahi Graphic’ the newspaper
organised an open photography competition that would be judged by members of its staff.
Shashin Shuho presents the results of the 3rd All-Kansai Photography Competition that was
held on October 31st. 200 works were selected from contributions throughout the Kansai
area. It includes work by Kometani Koro (1889-1947), Umesaka Ori (1900-1965), and
Fukumori Hakuyo (1887-1942). Rare. No copy in OCLC.
76 SAKATA (Minoru). Zoukei Shashin 1934-1941. - Structure in
Photography; Minoru Sakata’s Anthology. First edition. 22 photographic
plates and several illustrations in the text. Japanese text. Small folio. Original
cloth in dustwrapper and obi, a fine copy. 166pp. Nagoya, Arumu, 1988. Sakata Minoru (1902-1974) was one of the most important proponents of the surrealist
school of constructivist photography. Born in Aichi Prefecture, Sakata worked for the
Mainichi Newspaper in Osaka before opening a photographic supply store in Nagoya in
1934. He became a founding member of the Nagoya Avant-garde Club, a federation of
poets, painters, and photographers. The present booklet is his first and only pre-war
publication. Sakata advocated going close to natural objects and while showing their innate
beauty he at the same time tinges the structure of the object with a surrealist meaning.
The present is a re-edited version of the booklet that was originally published in 1941,
containing additional material. Published in a small edition in Nagoya, this work is hard to
find. No copy in OCLC.
SIGNED COPY
77 SHINOYAMA (Kisshin). Shinorama New York. First edition. 25 loose
triple-page colour plates each measuring 105x23cm, as well as 2 composite
posters measuring 105x67cm. Japanese text. Oblong folio. Loose in decorated
folding case and original plastic cover, minor spotting, a very good copy signed
by the photographer on the title. Tokyo, Bungei Shunju, 1983. Very much a product of the 80s this is Shinoyama Kisshin’s take on New York. Brooklyn
Bridge, Wall Street, Staten Island Ferry, Broadway, Coney Island, the Subway, China
Town, the Yankee Stadium, the Village Vanguard Jazz Club, all iconic images, and yet
Shinoyama’s images have a special feel to them. This is the first book publication to show
his invention of Shinorama, using three cameras to produce a composite panoramic image.
No copy in OCLC.
78 SHIOTANI (Teikoh). Shiotani Teikoh Meisaku-shu. Album 19231973. First edition. 128 photographic plates. Japanese text. 4to. Original
boards in dustwrapper, with remnants of obi, occasional light dust-staining,
but overall still a good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Nihon Shashin Shuppan,
dated: Showa 50 [i.e. 1975]. Shiotani Teikoh (1899-1988) grew up in the small town of Akasaki (Tottori Pref.) located
between Tottori (Ueda Shoji’s hometown) and Matsue on the western coast of southern
Honshu. Like Ueda he found ample inspiration in his local environment. Under the guidance
of Nakajima Kenkichi he developed an instantly recognisable individual style using the
popular the popular Kodak Vest-Pocket (besutan) Camera and practicing the techniques
of ‘deformation’ and ‘rag-wipe’ (zokin-gake) for printing. At the age of twenty he even
founded the Akasaki Vest Club in his hometown and had his photographs published
regularly by Camera, Asahi Camera, and Photo Times, where it became noted for his
highly individual and yet artistic approach. Much of his best work focuses on the particular
characteristics of the windy and sparse seashore of Akasaki taken during extreme weather
conditions. Shiotani also practiced still lives as well as portrait photography. His portraits
are often taken against a plain background highlighting the individuality of his subjects.
His work is sensitive and sometimes moody. Shiotani was a member of the constructivist
Japan Photography Association (Nihon Koga Kyokai). Rare. No copy in OCLC. Only one
copy in NACSIS.
COMPLETE SET OF HIS WORKS
79 SUZUKI (Kiyoshi). Nagare no Uta - Soul and Soul; Buraman no
Hikari - The Light that has Lighted the World; Tenmaku no machi Mind Games; Yume no hashiri - S Street Shuffle; Gusha no Fune - The
Ship of Fools; Tenchi Giho; Shura no Tani - Finish Dying; Durasia. First
editions. 8 vols. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original
bindings, complete in all respects. Tokyo/Yokohama, Privately Printed, 19721994. Suzuki Kiyoshi was born in 1943 in Iwaki city (Fukushima Prefecture). In 1969 he graduated
from the Tokyo School of Photography. But shortly after his debut in Camera Mainichi
he changed jobs to become a shop-sign/advertising painter and henceforth pursued
photographic activities as an amateur. He died of cancer in 2000. Of the eight books
that he published in the course of his life seven were privately printed. A superb set of
fine copies charting the achievements of a lifetime together with a catalogue of recent
retrospective of Suzuki’s work (Suzuki Kiyoshi – Soul and Soul). Detailed descriptions of
each title available on request.
SIGNED COPY
80 SUZUKI (Kenji) Suzuki Kenji Shashinshu - The Photography of
Kenji Suzuki. First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Text in English
and Japanese. Small folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper (slightly rubbed). Still
a very good copy signed by the photographer on front free endpaper. 150pp.
Tokyo, Nihon Kamera-sha, dated Showa 48 [i.e. 1973]. “Art is the attempt to communicate one’s psychological reactions to components of the
physical world. It is through making the attempt that the means of creation is discovered.”
This is an outstanding work by a little known photographer. Suzuki Kenji (1916) was a
medical doctor who operated his own paediatrics clinic in Hiroshima City after the war. He
was a keen amateur photographer and a member of the Nikakai Photography Club. The
present is his only publication. His work is clearly inspired by the experiences relating to the
Atomic bomb, hovering somewhere between the abstract and the subjective mold. He may
have been influenced by Tomatsu and Kawada and yet he has clearly developed his own
language. The images are printed in superb photogravure and the photographer provides
a running commentary giving valuable insight for his work. Only 4 copies in OCLC.
81 TAKANASHI (Yutaka). Machi [Town]. First edition. Numerous
(mostly double-page) colour plates. Large folio. Original cloth in plastic
dustwrapper, cardboard slipcase, and obi. A fine copy. [190]pp, together with
12pp. supplement explaining the locations. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, 1977. The definitive photographic work on Tokyo’s ‘shitamachi’ (old down-town areas). Although
not intended as a documentary this book captures the charm and humanity of the last
vestiges of ‘Edo-life’ in the increasingly concrete jungle of the sprawling metropolis.
Takanashi concentrates on the exterior and interior of old houses, showing the jumble and
the order of accumulated bits and pieces of daily life resonating warmly in the glow of the
afternoon sun. Only three copies in OCLC.
82 TAKANASHI (Yutaka). Chimeiron - Genus Loci, Tokyo. First edition.
Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Small folio. Original boards in
dustwrapper and obi, a fine copy. 168pp. Tokyo, Mainichi Communications,
2000. This book demands a certain amount of effort from the viewer, as if one eyes have to get
used to the darkness and should be seen as part of a series starting with ‘Machi’ (1977)
and ending with ‘Nostalghia’ (2004). All of these books focus on human traces within
architecture, documenting the change in the ‘skin’ of the city, actually without showing
humans. No copy in OCLC.
83 TESHIGAHARA (Sofu). KAMEKURA (Yusaku) book-design. Sofu
Zokei - The Art of Sofu. First edition. Numerous colour photographic plates.
Large folio. Original decorated cloth in drop-back cloth box and original outer
cardboard case (minor wear), overall a fine copy. 259pp. Tokyo, Shufunotomosha, 1978. A superb monograph of the artistic oeuvre of Teshigahara Sofu (1900-1979) the founder of
the Sogetsu School of Ikebana flower arrangement. The books covers ikebana, sculpture,
calligraphy, and painting. Photographs by Domon Ken, Ishimoto Yasuhiro, Otsuji Kiyoshi,
Kitadai Shozo, and Fujimori Takeshi. Book-design by Kamekura Yusaku. Only two copies
in OCLC.
84 TOKYO ASAHI SHIMBUN-SHA. Kokusai Kokoku Shashin
Tensen-shu [A Selection of Images from the International Exhibition
of Advertising Photography]. First edition. Numerous photographic plates
and illustrations. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original decorated flexible boards,
a close to fine copy. 134, 37(text)pp. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbun-sha, dated: Showa
5 [i.e. 1930]. In Japan advertising photography turned out to be the prime medium where modernist
tendencies were successfully explored. The present catalogue documents the enormous
range of visual language as well as the innovative force that swept through the country.
Asahi Newspaper presented the first International Advertising exhibition in Tokyo in April
1930. The newspaper had a natural interest in promoting photography in general and
advertising in particular. Although it was called international most contributions actually
came from Japan. The first prize went to Nakayama Iwata for his famous work ‘Fukusuke
Tabi’, a beautifully clean and modern composition advertising one of the most traditional
pieces of clothing, namely Japanese-style socks. Includes essays by Narusawa Reisen and
Koishi Kiyoshi. Very rare. No copy in OCLC.
85 TOKYO ASAHI SHINBUN-SHA. Kokoku Shashinten Sakuhinshu
- Photo Publicite 1933. First edition. Numerous photographic plates.
Japanese and French text. Large 8vo. Original spiral-bound flexible boards
(slightly spotted), but overall still a very good copy. 111pp. Tokyo, Seibundo,
dated Showa 8, [i.e. 1933]. Catalogue of a prize-winning exhibition of advertising photography held by Asahi Newspapers
in 1933, the 4th in a series of international advertising exhibitions. The catalogue is divided
into four sections, namely cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food & drink, and various (mostly
electronics and socks) and prizes were awarded for each section. Modernist trends are
clearly visible with photographers employing the latest techniques in photo-montages and
vying with each other for sharp angles and high contrasts. The appendix gives a list of
photographers in the whole of Japan together with their addresses. No copy in OCLC.
86 TOKYO NICHINICHI SHIMBUNSHA. OSAKA MAINICHI
SHIMBUNSHA. Teikoku Kaigun no Iyo [The dignified appearance of
the Imperial Navy]. First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese
text. Large oblong folio. Original decorated cloth in slipcase, a very good
copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbunsha/Osaka Mainichi
Shimbunsha, dated Showa 17 [i.e. 1942]. An unusually large-format publication for domestic consumption. The work is divided into
two chapters, namely ‘the basics’ which is chiefly concerned with naval training, while the
second chapter deals with the unfolding course of the war, being a record of Japanese
successes from Pearl Harbour, Malaya, New Guinea, and other parts of South East Asia.
The use of a bold typeface combined with the heavy use of black ink give a menacing
aspect to the publication which (at least in hindsight) somehow undermines the dignity
referred to in the title. None of the images are credited to a particular photographer but it
includes work by Matsugi Fujio and (possibly) Kimura Ihei. Rare. No copy in OCLC.
87 TOKYO SHASHIN KENKYUKAI - [TOKYO PHOTOGRAPHIC
RESEARCH SOCIETY]. Kenten Gashu. [Research Exhibition
Catalogue]. No. 20. Numerous photographic plates (one in colour). Japanese
text. Large 8vo. Original flexible boards in cardboard case (with ownership
inscriptions by Matsui Eiichi), a very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Tokyo
Shashin Kenkyukai, dated: Showa 4 [i.e. 1929]. The Tokyo Photographic Research Society grew out of the art photography group called
Yutsuzusha which had been founded in 1904 and was at the forefront of pictorialist
photography. In March 1910 they organized the first Tokyo Photographic Research Society
Exhibition that subsequently became dubbed ‘Kenten’ (a short form of Kenkyu Tenran-kai).
This exhibition has been regarded as the first art-photography exhibition in Japan. It was
only on the 20th anniversary of the society’s foundation that they decided to publish an
official annual catalogue. The present issue includes works by Matsuura Koyo, Kanemaki
Akira, Tanaka Kikusui, Nagata Niryu, Suzuki Rokusanro, Tano Yasuhiro, Nishikawa Sentaro,
Nishiyama Kiyoshi, Very rare. No copy in OCLC.
Catalogue]. No. 29. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Large
8vo. Original flexible boards (minor staining, staples broken, lacking folding
case), but overall a good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Tokyo Shashin Kenkyukai,
dated: Showa 13 [i.e. 1938]. By the late 1930s the Pictorialist movement with its strong emphasis on the beauty of
nature and light was beginning to find it difficult to reinvent itself. However the present
issue includes strong works by Shimada Itsuzan, Ito Rokuro, Matsuura Koyo, Kobayashi
Hidejiro, Matsubara Seiichi, and Imai Yasumichi. Very rare. No copy in OCLC.
Catalogue]. No. 23. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Large
8vo. Original decorated flexible boards (minor dust-staining), lacking slipcase,
but overall still a very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Tokyo Shashin
Kenkyukai, dated: Showa 7 [i.e. 1932]. Kenten Gashu became famous for the quality of its reproductions. The present issue
includes work by Matsuura Koyo, Nagata Niryu, Kawano Ryutaro, Iketani Keitaro, Kaifu
Masaya, Teraoka Tukiji, Matsudaira Tadaaki and many others. No copy in OCLC.
90 TOKYO SHASHIN KENKYUKAI. AKIYAMA (Tetsuzuke). Misuzu
Shashin Gashu [Misuzu Album of Photographs]. Dai 1-kan. Numerous
photographic plates with Japanese captions on facing tissue guards. Large
oblong 8vo. Original decorated flexible wrappers, minor damage to spine,
but overall a very good copy. Matsumoto, Misuzu Shokai Shashinbu, dated:
Taisho 11, [i.e. 1922]. Misuzu Shokai was a photo supply store in Matsumoto City (Nagano Pref.) who sponsored
an exhibition as well as the present publication. It is a rare tribute to the enthusiasm and
skills of Nagano amateur photographers with a wide range of interesting contributions.
Works were selected by Akiyama Tetsuzuke (1880-1944) of the Tokyo Shashin Kenkyukai
which dominated art photography during the Taisho period with their emphasis on the
pigment-printing process. Unrecorded. No copy in OCLC. No copy in ALC.
91 TOKYO SHASHIN SENMON GAKUIN. TOKYO COLLEGE OF
PHOTOGRAPHY. Kamitsu [Congestion]. First edition. Diagrams, maps,
and numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original decorated
boards, minor staining, light damage to 8ff. of lower margin, still a very good
copy. 76pp. Tokyo, Privately Printed, dated: Showa 49, [i.e. 1974]. A fascinating and rare record of a student assignment to photograph problems of congestion
and overcrowding on Tokyo’s streets, trains, and in housing. The results are a tribute to
the maturity of the students at the Tokyo College of Photography. This is no. 6 of the News
Photography Campaign Series, and part two on the Capital. We have not been able to find
records of any previous or subsequent publications of the school. Unrecorded. No copy in
OCLC. Not in NACSIS.
92 TOMATSU (Shomei) Juichi-ji ni-fun Nagasaki [Two Minutes past
11 - Nagasaki]. First edition, second issue. Numerous photographic plates.
Japanese text. Small 4to. Original boards, a very good copy preserved in
custom-made cloth slipcase. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Shaken, 1968. About the present book Tomatsu said that Nagasaki has two times: Aug. 9, 1945, 11:02
(when the bomb exploded) and the time since then during which the suffering continued.
“Both times must not be forgotten.” His pictures document the double aspect of misery
intertwined with the city’s post-war prosperity. The book includes facts about the bombing,
diary excerpts, as well as essays by a few of the survivors. All of the images were taken
some twenty years after the event: The wristwatch that stopped exactly at 11:02, broken
statues of angels from Urakami Cathedral, a helmet with skull fragments fused to it’s
inside, a brazier whose surface was blistered by the heat of the blast, the blotched arm
of Fukuda Sumako as she combs her hair, and the keloid face of Kataoka Tsuyo (keloid is
abnormal growth of scar tissue). There is a surprising solemnity about the book, yet at the
same time it is less optimistic than Domon’s Hiroshima published eight years previously.
This book is a re-issue of a work printed by Shashin Tojinsha in 1966. Tomatsu acquired
the remaining stock, reprinted the title and the final page with the imprint, and pasted
a label on the back of the spine, i.e. this book is the remainder of and in all other ways
identical to the 1966 issue. No copy in OCLC.
SIGNED COPY
93 UEDA (Shoji). Oto no nai kioku. [Memories without Sound] Shoji Ueda Sketch Album. First edition. Numerous photographic plates.
Japanese text. Oblong folio. Original flexible boards in dustwrapper and
slipcase, a very good copy, signed by the photographer on the first page.
180pp. Tokyo, Nihon Camera-sha, dated: Showa 49 [i.e. 1974]. A record of travels throughout Europe between 1972 and ‘73. London, Rome, Madrid,
Paris, Toledo, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Florence, Pisa, and Milan, it became a classic route
for many Japanese tourists, but ‘Memories without a Sound’ is an intensely personal record
that stays away from all touristic clichés. An air of melancholy and solitude pervades these
often high-contrast black-an-white images. The book contains a short essay by the graphic
designer Horiuchi Seiichi (1932-87) concerning his impressions of Europe in the ‘60s. Ueda’s
own introduction is printed in the smallest possible type on the cover of the book where
he states that he could not recall any sounds during the travels in these ‘strange countries’
(fushigina kuni). He was awarded the 25th Prize of the Japan Professional Photographers
Society for this book. Rare. No copy in OCLC.
94 VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS. Sankai Juku Shashinshu 1&2.
First edition. 2 vols. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese and English
text. Small 8vo. Original cloth-backed boards in dustwrapper (minor damage
to dustwrapper of vol. 2). Overall a very good set. 46, [vi]; 56, [iv]pp. Tokyo,
Shinya Sosho-sha, 1982- 1983. Sankai Juku was founded in 1975 by Ushio Amagatsu. It is one of the most famous Butoh
theatrical troupes and in fact the only one still performing. The name “Sankai Juku” literally
means “Mountain and Sea Studio” a name full of classical allusions. The present is one of
the first photographic publications of the troupe taken mostly during a European tour. Very
rare. Only two copies of vol. 1 in OCLC.
95 VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS. Fukei Satsuei no Jissai. [Facts
about Landscape Photography]. First edition. 2 volumes. Numerous
photographic illustrations. Japanese text. 8vo. Original decorated cloth in
slipcase, a very good set. 265, [viii](ads.); 258 [vi](ads.)pp. Tokyo, Genkosha,
dated: Showa 12-13 [i.e. 1937- 1938]. This is vol. 5 & 6 of the Shashin Jitsugi Dai Koza [Big Course in Practical Photography],
published by Genkosha. With contributions by Yasui Nakaji, Watanabe Yoshio, Koishi
Kiyoshi, Sakai Masajiro, and Tsukamoto Koji. Book-design by Onchi Koshiro. No copy in
OCLC.
96 YAMAZAWA (Eikoh). Enkin - Far and Near. First edition. Numerous
photographic plates, several in colour. Japanese and English text. 4to. Original
cloth in dustwrapper and slipcase, a very good copy. 120pp. Tokyo, Muraisha,
1962. Superb photogravures by Yamazawa Eikoh (1899-1995), one of the pioneering and
formidable women photographers in Japan. Yamazawa was born in Osaka. Having
graduated from the Tokyo Women’s School of Art she went to America in 1926 to pursue
further studies in Fine Arts as well as an apprenticeship in photography. She returned
to Japan in 1929 and two years later set up her own studio in Osaka. After the war she
continued to work in the visual arts set up her own research institute in Osaka. She returned
to America several times to hold various exhibitions. Her present first book includes images
of New York, portraits of children, still-lives, as well as some abstract compositions. Very
rare, no copy in OCLC.
97 YASUI (Nakaji). Yasui Nakaji Shashinshu, Photographer 19031942. First edition. Numerous photographic plates and illustrations. Japanese
text with English abstract. Small folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper and obi, a
fine copy. 321pp. Nagoya, Kyodo News, 2004. Yasui Nakaji (1903-1942) was an amateur photographer who is regarded as one of the
important innovators during the 30s and early 40s. He was active in the Naniwa Club as
well as the Tampei photography club - both as a contributor as well as a judge at their
exhibitions. In 1927 he was a founding member of the Ginrei-sha, a club that sought to
explore new techniques of art photography. His death due to kidney failure on March 15th,
1942 marked the end of Kansai photography during the war. Yasui exerted a profound
influence on the post-war generation on such disparate figures as Domon Ken and
Moriyama Daido, who hailed him as the father of Japanese photography. The catalogue
was based on an exhibition at the Shoto Museum of Art in Nagoya.
98 YATO (Tamotsu). MISHIMA (Yukio) introduction. Naked Festival. First
edition. Numerous photographic plates. Folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper
(minor marginal tear), still a very good copy. Decorated endpapers. 177pp.
New York/Tokyo, Walker-Weatherhill, 1969. This book is remarkable for the quality of the photogravures. Naked festivals (hadaka
matsuri) are a genre of Japanese festival where participants wear a minimum amount
of clothing, usually nothing more than a loincloth. These festivals are usually part of
Shintoist purification rites and they are held throughout Japan every year, usually in the
summer or winter. While being on the surface a book of anthropological interest, Mishima’s
involvement indicates that it is also about the cult of the body that he was so intimately
involved with.
99 ZEN-KANSAI SHASHIN REMMEI - [ALL-KANSAI ASSOCIATION
OF PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETIES]. Dai 1-kai Shashin Dai Salon
1926 [First Japan Photography Grand Salon 1926]. First edition. 249
photographic plates, several tipped in. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Flexible
boards with embossed vignette, a very good copy. 29(text)pp. Osaka, Asahi
Shimbun-sha, dated: Showa 2 [i.e. 1927]. The First Japan Photography Grand Salon was held in the Asahi Kaikan in Osaka from
November 26th until the December 2nd, 1926, shortly before the death of the Taisho
Emperor. It was the organised by the All-Kansai Association of Photographic Societies,
that would merge a few weeks later with the All-Kanto Association to form the All-Japan
Association of Photographic Societies (Zen Nihon Shashin Renmei). Umesaka Ori won the
first prize of the competition with a shot of ‘Reeds’ on a shore. Other prizes went to Atsumi
U’ichiro, Yasui Nakaji, Takao Jiro, Yokoi Tokutaro, Kadotani Mataichiro and Ogawa Gesshu.
Very rare. No copy in OCLC.
100 ZEN-KANSAI SHASHIN REMMEI - [ALL-KANSAI ASSOCIATION
OF PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETIES]. Nihon Shashin Dai Salon 1927
[Japan Photography Grand Salon 1927]. First edition. 209 photographic
plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Flexible boards, some light browning and
minor foxing, overall still a very good copy. [vi], 8(text)pp. Osaka, Asahi
Shimbun-sha, dated: Showa 3 [i.e. 1928]. This Second Japan Photography Grand Salon was held on November 6th 1927 at Asahi
Newspaper’s Office in Osaka. Nagami Shun’ichi won the first prize of the competition
with a portrait entitled ‘A Family’. Further prizes went to Morimoto Keiho, Narita Shunyo,
Umesaka Ori, Tsunenari Shigeyasu, Kobayashi Meison, and Kato Tokutaro. Very rare. No
copy in OCLC.

A selection of Japanese photobooks. 2009.

Transcription

Similar documents

memoirs of a geisha

Japanese Family Crests (Mon)

yokai guide baby metal

食道楽

CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE DESIGN PROJECT

Rainbow Spectrum Flagship Store in Shibuya

Japanese Water Iris

corvette z06-rdr

20160121 smile通信vol.06英語版

Haikyo: Abandoned Treasure