japanese photobooks from 1904 to 2009

JAPANESE PHOTOBOOKS FROM 1904 TO 2009
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01
FUJITA (Tokutaro). Shizen - Kumo no bu [Nature - Clouds].
From 1903 onwards Fujita Tokutaro produced a number of booklets with
the Kyoto publisher Ishigando under the title “Nature”. Subjects included
‘Cranes’ (vol. 1) ‘Tigers’ (vol. 2), ‘Wild Geese and Herons’ (vol. 3) ‘Deer’ (vol.
4) - all of them taken in Kyoto Zoo - and the present one on ‘Clouds’. They
were meant to help nihonga painters in their quest for realism and the
series eventually ran to 35 volumes. The introduction was written by the
Master of Hakusenan (Abode of the White Immortal), who explains that
these visions of clouds come close to how the God Apollon would perceive
them. The table of content gives details of the atmospheric conditions
and the exact time when the image was taken. This is an extraordinary
example of how photography came to influence perceptions of reality
in general and the arts in particular. Rare. No copy in OCLC.
Vol. 5. First edition. 18 collotype plates (2 folding).
Oblong 8vo. Original decorated wrappers, minor wear,
some light staining, overall a good copy. Unpaginated.
Kyoto, Ishigando, Meiji 37 [i.e. 1904].
SOLD
02
TOKYO SHASHIN KENKYUKAI. AKIYAMA (Tetsuzuke). Misuzu Shashin Gashu [Misuzu Album of
Photographs].
Misuzu Shokai was a photo supply store in Matsumoto City (Nagano
Pref.) who sponsored a competition and exhibition as well as the present
publication. 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.
They invited contributions from the whole country and while there are
interesting contributions from Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, and Tokyo, this
catalogue is also a tribute to the enthusiasm and skills of Nagano amateur
photographers. Unrecorded. No copy in OCLC. No copy in ALC.
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].
£1200
03
OGAWA (Gesshu), YAMAZAKI (Masuzo). Nihon Pigumento Kyokai dai san kai tenrankai sakuhinshu. [Works
of the Japan Pigment Club shown at their third Exhibition].
The portrait frontispiece shows the three members of the Japan Pigment
Club, Ogawa Gesshu (1891-1967), Yamazaki Masuzo (1886-1967) and
Morita Sunao (dates unknown). The book shows outstanding examples
of their works which were shown at the Club’s third exhibition. Each of
the photographers records their respective observations and makes
comments on all of the images. This book was published as part of
Hakuyo although it is in a different format to the magazine. It was edited
by Fuchikami Hakuyo who also contributes a short essay. The exhibition
was funded by Osaka Asahi News and Konishiroku Osaka Branch. Very
rare. Unrecorded. Not in OCLC, not in ALC, not in NACSIS.
Hakuyo vol. 5, no. 4. First edition. Portrait frontispiece & 18 photographic plates (3 tipped in). Japanese text. Square 8vo. Original cloth-backed boards, a
close to fine copy. [viii], [24](text)pp. Osaka, Hakuyo
Gashu-sha, dated: Taisho 15 [i.e.1926].
SOLD
04
FUCHIKAMI (Hakuyo). Hakuyo [White Sun].
A superb monthly publication edited by the founder Fuchikami Hakuyo
(1889-1960), one of the key figures in early art photography standing
between (or bridging) pictorialism and Modernist Photography. Having
studied photography in Saga and Nagasaki, he opened a photographic
studio in 1919. In June 1922 he launched the important magazine ‘Hakuyo’
which became famous for it’s beautifully collotype plates by key figures
in the Modernist movement. In the same year he founded the Japan
Photographic Art Association which embraced a national membership,
although many contributors were based in the Kansai Region. Each
issue contains between six and twelve fine collotype prints. From issue
4 onwards this became the official journal of the Japan Photographic
Art Association (Nihon Koga Geijutsu Kyokai). Based in Kobe this was the
first national association that focussed on art photography. The Journal
represents the best printed examples of pictorialist photography and
includes works by Nojima Yasuzo, Fukuda Katsuji, Tsusaka Jun, Akiyama
Tetsuzuke, and of course Fuchikami Hakuyo. Hakuyo is extraordinary
in terms of size, and quality of reproduction. It is a miracle that it was
published at all and it can never have been profitable. In the latter half
First edition. Vol. I, No 1&2; vol. II, no 10, vol. III,
no. 5, 6, 7, vol. IV, No. 1&2, vol. 5, no. 6&7. 10 issues. Numerous tipped-in collotype plates. Japanese
text. Various sizes, but folio. Original decorated wrappers, slightly worn edges, minor wear and tear (especially vol. I, no. 1), but overall still a very good set.
Kobe, Hakuyo Gashu-sha, dated: Taisho 11-15 [i.e.
1922-1926].
of the 1920s Hakuyo was instrumental in the formation of the
more abstract constructivist school (kosei-ha). Many of the
issues in 1925 and 26 have one or two plates taken by foreign
photographers (Abott, Walters, McDowell, Demachy) showing
the keen awareness of developments in the West. Very rare.
SOLD
05
NANIWA SHASHIN KURABU. Koga-shu.
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, Mori Ippei, Yokoyama Kinkei, Yamazaki Masuzo,
Okugawa Chozan, Umesaki Ori, and Fukumori Hakuyo, all of whom are
represented in the present issues. Images were selected from the 82
submissions to the annual Namiten exhibition in the Osaka Mitsukoshi
Department Store. Unrecorded. No copy in OCLC, no copy in ALC, no
copy in NACSIS.
Nos. 1, 2, 3, 6. 4 volumes. Numerous tipped-in photographic plates (some in collotype), with tissue
guards. Japanese text. Small folio. Original decorated
flexible boards, minor wear, occasional light foxing,
but overall in very good condition. Unpaginated. Osaka, Naniwa Shashin Club, dated: Taisho 12-Showa 3
[i.e. 1923-1928].
£4200
06
TOKYO ASAHI SHINBUNSHA. NARUSAWA (Kimbei), editor. Nihon Shashin Nenkan - The Japan Photographic
Annual. Taisho 13-Showa 12.
Rising from the rubble of the Great Kanto Earthquake this publication is
regarded as the first true yearbook of photography in Japan. The Japan
Photographic Annual covers the crucial years of the development from
pictorialist to modernist photography. They are an important record
of some of the most innovative photography in Japan at the time. It
includes work from a wide range of amateurs and professionals (incl.
Fukuhara Shinzo, his brother Roso, Yasui Nakaji, Nakayama Iwata,
Kakefuda Isao, Fuchikami Hakuyo, Nishiyama Kiyoshi, Kimura Ihei), as well
as other members of the Naniwa Club in Osaka, and the Aiyu Shashin
Club in Nagoya. The Japanese 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. Issues from 1925 to 1938 also include a short English
abstract cataloguing the achievements of the year. The 1937 issue is
headed: “Photo Boom Continues” and it goes on to say: “The movement
First editions. 13 volumes (lacking vol. 6, 7, 9, & 10 between 1929 and 1935). Numerous photographic plates,
several tipped in. Japanese and English text. Large
8vo. Original flexible boards (issues from 1925-1930
with some wear and light browning), but overall a
very good set. Osaka/Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, dated
Taisho 14-Showa 17, [i.e. 1925-1942].
for enlightenment in photography, as witnessed by 1936,
was quite phenomenal. More photographing parties than
ever before were held with success under the auspices of
newspapers and other organizations”.
£3200
07
TAKAKUWA (Katsuo) editor. Arusu Shashin Nenkan - The ARS Annual for Photographers 1926.
A beautifully produced yearbook published at the end of the Taisho
period with contributions by Abe Shin-ichi, Hirao Keiji, Kakefuda Isao,
Nishiyama Kiyoshi, Suzuki Hachiro, Takayama Masataka, and many
others. It is a superb example of the transition from geijutsu shashin to
shashin geijutsu, asserting the artificiality of Camera. The latter part of the
yearbook provides information for all the photography clubs throughout
Japan together with addresses, founding dates, membership numbers,
as well as the names of the founders/leaders/chairmen. This is followed
by a list of photographic supply stores in Japan. Only one copy in OCLC.
First edition. 72 photographic plates. Japanese text
with English abstract. 8vo. Original boards in slipcase,
a very good copy. 85(text), [vi](ads.)pp. Tokyo, Ars,
dated: Taisho 15, [i.e.1926].
£550
08
SOUTH MANCHURIA RAILWAY COMPANY. Manchu Shashincho - The Photographic Album of Manchuria.
An interesting photographic album produced for the South Manchuria
Railway (SMR) Company which had been founded in 1906 after the
Russo-Japanese War, and operated in the Japanese-controlled South
Manchuria Railway Zone. The company played a major role in the
economic development of Manchuria as well as the colonization efforts
which were sponsored by the Japanese government. In a curious mix of
artistic as well as straight documentary photographs, the images in this
issue are of high quality. They are beautifully printed on thick paper. Only
one copy in OCLC.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original decorated cloth, a very
good copy. 1; 61ff. Dairen, Minami Manshu Tetsudo
Kabushiki Kaisha, 1927.
SOLD
09
FUCHIKAMI (Hakuyo). SOUTH MANCHURIA RAILWAY COMPANY. Manshu Shashin Nenkan Manchuria Photographic Annual 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).
First and only edition. 40 photographic plates (one
colour plate tipped in on front cover). 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.
£750
10
WATANABE (Yoshio). Camera Work.
Watanabe Yoshio (1907-2000) was born in Niigata Pref. the fifth son of a
kimono shop owner. In 1925 he moved to Tokyo to study photography
at the Konishi Shashin Senmon Gakko (a private school for photography
affiliated to Konishi Honten, a photographic supply store, later Konica).
In 1931 Watanabe joined the editorial staff of the monthly Oriental News
and Photo Times. Watanabe produced six features for Photo Times
magazine entitled ‘Camera Work’. Step into the ‘Ball Room Florida’ in
1933 and the good times were there. Ladies, cross your legs and show a
bit of ankle! The floor is polished and the seats have steel frames. Nothing
like this had been seen in Tokyo before, and not much of it in other
places, come to think of it. Watanabe shows it all with angles so sharp
that one feels like being on a cruise-liner. And there is rhythm here and
lots of footwork. This is modernist documentation at its best, the subject
Reprint edition. Numerous photographic illustrations.
Japanese text. 8vo. Original flexible boards, a very
good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Metropolitan Museum
of Photography,1996.
harmonizing perfectly with the technique. The present reprint
was issued to coincide with a retrospective of Watanabe’s
work held in 1996. It appears that it was published in a very
small edition and is a rarity in its own right.
SOLD
11
OKUBO (Koroku). Torikku shashin no tsukurigata [The method of producing Trick photographs].
Okubo Koroku (1900-1936) came to Tokyo aged fifteen and after working
for several small photographic studios he joined Asahi News in 1921.
From 1923 onwards he served as staff photographer for Asahi Graph, a
weekly illustrated magazine. A keen observer of light and shadow, Okubo
was a pioneer with a unique photographic language, a professional,
whose images often had a political message. This is the only book
that Okubo published during his life-time. It is a photographic manual,
a classic how-to-book explaining his techniques for deformation and
collages. Very rare. No copy in OCLC.
First edition. 15 photographic plates. Japanese text.
Small 8vo. Original boards in slipcase (minor wear),
but overall a very good copy. 111, [ii](ads.)pp. Tokyo,
Asahi Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 9 [i.e. 1934].
£250
12
STATE COUNCIL OF THE MANCHOUKUO GOVERNMENT. RARE
A very rare piece of propaganda. The General Affairs State Council
was the de facto executive administrative branch of the government
of the Japanese-controlled Empire of Manchukuo from 1934-1945.
It shows scenes from the capital Hsinking (Changchun) and Mukden
(Shenyang) as well as Chengde. Much is made of the harmonious multiracial society. Curiously enough it also includes a colour lithograph plate
showing the official postage stamps of Manchuko as well as special
issue stamps.
Manchoukuo - A Pictorial Sketch.
First edition. 18 photographic plates. Folio. Original decorated wrappers (small defect to front, minor
staining). Overall a very good copy. Unpaginated.
Bureau of Information, General Affairs Board State
Council, 1937.
£750
13
YAMAMOTO (Bisetsu). Shinchiku kinen sogyo jugonen shunen [Fifteenth Anniversary
of the New Construction of the Business].
A beautiful example showing the activities of a professional photographer
far removed from the fashionable centres of Osaka, Kobe and Tokyo:
In 1924 Yamamoto Bisetsu decided to build a new photo-studio in
front of the train station of Ozuki (Yamaguchi Pref.), a small town near
Shimonoseki on the Western tip of Honshu. The new building would
have his business in the front part together with a reception, studio,
and darkroom facilities, while the back part was his family home. The
present photo-album was produced on the fifteenth anniversary of the
new studio: It was clearly intended for friends and family only. The first
image shows a large portrait of three generations of the Yamamoto
family. This is followed by three photographs of architect’s drawings
showing the floor plan and the exterior, as well as six images showing
the progress of the construction. The building is a marvellous example
of the (somewhat incongruous) ingenuity in which traditional Japanese
features are combined with fashionable Western ones: The front of the
shop comes with an imposing entrance, double swing doors, a shop
window, and decorative crenellations on the roof that were popular at
Album containing 44 original photographs with manuscript captions. Small oblong folio. Original silkcovered decorated boards (minor wear, some fraying along the edges), but very good inside. Ozuki,
Yamamoto Bisetsu Shashinkan, 1939.
the time. The shop was clearly successful with 12 employees,
some wearing official Yamamoto ‘happi’ coats and white
fedora hats. Inside there are shots of the studio, darkroom, as
well as private living quarters with kitchen, bathroom, and the
traditional living quarters complete with a view of a Japanese
garden. Eight images at the end show samples of the studio
work including some in the geijutsu shashin style. The album
radiates with an aura of peace, happiness, and prosperity.
£1800
14
OKAMOTO (Morimasa). ONCHI (Koshiro) book-design. Rorai Tekuniku - Rollei Technik.
An interesting photographic manual by Okamoto Morimasa (dates
unknown). This book is another example of how the photographic
publishing industry was dominated by technical handbooks during the
late 1930s and early 1940s. Beautiful book-design by Onchi Koshiro. Only
one copy in OCLC.
First edition. 100 photographic plates. Japanese text.
Small 4to. Original decorated cloth in dustwrapper
(minor damage to rear) and (slightly stained) slipcase, overall still a very good copy. 271pp. Tokyo,
Genkosha, dated: Showa 14 [i.e. 1939].
SOLD
15
FUKUDA (Katsuji). Haru no shashinshu - Spring Photography.
Fukuda Katsuji (1899-1991) was born in Yamaguchi Prefecture in Western
Japan. He moved to Tokyo in 1920 where he worked for the forerunner
of Olympus (Takachiho seisakujo). The Great Kanto earthquake (1923)
forced him to move to Kansai where he held various positions including
that of editorial assistant at Fuchikami Hakuyo’s famous magazine
Hakuyo. He returned to Tokyo in 1933 where he turned to advertising
photography and increasingly specialised in photographing women.
‘Haru’ is a delicately designed book of photographs featuring chapters
on flowers, dance, interiors, children, animals, street-scenes, and portraits
of women. The text is presented as a series of dialogues between Fukuda
and various friends about each of the images in the book. This makes
for an informal and even relaxed atmosphere that compliments the
subject of the book beautifully.
First edition, second printing. 101 photographic
plates. Japanese text. Small 4to. Original decorated
cloth in dustwrapper and (slightly worn) slipcase,
still a very good copy. [viii], Unnumbered text, [xvi]
(ads.)pp. Tokyo, ARS, dated: Showa 14 [i.e.1939].
£250
16
HAMAYA (Hiroshi). Ichi no oto [Sounds of Selling].
Together with Kimura Ihei and Domon Ken, Hamaya is one of the grand
masters of Japanese photography. This is an important book of his work
during the late 1930s, published on the 10th anniversary of his death.
Hamaya met the banker and folklore scholar (a rare combination!)
Shibusawa Keizo (1896-1963) in 1939 who inspired him to concentrate
his efforts on aspects of folklore studies, in particular customs relating to
pre-industrial methods of production and traditional ways of selling such
merchandise. Hamaya went to the temple fairs of Asakusa, Setagaya,
and Hachimangu to observe traders in metal tools, ropes, baskets and
other hand-made objects. There is also a section on itinerant tradesmen
and street vendors. Hamaya thus became part of the folklore studies
movement that would lead him to Yanagita Kunio, Ichikawa Shinji, and
ultimately to ‘Snow Country’.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original boards in dustwrapper
and obi, a fine copy. 127pp. Tokyo, Kawade Shobo
Shinsha,2009.
SOLD
17
KAHOKU KOTSU KABUSHIKI KAISHA. NORTH CHINA RAILWAY COMPANY. Hokushi gakan [North China Graph].
In the wake of the Japanese invasion of Northern China in 1937, the North
China Railway Company was founded in 1938 as a subsidiary of the
South Manchuria Railway Company. The company officially operated
railway lines and bus services in the occupied areas. At the same time
they systematically exploited Chinese resources for the Japanese war
effort. “North China Graph” is an extraordinary exercise in propaganda:
It was printed in Tokyo and sold in Japan with the aim of encouraging
Japanese immigration to China. There is an obvious pro-Japanese slant,
but the magazine manages to focus on details of daily life in China that
had hitherto escaped the notice of photographers. It includes articles
on such diverse subjects as crafts, Chinese shop-signs, temple fairs,
festivals, police training, Muslims, charitable institutions, Chinese girls,
bridge construction, storing ice, bird-keeping, etc... Rare.
First and only edition. Vol. 1-12 (lacking issue 10,
i.e. 11 issues). Japanese text with some English captions. Large 8vo. Original decorated flexible wrappers,
minor wear. Overall a very good set. Tokyo, Heibonsha, dated: April Showa 13-14 [i.e. 1938-1939].
SOLD
18
KAHOKU KOTSU KABUSHIKI KAISHA. N. CHINA RAILWAY COMPANY. Hokushi - The North China.
“The North China Magazine” is an extraordinary exercise in propaganda:
It was printed in Tokyo and sold in Japan with the aim of encouraging
Japanese immigration to China. Each issue has a section of 33pp.
of photographs followed by 16pp. of text showing the activities of the
company, the apparent peace in the occupied zone, but while there is
an obvious pro-Japanese slant, the overall impression of the images is
one that comes close to sympathy for the Chinese and their condition.
The further one delves into the issues the more one becomes amazed
by the almost anthropological range of topics that unflinchingly report
on virtually every aspect of Chinese high and low life (the 2nd issue
ranges from Goldfish breeding in Peking, the hard life of Kulis, rural life in
North China, Peking Opera, as well as sheep farming in Mongolia) with
high quality images showing a level of reality in China that is unmatched
First and only edition. 50 (of 51) issues, lacking the
first issue. Japanese text with some English captions.
Large 8vo. Original decorated flexible wrappers, minor wear, light browning to text pages. Partly bound
in cloth, overall a good set. Tokyo, Dai-ichi Shobo,
dated: June Showa 14 [1939] to July Showa 18 1943].
in any publication that I am aware of. Complete
sets are very rare. Only five sets in OCLC.
SOLD
19
HOSHINO (Tatsuo), editor. Shina jihen shashin zenshu [Complete Edition of Photographs of the China Affair].
Six deluxe volumes in a large format chart the progress of Japanese
occupation of China from 1937-1939: 1. Hokushi sensen (North China) -- 2.
Shanhai sensen (Shanghai) -- 3. Koga, Joshu sakusen (Yellow River & Xuzhou)
4. Bukan, Kanton koryakusen (Wuhan, Canton) -- 5. Kainanto, Nansho
sakusen (Hainan Island & Nanchang) -- 6. Arawashi butai (Flying Eagle
Squad – air-force). Many of the images are full-page bleeds adding to
the drama of this elaborate propaganda item. The slipcases and bindings
were designed by the famous Nihonga artist Kawabata Ryushi (1885-1966).
Interestingly vol. 5 was issued several months before Germany invaded
Poland. The last volume appears to have been afterthought in that it
focuses on the achievements of one particular unit in the war machinery
rather than a geographic location. It was published on March 20th 1940,
over a year and a half before the infamous pearl harbour attack.
First edition. 6 volumes (complete). Numerous photographic illustrations. Japanese text. Folio. Original
cloth in original decorated slipcases. Vols. 1-5 with
decorated endpapers. Some wear to vol. 6, but overall
a very good set. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, Showa 1215, [i.e. 1937- 1940].
SOLD
.
20
FUKUDA (Katsuji). Onna no utsushigata. [How to photograph women] - Photokunst von Frauen.
This is an extraordinary volume of female portraits full of the spirit of
‘Neue Sachlichkeit’ an influence that is hinted at in the German title on
the slipcase and the cover: Modern angles combined with a certain
soft focus that is particularly well suited to the subject. Every plate is
accompanied by a page of text discussing the technical and aesthetic
aspects of the photograph. This book was first published in 1937 and
appears to have been very popular going through 12 printings in
three years. However, it was quite common in the ‘30s for publishers to
exaggerate the popularity of their books.
First edition, 12th printing. 100 photographic plates.
Japanese text. 4to. Original decorated cloth in dustwrapper and slipcase, a very good copy. Unpaginated.
Tokyo, Ars, dated: Showa 15 [i.e. 1940].
SOLD
21
UEDA (Shoji). Denen no utsushigata [Method of Shooting in the Fields].
UEDA’S FIRST BOOK
This is Ueda Shoji’s first book, volume 42 of the ARS shashin bunko series,
which was essentially a photographic manual. ARS asked the best-know
photographers at the time (amateur & professional) to share their secrets
with their readership. For photographers it was a welcome opportunity
to showcase their work under the increasingly difficult circumstances of
censorship and tough commercial conditions. Very rare.
First edition. Numerous photographic illustrations.
Japanese text. Small 8vo. Original printed wrappers
(minor wear to spine), but overall a very good copy. 68,
[vi](ads.)pp. Tokyo, ARS, dated: Showa 15 [i.e. 1940].
£550
22
HAMAYA (Hiroshi). Senko shashinjutsu [The Art of Flash Photography].
This is the second book Hamaya published in the Ars shashin bunko
series (no. 52) and his only book published during the war. It includes a
number of images taken in Northern China (Harbin) a soldier recovering
in hospital, a group of slightly shell-shocked soldiers singing together, but
most of the photos were taken in Tokyo.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates and illustrations. Japanese text. Small 8vo. Original printed
wrappers, slightly rubbed edges, overall a very good
copy. 70, [vi](ads.)pp. Tokyo, ARS, dated: Showa 16
[i.e. 1941].
SOLD
23
IIYAMA (Tatsuo). Mokyo no tabi [Travels in Mongolia].
Iiyama Tatsuo’s (1904-1993) travelogue through Inner Mongolia, which
became part of the Puppet state Manchukuo in 1933 as well as Small
Wutaishan, and Datong. This is one of a number of expensively produced
photo-books in 1941 to give the impression at home that things were
going well abroad, possibly in order to encourage emigration. The
images show a mixture of landscapes, ancient architecture and
ethnographic observations. The overall atmosphere is one of peace in
the provinces. Hazama Otohiko contributed a travel account.
First edition. Two maps, numerous photographic
plates (including one large folding panorama). Text in
Japanese. Small folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper
and original cardboard box. A very good copy. [4], 64,
4pp. Tokyo, Sanseido, dated: Showa 16, [i.e. 1941].
SOLD
24
NORTH CHINA PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION. YOSHIDA (Jun), editor. Tairiku no Fubo - Genchi Sakka Shashinshu
‘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.
[The Face of a Continent - A Photobook by Local Photographers].
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 4to. Original cloth in (damaged) dustwrapper, only a good copy. 150pp. Peking, Hokushi
Shashin Sakka Shudan, dated: Showa 16 [i.e. 1941].
SOLD
25
HASEGAWA (Denjiro). Manshu Kiko, Shashin to Zuiso - Picturesque Manchoukuo & Mongolia
seen by Artist & Camera.
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.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text with caption in Japanese and English. Folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper and original case, a
fine copy. 186pp. Tokyo, Meguro Shoten, dated: Showa
16, 1941.
SOLD
26
ONCHI (Koshiro). Hakubutsushi: zuihitsu shashin [Records of Nature: Essay & photographs].
Onchi Koshiro (1891-1955) was born into an aristocratic family with artistic
leanings. In 1910 he entered the Tokyo School of Fine Arts to study oil
painting but never finished his degree. A keen modernist, he founded the
print and poetry magazine ‘Tsukubae’. Four years later Onchi published
his first collection of abstract prints and in 1919 participated in the first
Nihon Sosaku-Hanga Kyokai exhibition. He established a great reputation
as a book designer, as well as a printmaker, personally designing over
1000 books for publication. The present work is just showing his ability to
see abstract and surreal beauty in the natural environment. Only one
copy in OCLC.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Small folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper
and slipcase, a fine copy. 141pp. Tokyo, Genkosha,
dated: Showa 17 [i.e. 1942].
£3500
27
AKIYAMA (Shotaro). Sakuhinshu ‘Kage’ [‘Shadow’ Works] 1940-1943.
PRIVATELY PRINTED
Akiyama Shotaro (1920-2003) was born in Kanda, Tokyo. From 1938
he studied business at Waseda University and became active in the
University’s photography club. Shortly after graduation in 1943 he sold
all his photographic equipment in order to published the present book
in a limited edition of 150 copies. The printing costs amounted to Yen
1000 - the price of a cheap house in Tokyo at the time - and although
the imprint states that it was not for sale (possibly for tax reasons)
Akiyama priced it at Yen 7.5. The war loomed large and he was afraid
that he might die without leaving a trace. He was drafted into the
army and spent the war years in China. Throughout his military service
he carried a copy of this book with him. It includes the famous image
entitled ‘Abandoning a Cat’ an extraordinary photo that Akiyama had
submitted to a competition by the Japan Photographic Society. The title
of the book ‘Shadow’ refers to the famous work by Tanizaki Junichiro
entitled: ‘In Praise of Shadows’. The work is a gem in terms of design and
First edition. One of a limited edition of 150 copies.
38 photographic plates (including a self-portrait).
Text in Japanese. 4to. Original flexible washi boards
in slipcase (minor wear). Still a close to fine copy.
Unpaginated. Tokyo, Privately Printed, dated Showa
18 [i.e. 1943].
photography. Akiyama is clearly influenced by ‘pictorialists’
like Fukuhara Shinzo, and many regard the present work as his
greatest achievement. The book is dedicated to his Mother
and it includes introductions by Inamura Takamasa, Yokoi
Eitaro, and Murai Toru. Unrecorded. No copy in OCLC.
SOLD
28
HORINO (Masao). Man-Mo kaitakudan no kaiso: Sono shuhen 50-nenmae no kiseki = First photo essay,
Masao Horino [Reminiscenses of the Manchuria-Mongolia
Horino Masao (1907-2000) was possibly the most important proponent
Development Agency - Traces of about 50 years ago].
of ‘shinko shashin’ , the modernist photography movement in Japan.
Influenced by European photographers like Moholy-Nagy and the
Bauhaus group, Horino became famous for exploring the functional
aesthetic of machines and architecture and made his reputation with
his famous book ‘Kamara Eye X Steel Composition’ (1932). However, in
the late 30s he began to embrace photo-journalism and became a
freelance photographer. During the war he moved to Shanghai where
he was working for an Army Propaganda unit. After his return to Japan
he retired from photography and founded ‘Minicam’, a business that
produced strobe lights and flash equipment. The present book contains an
extraordinary series of photo-essays showing the process of colonization
in Manchuria, daily life in Japanese schools, farms, hospitals, and shops.
It also shows White Russian settlements as well as native Mongol life in the
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Folio. Original flexible boards, a fine copy.
127pp. Together with a separately printed sheet of
Japanese text. Tokyo, Horino Yoko Kinen Shinywokai
Jimukyoku [Privately Printed], 1993.
yurts. The Man-Mo Development Agency in effect carried out
a program of organised immigration to Manchuria. The book
was privately published by Horino in memory of his wife Yoko
and was not for sale. Only three copies in OCLC.
£550
29
[YAMAHATA (Shogyoku)]. KAMEKURA (Yusaku) designer. Tenno - Emperor.
In December 1945 Yamahata Shogyoku (1887-1963) and his son
Yamahata Yosuke (1917-1966) photographed the Emperor and his
family in order to show their ‘human side’. The request for the informal
photo sessions had come from Life magazine who published selected
images on February 4th, 1946 under the snappy title of “Sunday at
Hirohito’s”. The Emperor of Japan got what is now called ‘a makeover’
presenting him as a family man, a biologist, a listener, while at the same
time emphasizing the mutual love and respect between emperor and
his people. There must have been an enormous poignancy to the
occasion as Yamahata Yosuke had witnessed and photographed the
horror in the aftermath of the Nagasaki bombing. The dustwrapper of the
second edition (designed by Kamekura Yusaku) is in a different colour
to the first.
Second enlarged edition. Numerous photographic
plates. Japanese text with English abstract. 8vo. Original decorated cloth (rather spotted) in dustwrapper,
but very good inside. 107pp. Tokyo, Toppan, dated:
Showa 23 [i.e. 1948].
£120
30
MATSUGI (Fujio). Bi no Seitai [The Biology of Beauty].
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. During the
war he published several works of military propaganda photography
(mostly on the Naval Academy in Tokyo) that were so polished they
almost hurt the eyes. Who would have thought that he would turn his
attention to nude studies after the war? This book explores the beauty
of the female (both dressed and in the nude) and curiously enough
almost all of the nude studies show the body without the head...
Rare. Only one copy in OCLC.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates, 4 tipped
in. Japanese text. Small folio. Original boards in dustwrapper. A very good copy. 71pp. Tokyo, Ooizumi Shoten, dated: Showa 23 [i.e. 1948].
SOLD
31
KIMURA (Ihei). Kimura Ihei Kessaku Shashinshu - Select Pictures by Kimura Ihei.
This work represents the first comprehensive collection of his work
spanning from 1935 to 1953. “Kimura has never tried to awe the public
with his art. His art is devoid of cold austerity or harsh cynicism... Kimura
is one of the editorial associates of the magazine ‘Asahi Camera’. We
owed much to his untiring efforts in building up this magazine to the
world’s largest camera magazine in a brief period since was restarted
in 1949 after the wartime suspension.” (Preface). It includes previously
unpublished images from Okinawa, China, Manchuria, and Akita as
well as a selection from the Onoe Kikugoro series. The book-binding is
designed by Hara Hiromu.
First edition. 132 photographic illustrations. List of
plates in English and Japanese. Text in Japanese only.
4to. Original cloth in dustwrapper (slightly rubbed,
closed tear) and original slipcase, overall just a good
copy. [vi], [128], 28, [viii](ads.)pp. Tokyo, Asahi
Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 29 [i.e. 1954].
£350
32
KIMURA (Ihei). Kimura Ihei gaiyu shashinshu - Impressions of Europe. & Yoroppa no insho - Kimura Ihei
dai 2 kai gaiyu shashinshu - Impressions of Europe, part 2.
Vol. 1: “The pictures contained in this book were taken during my
six-month trip to Europe in 1954. They are pictorial impressions of
a Japanese tourist making a whirlwind trip... If there are pictures in
this book which suggest known compositions or approaches by
European masters, it is an unwitting tribute to their impression their
work made upon me.” He travelled to Cairo, Athens, Paris, Germany,
England, and Italy.
Vol. 2: “I received an unexpected offer to serve as one of the
Japanese delegates to the peace festival at Helsinki in June 1955.
The offer was to include a free trip to the Soviet Union and the
People’s Republic of China on the way home. I have been and
am a photographer who takes interest only in my subjects, not in
politics. I knew implications would follow my acceptance of the offer.
After long wavering, I decided to accept it, for I thought it worthy
to report honestly things done by some people opposed to the
First editions. 2 volumes. 203 & 100 photographic
numbered images (many in colour). List of plates in
English and Japanese. Text in Japanese only. Small
folio. Original cloth in dustwrappers (lacking slipcases), but overall a good set. [xvi], 37(text); [xii],
23(text)pp. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, 1955 & 1956.
Western idea of peace and also things taking place inside
Communist nations. I also hoped to have a chance to
discuss photography with colleagues from other nations.”
(Author’s note). In the end he was unable to obtain a visa
for Russia. Book design of both volumes by Hara Hiromu.
£750
33
NATORI (Yonosuke). Bakusekizan sekkutsu - Mai-chi-shan Caves.
SIGNED COPY
The Maijishan Grottoes are a series of 194 caves cut in the side of the hill
of Majishan in Tianshui, Gansu Province, northwest China. This example
of rock cut architecture contains over 7,200 Buddhist sculptures and
over 1,000 square meters of murals. Construction began in the Later Qin
era (384-417 CE) and continued into the 12th century.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text with English summary and list of plates.
Small folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper in slipcase.
A very good copy, signed by the photographer on front
free endpaper. Separate list of plates. 138pp. Tokyo,
Iwanami Shoten,1957.
£450
34
HAMAYA (Hiroshi). Ura Nihon [Japan’s Back Coast].
Encouraged by the success of ‘Yukiguni’ Hamaya chose a similar subject
for his next book: A superb documentary of Japan’s west coast - as
opposed to the Pacific Coast. For three years Hamaya had travelled
from village to village, through an area that is covered by snow for nearly
half the year, where icy winds blow, ancient methods of production
had survived and where hard physical labour was the order of the day.
The literal translation ‘Back [coast] of Japan’ hides the fact that the
combination of ‘ura’ and ‘nihon’ (Japan) was a taboo. ‘Underbelly of
Japan’ comes closer to the implied meaning. “This book is published
in the hope it will help people to understand other people...To say
definitely, ‘this is Japan’ is to invite the wrong impression. However, I feel I
can definitely say, ‘this too is Japan’.” (Introduction). A masterpiece.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates (several in colour). Text in Japanese, summary in English.
Large folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper and slipcase
(rather worn edges), occasional very minor foxing.
Overall still a very good copy. Loosely inserted sheet
providing technical information for each photograph.
[xii], 79, 13pp. Tokyo, Shinchosha,1957.
SOLD
35
HEIBONSHA SEKAI SHASHINKA SERIES. 14 VOLUMES.
THE COMPLETE SERIES
Watanabe Yoshio: Moskow. - Serge Lido: Lido’s Ballet. - David Seymour:
Little Ones. - Emile Savitry: Nu. - Ylla (Camilla Koffler): Animals Big & Little.
- Magnum Photos: Children’s World - Tabuchi Yukio: Mountain. - Gaston
Rebuffat: Au Royaume des Neiges Eternelles. - Inge Morath: Fiesta in
Pamplona - Robert Doisneau: Scenes D’Enfants. - Edouart Boubat: Ode
Maritime. - Kimura Ihei: At the Shipyard.- Hamaya Hiroshi: Urumuchi.Sonobe Hiroshi: River Kitakami. The entire series was designed by Hara
Hiromu.
First edition. Numerous photographic illustrations,
several in colour. Text mostly in Japanese. 8vo. Original printed boards (varying condition, some wear),
but overall still a very good set. Tokyo, Heibonsha,
dated: Showa 32-33 [i.e. 1957-1958].
£2800
36
KAGEYAMA (Koyo). SAWADA (Miki). Rekishi no Otoshigo - Orphans of History. 10 Years at the
Elizabeth Saunders Home.
A curious book about an orphanage founded in Oiso (Kanagawa) by
Sawada Miki, grand-daughter of Iwasaki Yataro, the founder of the
Mitsubishi conglomerate. The book breaks with a number of taboos in
Japan: All of the children were fathered by members of the occupation
forces, and they were brought up as Christians in a Japanese
environment. Kageyama Koyo took a keen interest in the progress of
the children, and during the 50s his son Masahide, and his daughter
Kazuyo would join in the photography sessions. Everything in this book
has the feel of a family photo-album with many personal reminiscences
by Sawada. After witnessing many of the horrors of war, this place must
have been a source of optimism for Kageyama. Sawada named the
orphanage after a British resident Elizabeth Saunders, who was the first
person to donate a large amount to the institution. A gem.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Text in
English and Japanese. Large 8vo. Original flexible
decorated boards (minor staining), overall still a very
good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Yomiuri Shinbun-sha,
dated: Showa 33 [i.e.1958].
£380
37
TANAHASHI (Shisui). Mexico Shashinshu [A Photobook of Mexico].
Tanahashi Shisui was born in Osaka in 1906. In 1924 he became an
apprentice to Ogawa Gesshu. In 1930 he became a member of the
Tampei Photography Club. He spent the war years in Manchuria and
returned to Japan in 1947 and opened a photo-studio in Osaka. In 1951
he joined Ei-Q’s ‘Democratic Artists Association’. In 1956 he visited America
and Mexico as a result of winning the first prize in the Canon Camera
Photo Contest. He spent about three months travelling throughout Mexico
resulting in the present, his first book. The style of his photography is part
of the ‘documentary’ movement of the 1940s and 50s.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates, several
in colour. Japanese text. Large folio. Original cloth
in dustwrapper and slipcase [rather worn], overall a
good copy. [iv], 96, 23pp. Tokyo, Kenkosha,1958.
£250
38
VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS. WATANABE (Tsutomu), editor. Gendai Nihon Shashin Zenshu [An
Overview of Modern Japanese Photography].
Nine volumes provide a select survey of the chief players as well as
the chief subjects in earlypost-war Japanese photography:1. Kimura
Ihei sakuhinshu - [The works of Kimura Ihei]. 2. Domon Ken sakuhinshu
- [The works of Domon Ken] 3. Hamaya Hiroshi sakuhinshu - [The works
of Hamaya Hiroshi] 4. Riarizumu Sakuhinshu - [Realism] 5. Potoreto
sakuhinshu - [Portraits]. 6. Fukei sakuhinshu - [Scenery]. 7. Nudo sakuhinshu
- [Nudes] 8. Dobutsu sakuhinshu - [Animals] 9. Sangaku sakuhinshu [Mountaineering]. What is most surprising is the quality of the printing of
the black-and-white images.
First edition. 9 volumes. Each issue contains 32pp. of
photographic plates (many double-page) and 15pp.
of explanatory text in Japanese. Large folio. Original flexible boards in decorated dust-wrappers and
original glassine wrappers (minor damage to spine),
overall a very good set. Tokyo, Sogensha, 1958- 1959.
SOLD
39
HAGA (Hideo). Ta no Kami - The Rituals of Rice Production in Japan.
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.
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.
£250
40
TANAKA (Tokutaro). Shirasagi [White Heron].
Tanaka Tokutaro (1909-1989) was born in Satte City in Saitama Prefecture.
After working in a railway factory for 24 years he retired at the age of forty
to open a photographic supply store in Urawa. He started shooting White
Herons in 1954 and his work was published in both Time Life Magazine
and the New York Times in the 50s. More than just an interesting early
example of wildlife photography Tanaka’s work betrays an extraordinary
sympathy for the birds that verges on the obsessive. Uncommon.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original cloth in dustjacket and slipcase, a very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Chunichi
Shimbun, 1961.
£150
41
NISHIYAMA (Kiyoshi). Purezanto Kurabu 40 Kinen Shashinshu - Pleasant Club 40th Anniversary Album.
SIGNED COPY
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. They seem to favour
somewhat abstract compositions but elegant compositions. Printed in
superb 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.
First edition. No. 438 of a limited edition of 1000
copies. 119 photographic plates. Japanese text. 4to.
Original cloth in plastic dustwrapper and slipcase,
a very good copy signed by Nishiyama on the title.
24(text)pp. Tokyo, Privately Printed, 1961.
SOLD
42
KAWAMATA (Matsujiro). Shonimahi to tatakau haha to ko: Hokkaido no shudan hassei. Kawamata
Matsujiro shashinshu. [Polio and the fight of mother and
PROTEST BOOK
child: Hokkaido’s mass outbreak].
Clearly modelled on Domon Ken’s ‘Chikuho no kodomotachi’ this is
another example of documentary photography with a social conscience.
In 1960 a large scale epidemic of Polio broke out in Hokkaido with over
5000 patients hospitalized in that year. Kawamata covered this dreadful
event. With an introduction by Domon Ken, printed in the same year as
the first edition.
Second edition. Numerous photographic illustrations.
Japanese text. 8vo. Original flexible boards, minor
rubbing but overall a very good copy. 96pp. Tokyo,
Kenkosha,1961.
£150
43
KURIHARA (Tatsuo). Ikari o hibi no kate ni. Gakusei toso no kiroku Kurihara Tatsuo shashin hokoku [Anger
is Our Daily Bread - A Record of the Students Fight - Photo
Kurihara Tatsuo was born in Tokyo in 1937. In 1961 he graduated in politics
Reportage by Kurihara Tatsuo].
and economics from Waseda University, joined Asahi Newspaper, and
in the following year won the Japan Professional Photographers Society
Newcomer Prize for several photo-essays he had published in ‘Shukan
Asahi’ and ‘Asahi Graph’. He turned freelance in 1967 and the present
is his first book, a fascinating record of life on the barricades, centred
around student activities in Tokyo University.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original flexible boards in dustwrapper (some damage). Still a very good copy. 164pp.
Tokyo, Tojusha, 1969. £350
44
KURIHARA (Tatsuo). Shashin Hokoku Okinawa 1961-1970 [Okinawa Photo-reportage].
During the early 1970s Asahi Newspaper produced a series of politically
charged photographic reportages (Shashin hokoku & Shashin kiroku)
on the atom-bomb and its after-effects, pollution, unemployment, and
other social issues. All of them were produced by staff photographers
with a particular interest in the subject. Okinawa had been designated
‘a keystone of the Pacific’ and the 118 military bases on the island left
little room for doubt of American commitment. It also gained strategic
significance in the Vietnam War. This emotional documentary contrasts
life on the bases with life in the villages and towns. The meeting-point
between the two tended to be in bars and brothels, and Kurihara records
the growing local opposition movements to the bases.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original flexible boards in obi and
plastic dustwrapper. A very good copy. 211pp. Tokyo,
Asahi Shimbunsha, 1970.
£250
45
NARAHARA (Ikko). Japanesque.
This is Narahara’s first major book in colour, a look at traditional Japanese
culture. “‘Mt. Fuji’... ‘Sword’... ‘Noh’... ‘Courtesan’... ‘Sumo’... and
‘Samurai’... All of these subjects gathered here are representative of the
clichés with which Japan was once spoken of... What is ambivalent here
is not merely the manner of selecting the subjects. Clearly apparent
within the actual composition of the photography of nature and man,
within the texture of the photographic surface, are the photographer’s
affection for and irritation at the objects.” (Essay: ‘The Soul of a Young
Japanese’ by Yamazaki Masakazu). Later he explained that it was a
chance encounter with a book of erotic woodblock prints in a shopwindow in Paris that inspired him to produce this book which now seems
very much a product of the ‘70s. Book-design by Tanaka Ikko.
First edition. 101 photographic plates, many doublepage and in colour. Large folio. Original decorated
boards in slipcase (minor discoloration), still a very
good copy. [iv], [viii], [iv](text)pp. Tokyo, Mainichi
Shimbunsha, 1970.
£550
46
OE (Kenzaburo), TSUKASA (Osamu) photographer. Shonin - Eizo Gikyoku [The Witness - A photographic Theatre].
SIGNED COPY
This is one of the least known works by the famous Japanese novelist
Oe Kenzaburo, winner of the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1994. Oe had
famously contributed some of the text to Kawada Kikuji’s ‘Map’ (1965) but
felt that he had not expressed his feelings fully. He knew Tsukasa Osamu
(born 1935) as an artist and book-designer and together they set upon
producing this statement about Japan after the A-bomb. The result is
curious: It is a blend of craftsmanship and anti-craft, of tradition and antitradition. Most of the images show Buddhist imagery, carvings, statues
and wall-paintings relating to hell. Printed in high-contrast photogravure
they were all taken with a Hasselblad camera by Tsukasa. The present
book is his only venture into photography, he is known as a writer and
artist and was awarded the Mainichi Arts Prize in 2007.
First and only edition. No. 150 of a limited edition of
300 copies. Japanese text. Oblong folio. Original flexible decorated boards in glassine jacket and folding
cardboard case with a label and stamp affixed to top
board and two silk ties. A close to fine copy signed
by the photographer on front free endpaper. Tokyo,
Yutsu Kobo (Privately Published), 1970.
£2500
47
HAYASHI (Tadahiko). Nihon no Sakka [Literary figures of Japan].
Hayashi learned a lot during the previous consignment and felt his strength
to be in portraiture. He became famous for his flawlessly composed
portraits that were taken in settings that would somehow link the subject
to his surroundings and give the viewer a better understanding of the
character. In doing so the setting became equally important to the artist
and Hayashi was not afraid to rearrange details in order to emphasize
certain points. Essentially his portraits were staged and Hayashi was
strongly criticized at the time by those who felt that such interference
undermined the integrity of the photograph. In the text he describes
the encounter with each of the 109 famous writers. Outstanding are his
portraits of Osamu Dazai, Mishima Yukio, Sakaguchi Ango, Kawabata
Yasunari and Kume Masao.
First edition. 109 photographic plates (several double-page). Japanese text. Large folio. Original cloth
in dustwrapper and original plastic bag (minor wear
to both), light foxing to last 2 ff., overall still a very
good copy. Loose folded index leaf. [64](text)pp. Tokyo, Seikatsusha, 1971.
SOLD
48
ISHIDA (Hirokazu). NAGANO (Shigeichi), introduction. Baramon to Janta: Indo [Brahman and the People: India].
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.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. 4to.
Original flexible boards (light dust-staining), overall
a very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Shashin Hyoronsha, 1971.
£120
49
SASAKI (Kon). Chiisai Inochi [Small Life].
SIGNED COPY
Sasaki Kon (1918-2009) was born in Qingdao (China) but moved back to
Kobe where he grew up. He started photographing in his early teens and
after graduating from high school studied engineering. During the war
he was stationed in Korea and Manchuria. He returned to Kobe and in
1951 met Kimura Ihei and became his apprentice. In 1963 he joined a
scientific film production company where he specialised in microscopic
photography. From 1966 to 1980 his work was published under the title
‘Small Life’ in Asahi Camera magazine. It established his reputation as
one of the foremost photographers of natural history. The present is the
first publication of ‘chiisai inochi’ in book format.
First edition. Numerous photographic colour plates.
Japanese text. 8vo. Original decorated boards with
obi. A very good presentation copy, signed by the
photographer. 161pp. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, dated: Showa 46 [i.e. 1971].
£180
50
HAMAYA (Hiroshi). Nihon no Shiika. [The Poetry of Japan].
SIGNED COPY
A book of landscape/townscape photography combined with poetry.
This work had originally been serialized by Chuo Koronsha in 31 issues
between 1967 and 1971. Hamaya came away from his experiences
of the 1960 ‘uprising’ as a disillusioned man and he turned instead to
landscape photography.
First edition, limited to 1250 copies. Numerous colour plates. Folio. Original blind-stamped cloth in slipcase and outer cardboard box. Some very minor foxing to prelims, but overall very good copy signed by
the photographer on front free endpaper. [viii], 144,
[viii]pp. Tokyo, Chuo Koronsha,1972.
£350
51
USUI (Kaoru). DOMON (Ken), introduction. Tobera no ki no shita [Underneath the Tobera Tree].
SIGNED COPY
Usui Kaoru was born in Nagoya in 1916. He took up photography
around 1933 as an amateur. From the 1930s to the 1950s Usui set up
a series of amateur photography groups in Nagoya. One of these was
Shu-dan 35, whose members included the young Tomatsu Shomei.
Between 1950 and 1955 Usui won the annual Camera Magazine
award three times, and his work was highly praised by Ken Domon.
Usui’s work encompassed a wide variety of styles and he was influenced
by the realism of Domon Ken as well as the surrealism of Ueda Shoji,
and possibly Yasui Nakaji. The present book is divided into two parts,
namely the period of ARS Camera and the period of Photo Art, two
publications to which Usui was a regular contributor. The black-and-white
images are both unconventional and artificial in the best sense. C.f.
First and only edition. Numerous photographic plates.
Japanese text. Original boards in plastic dust-jacket, and decorated slipcase (minor wear, small dent
to lower right corner), still a very good copy signed
& stamped by the photographer on title. 160pp. Nagoya, Privately Printed, 1973.
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography: Nihon Shashinka
Jiten - 328 Outstanding Japanese Photographers. Tankosha,
2000. P. 58. Rare.
SOLD
52
GOTO (Keiichiro). Shashin-shu - Photography.
SIGNED COPY
Goto Keiichiro (1918-2004) is one of the few photographers who
managed to make a transition from the pre-war to the post-war period.
Born in Nagoya he became a leading photographer in avant-garde
photography of a surrealist nature. He was friendly with Narita Shuntaro of
the Aiyu Photography Club, as well as Nagata Niryu of the photography
magazine ‘Camera Man’ (published in Nagoya). During the war he
was affiliated to the Japan Photojournalism Association (a propaganda
agency attached to the Cabinet Information Bureau) and after the war
continued to work as a photo journalist. During the 50s he held a series
of solo exhibitions in Nagoya and Tokyo and in 1961 he won the 5th
Japan Photo Critics Association Prize for his achievements. In 1974 he
was awarded the Japan Photographic Society Prize for the present work,
a mixture of nude photomontages and abstract colour composition
First edition. 2 vols. No. 34 of a limited edition of 510
copies. Numerous photographic plates (2 tipped in).
Imperial folio. Original decorated cloth in (slightly
warped) plastic dustwrappers, slipcases and outer
cardboard box (very light foxing), but overall still a
very good set, signed by the photographer on front
free endpaper of each volume. Unpaginated. A.e.g.
Nagoya, Privately Published, 1973.
reminiscent of the work of Jackson Pollock. Rare. Only one
copy in OCLC (George Eastman House).
£850
53
TOKYO SHASHIN SENMON GAKUIN. TOKYO COLLEGE OF PHOTOGRAPHY. Jibun saeyokereba [As
long as I am ok] Hito to kuruma [People and Cars].
A fascinating and rare record of a student assignment to photograph
Tokyo. The first volume is a record of selfishness, the second one describes
the relationship between people and cars. The results are a tribute to the
maturity of the students at the Tokyo College of Photography (now Tokyo
College of Visual Arts). This is no. 3&4 of the annual News Photography
Campaign Series which was an annual seminar held at the school.
Unrecorded. No copy in OCLC. Not in NACSIS.
First edition. 2 volumes. Numerous photographic
plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original decorated boards,
minor wear, still a very good set. 127; 92pp. Tokyo,
Privately Printed, dated: Showa 45-46, [i.e. 19701971].
£450
54
TOKYO SHASHIN SENMON GAKUIN. Toshi [The Capital] & Kamitsu [Congestion].
Another fascinating record of a student assignment: Behind the
innocuous title of ‘Toshi’ hides a very contemporary view of the capital
and its individuals: Squatting farmers, glue-sniffing hippies, children,
a nun, industrial wastelands and urban sights, and of course ANPO
demonstrations, all of the images are full of the spirit of the early 70s
and are a tribute to the maturity of the students at the Tokyo College of
Photography. The second volume deals with problems of congestion and
overcrowding on Tokyo’s streets, trains, and in housing developments.
This is no. 5&6 of the News Photography Campaign Series, part one and
two relating to the Capital. Unrecorded. No copy in OCLC. Not in NACSIS.
First edition. 2. vols. Diagrams, maps, and numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original decorated boards, minor staining, light damage
to lower margin of vol. 2, still a very good set. 96;
76pp. Tokyo, Privately Printed, dated: Showa 47-49,
[i.e. 1972-74].
£450
55
KIMURA (Ihei). Kimura Ihei no Sekai [The World of Kimura Ihei].
Kimura Ihei died on May 31st 1974. Asahi Camera devoted a special
issue to Kimura with reminiscences by Kitai Kazuo, Shinoyama Kisshin,
Nakahira Takuma, and Okura Shunji. Ina Nobuo and Otake Koji summed
up his achievements. It includes twenty-six colour plates of his travels to
Paris, his early work in Okinawa (1935), images from the early post-war
period, as well as his famous scenes from Akita.
First edition. Numerous photographic illustrations as
well as colour plates. Text in Japanese. Large 8vo.
Original decorated flexible boards (slightly creased),
overall a very good copy. 171pp. Tokyo, Asahi Camera,
1974.
SOLD
56
SAKAMOTO (Manshichi). Utsukushiki Hotoketachi [Beautiful Buddhas] - Sakamoto Manshichi Isakushu.
Sakamoto Manshichi (1900-1974) was born in Fukuyama City (Hiroshima
Pref.). At the age of 21 he came to Tokyo where he entered the
Shinagawa Photography Research Institute. For a while he worked in
the Mikasa Photoshop, before opening his own photo studio in 1926.
In 1928 he started to work for the monthly ‘Kogei’ (Crafts) magazine
and from that time specialised in photographing ancient architecture,
sculpture, and art objects. In 1933 he was sent to China to photograph
the Imperial Palaces and Temples in Chengde. In the following years he
accompanied several archaeological expeditions visiting ancient sites in
North China, Manchuria, and Inner Mongolia. After the war he continued
recording ancient Japanese artefacts in particular Buddhist sculpture.
The present posthumous works (isakushu) was published by his daughter
one year after his death and it gives an overview of his best work.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Small folio. Original cloth in dustwrapper
(minor wear), overall a very good copy. 177pp. Together with a separately printed presentation slip. Tokyo, Nihon Keizai Shinbunsha [Privately Published],
dated: Showa 50 [i.e. 1975].
SOLD
57
HIRAICHI (Isao). Onsen Geisha.
A superb documentary-style book about the lowest class of Geisha in
Japan. Onsen Geisha are those who have fallen out of favour in one
way or another, or who were never quite up there in the first place.
Often elderly or a little bit less than attractive they entertain guests in
the hot springs of Besso Onsen (Nagano Pref.) never to form any binding
relationships, or if they do, to suffer the consequences. The stark black
and white images chillingly convey the sadness of their existence, made
all the more peculiar by the veneer of tradition.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original flexible boards in slipcase, a
very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Nora-sha, dated:
Showa 50, [i.e. 1975].
£250
58
DOMON (Ken). Kodomotachi [Children].
Under the sub-title 'Children of Koto' Domon here publishes for the first
time images of working-class children that he had taken between 1953
and 1954 in Tokyo's Koto ward. Efforts to get these images published
in 1956 were thwarted, because the publisher felt that the book would
not sell. This is a great example of the absolute unposed snapshot and
the radical realism that he aspired to. He captures the intense energy,
joy, and innocence of childhood in Tokyo’s 'shitamachi'. This is the 2nd
volume in the Nikon Salon Books series, and this volume is outstanding for
the quality of its reproductions. Design by Kamekura Yusaku.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Small folio. Original decorated flexible
boards in dustwrapper, a close to fine copy. 136pp.
Tokyo, Nikkor Club, dated: Showa 51 [i.e. 1976].
SOLD
59
KITAI (Kazuo). Mura e [To the Village].
SIGNED AND INSCRIBED COPY OF THE MAQUETTE
Kitai Kazuo was born in Anshan (Manchuria) in 1944. In the same year
the family managed to return to Japan. Kitai moved to Tokyo in 1962
to embark on photographic studies at the Arts Department of Nihon
University but he dropped out in 1965 before the end of the course. In
the same year he published his first protest book ‘Teiko’ and from 1969
to 1971 recorded the struggle against the expansion of Narita airport.
By 1973 Kitai was fed up with the endless revolution. He turned to the
countryside for a sense of peace and genuineness. Travelling to the
remote regions of Honshu, Kitai understood that the scenes he witnessed
were bound to disappear. He was a close friend of Osaki Norio, an editor
at Asahi Camera who agreed to publish this work. The publication was
well received and it won him the prestigious 1st Kimura Ihei Prize in
the same year. An expanded version of this volume was published by
Tankosha under the same title in 1980. Layout by Nakayama Reikichi
and Azuma Seitaro.
Maquette of the Special issue no. 10 of Asahi Camera
Magazine. First edition. 16 segments of photographic plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original printed
flexible boards, a very good copy inscribed by Kitai
on verso of front board together with a short note
explaining the background to this publication. Tokyo,
Asahi Shimbunsha,1976.
Together with a copy of the finished product: Mura e
[To the Village].Special issue no. 10 of Asahi Camera Magazine. First edition. Numerous photographic
plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original printed flexible boards, a very good copy. 278pp. Tokyo, Asahi
Shimbunsha, 1976.
£2500
60
OTAKE (Shoji). Teru hi; kumoru hi - Otake Shoji sakuhinshu [Sunny days; Cloudy days - Works by Otake Shoji].
Otake Shoji was born in 1920 in Shizuoka Prefecture. He went to Shanghai
in 1940 and became a member of the Peking Embassy photo staff in
1944. After the war he worked briefly for GHQ’s public relations dept.
before becoming a freelance photographer in 1948. He specialised
in taking portraits, in particular of women and musicians and became
famous for his photographs of American singers and actresses performing
at the Ernie Pyle Theater in Tokyo. In 1949 he was a co-founder of the
Young Photographers Association (Seinen Shashinka Kyokai) as well as
a founding member of Nikakai Photography Section in 1953 and Gine
Group in 1956. The present book shows a selection of nudes and portraits
from the 1960s and 70s.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates, many in
colour. Japanese text. Folio. Original cloth in slipcase,
overall a very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Nihon
Kamera-sha, 1976.
£250
61
UTSUMI (Masao). TANAHASHI (Shisui), editor. Isaku: [Posthumous photobook by Utsumi Masao].
Utsumi Masashi was born in 1915 in Tokyo. In 1942 he graduated in
medicine from Osaka University, was drafted into the army and sent to
South-East Asia. He returned in 1947 and became a surgeon at the
Osaka City General Hospital. A keen amateur photographer he joined
the Spiegel Photographer’s Club in 1964 where he met Tanahashi Shisui
(see item 59), who wrote the introduction to this book. He died in 1975
and the present isaku-shu features the best of his work.
First and only edition. 26 loose photographic plates
in original portfolio and outer folding case. Oblong
folio, minor spotting to prelims, light sunning to top
right corner, still a very good set. 4ff. of text (biography, introduction, and post-script). Osaka, Privately
Printed, 1976.
SOLD
62
TAKANASHI (Yutaka). Machi [Town].
Machi is Takanashi’s second book, in many respects a surprising followup to the previous title and devoid of the attitudes of the Provoke period.
The images are in colour and suddenly an aura of peace pervades
the city: Although not intended as a documentary this book captures
the charm of the old shitamachi neighbourhoods of Tokyo. Takanashi
does not show the humans that inhabit these places but one can well
imagine them from the jumble of accumulated bits and pieces of daily
life that resonate warmly in the glow of the afternoon sun. Some of the
images had been published in Asahi Camera magazine from April 1975
onwards however the size of the present publication (where the doublepage images measure ca. 60x42cm) bring out the full spectrum of the
detail. All of the images are taken with a large-format camera mounted
on a tripod often using extremely long exposure times (up to 20 minutes).
First edition. Numerous (mostly double-page) colour
plates. Large folio. Original cloth in plastic dustwrapper, cardboard slipcase (some wear), and obi. Some
occasional minor foxing, but overall a very good copy.
[190]pp, together with 12pp. supplement explaining
the locations. Tokyo, Asahi Shimbunsha, 1977.
Takanashi later explained that he was following the style of E.
Atget (1857-1927) in this series. The book was designed by
Kamegai Shoji and cost 20,000 Yen, a considerable amount
in 1977.
£800
63
KONO (Toru). Wadachi - Kono Toru Shashin-shu - [Tracks] The Works of Tetsu Kono.
VERY RARE
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. Tampei held its first Tokyo exhibition in 1935
and for the next three consecutive years Kono was awarded the main
prize. He was influenced by Yasui Nakaji and accompanied him on the
‘Wandering Jew’ project in Kobe in 1941 (two of them are included in the
book). After the war the Tampei Club re-grouped and Kono continued to
work in the avant-garde tradition. In 1953 Tampei mounted an exhibition
called ‘The Tampei Eight’ which also included Kimura Katsumasa,
Wada Seiko, Tamai Mizuo, Sahoyama Gyokai, Tanahashi Shisui, Horiuchi
Hatsutaro, and Iwamiya Takeji. Tanahashi, Horiuchi, and Iwamiya each
contribute essays at the end of this book. Kono’s photographs have a
sombre quality that is slightly reminiscent of Kawada Kikuji’s early work. 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
First edition, revised. Numerous photographic plates.
Japanese text. Large 4to. Original cloth in decorated
(slightly damaged) slipcase, minor wear and occasional light foxing, overall still a good copy. Together
with a separate list of plates, stamped with Kono’s
name and address. 124pp. [Kobe], Privately Printed,
dated: Showa 52 [i.e. 1977].
the bibliographical notes on the last page have been cut
by half. 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.
£650
64
KIMURA (Ihei). Kimura Ihei o yomu [Reading Kimura Ihei].
A special issue of Asahi Camera devoted to Kimura Ihei, this is chiefly an
overview of his work during the 50s and 60s. Many of the images had not
been published before and it is fascinating to see old favourites in their
original context. Curiously, the format of the magazine is particularly well
suited to Kimura’s documentary style and in spite of the thin paper the
quality of the reproductions is superb.
First edition. Numerous photographic illustrations.
Text in Japanese. Large 8vo. Original decorated flexible boards, a fine copy. 325pp. Tokyo, Asahi Camera,1979.
SOLD
65
SUDA (Issei). Waga Tokyo 100 [My Tokyo 100].
The experience of working as a photographer for Tenjo Saijiki strongly
influenced Suda’s work: Even the snapshots show people as if they are
walking onto a stage and many portraits appear to have an exaggerated
artificiality. The scenes were taken in Tokyo between 1976 and 1978. This
book is vol. 5 of the Nikon Salon Books series, which was not for sale.
Book-design by Kamekura Yusaku.
Nikon Salon Books 5. First edition. 100 photographic
plates. Japanese text. Small folio. Original decorated
flexible boards in dustwrapper (slightly rubbed), still
a very good copy. [xii], [28](text)pp. Tokyo, Nikkor
Club, dated: Showa 54 [i.e. 1979].
£150
66
SUZUKI (Kiyoshi). Tenmaku no machi [A Town of Tents] - Mind Games.
Suzuki Kiyoshi was born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1943. He graduated
from the Tokyo College of Photography in 1969 and began working for
the magazine ‘Camera Mainichi’.His first book called ‘Soul and Soul’ was
published in 1972. The English title of his third book ‘Mind Games’ refers
to a song by John Lennon. The Japanese title ‘Tenmaku no machi’ refers
to the first chapter of the book that records members of a travelling
circus troupe. For Suzuki circus life represented a childhood memory as
he enjoyed being taken by his father in his hometown. This is followed by
three further chapters namely ‘AQUA’, ‘Lying in Ruins’, and ‘Fool on the
Road’, a photographic essay about a homeless man (Urasaki Tetsuo)
who Suzuki befriended. This book is nothing less than Suzuki’s musings on
the meaning of life. The folding plate combines a list of the images with
excerpts from his Diary. Book-design by Suzuki Hitoshi. Rare.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Oblong 8vo. Original flexible boards in
dustwrapper. Decorated endpapers. Folding colour
plate loosely inserted. A close to fine copy. Unpaginated. Yokohama, Yugensha [Privately Printed], 1982.
£1000
67
IIJIMA (Kouei). Kanryu - Yukiguni no Onna [Cold Currents - Women of the Snow Country].
SIGNED COPY
Iijima Koei was born in Tokyo in 1942. After graduating from the Tokyo
Junior College of Photography (Tokyo Shashin Tanki Daigaku) in 1964 he
became apprentice to Sugiyama Kira. The present portfolio contains
material from Iijima’s first solo exhibition held in 1980.
Iijima Kousui no onna. First edition. One of a limited edition of 500 copies. Portfolio containing 15
photographic plates. Japanese text. Large folio. Folding cardboard case. Minor foxing. Signed presentation
copy. Tokyo, Koyusha, 1983.
£100
68
FURUKAWA (Narutoshi). Pieces of Image - Furukawa Narutoshi sakuhinshu.
SIGNED COPY
Furukawa Narutoshi (1900-1996) was born in Karatsu City (Saga Pref.)
the grandson of Furukawa Shumpei, a pioneering figure in Japanese
photography. After leaving Junior High School in 1919 he moved to Tokyo
where he entered the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (Tokyo Bijutsu Gakujo)
where he studied photography. Three years after graduation he entered
the Oriental Photo Industrial Company where he became a technician
as well as a teacher. In 1930 he joined the New Photography Research
Society (Shinko shashin kenkyukai) that had been formed by Kimura
Senichi in the same year. After the war Furukawa was made a Professor
at the Tokyo Junior College of Photography, a position he held until 1982.
The present volume is Furukawa’s first monograph: ‘Pieces of Image’
shows images from Contemporary Dance, Mannequin dolls, images of
First and only edition. Numerous colour photographic
plates. Japanese text. Square folio. Original cloth
in slipcase, very good copy, signed by the photographer on front free endpaper. 79pp. Tokyo, Privately
Printed, 1984.
the Tokyo School of Music, photograms, ‘posterizing’, as well
as images taken during a summer in Hampstead (London).
£350
69
TAHARA (Keiichi). Tahara Keiichi 1973-1983.
Tahara Keiichi was born in Kyoto in 1951. He was taught photography
by his grandfather who was a professional photographer. In 1972 he
arrived in France as part of the Red Buddha theatre troupe (he was
working as a lighting technician) and decided to live in Paris. He stayed
for 30 years. The present book of grainy images is divided into two parts:
The first ‘mado’ shows views through windows that consciously include
the staining and reflections on the windowpane. For this series he was
selected the ‘best newcomer’ at the Arles International Photography
Festival in 1977. The other series entitled ‘Eclats’ appear to be installations
of light and shadow taken inside his apartment. He won the 10th Kimura
Ihei Award for the present book.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Text in
French, English and Japanese. Imperial folio. Original
boards in slipcase and outer cardboard case, a fine copy.
Unpaginated. Tokyo, Goro International Press, 1984.
£350
70
TAHARA (Keiichi). Tahara Keiichi - Fan do Shiekuru [Fin de Siecle].
The present portfolio was produced on the occasion of a symposium
entitled ‘Fin de Siecle’ with Tahara’s images of European architecture at
the turn of the 19th to the 20th century. Very rare.
First edition. 24 loose photographic plates. Text in
Japanese. Imperial folio. Original portfolio, a very
good copy. Unpaginated. 6 unnumbered leaves of text.
Tokyo, Privately Printed, n.d., but [1985].
£150
71
HAMAYA (Hiroshi). Nyonin Rekijitsu - Calender Days of Asaya Hamaya. 1948-1950.
This book was privately published by Hamaya in a limited edition and
was not for sale. It was in fact presented by Hamaya to friends present at
his wife’s funeral and is thus an beautiful homage to her. All the pictures
were taken between 1948-50 and show her performing female cultural
pursuits or posing in traditional settings. They are strongly reminiscent of
Ukiyo-e bijinga from the first half of the century but there is a personal
note to them that is quintessentially Hamaya. A real gem and the last
work he published during his lifetime.
First edition. 24 loose photographic plates. Small
folio. Original cardboard folder in slipcase (minor
wear). Overall still a very good copy. Together with
one folding leaf of printed text, and a folding list of
plates. Kyoto, Benrido,1985.
£750
72
FUKASE (Masahisa). HASEGAWA (Akira), text. Karasu - Ravens.
Fukase Masahisa was born in 1934 in Bifuka (Hokkaido), where his family
operated a photographic portrait studio. In 1956 he graduated with a
degree in photography from Nihon University. In 1964 he married the
professional Noh performer Wanibe Yoko and in the same year he was
invited by Takanashi Yutaka to join the Japan Design Centre. In 1967 he
became photographic editor for the publishing house Kawade Shobo
but he turned freelance in the following year. The present is his last book
before an accident that resulted in his falling into a coma. In Japan
ravens are regarded as omens of impending bad luck and Fukase’s
images are full of a sense of gloom. “Fukase is certainly not a tramp, but
there was sufficient potential for him to become one. He did not, simply
because of the ‘photographer’ dwelling in his soul would not allow him
to abscond. ‘Ravens’ can be deemed as the height of Fukase’s work;
it can also be said to have reached the greatest depth. The solitude
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Text
in English and Japanese. 4to. Original blindstamped
cloth in glassine wrapper and slipcase, a fine copy, together with a separately printed list of plates. 131pp.
Tokyo, Sokyu-sha,1986.
revealed in this work is sometimes so painful that we can not
help averting our eyes upon glancing at it”. (Postscript). The
blindstamped black cloth shows the outline of a raven. This
book won the 2nd Ina Nobuo Award. Rare.
£3500
73
UEDA (Shoji). Kidou kaiki [Return Orbit] - Polaroid 35m/m Photo Album.
Printed on the occasion of an exhibition at the Polaroid Gallery in Tokyo,
this publication is full of Japanese sensibilities. All the plates are loose and
printed on high quality paper. The pale colours of the covers beautifully
reflect the delicacy of the images. The title hints at some form of return to
a previous endeavour: Some of the photographs are reminiscent of the
early modernist period. However, Ueda presents us with an unexpected
and deliberate artificiality of the highest order. He took the images with
a 35mm Polaroid camera. Some of them are reproduced in colour,
others in monochrome. Ironically, Ueda considered himself more of an
amateur than a professional, something that is less of a reflection on his
status than his spirit. The present series reflects this spirit where the images
are produced simply for their own sake.
First edition. No. 542 of a limited edition of 1000
copies. 3 volumes. 21, 20, 21 loose plates (complete,
several in colour). Oblong folio. Original flexible
cloth folders in corrugated cardboard slipcase (minor
wear). Overall a very good set. No text. Tokyo, Privately Printed, 1986.
£2800
74
KATO (Kyohei). Choukai Boraku - Kato Kyohei Isaku-shu [A Fleeting Moment - A Posthumous Album of Kato Kyohei].
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, who also contributed a memorial. Many of the early
images are in a patriotic vein showing marches in support of troops
being sent to China, but in later life Kato also took some interesting
images of corroding surfaces. No copy in OCLC.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates (incl.
several in colour). Japanese text. 4to. Original cloth
in cloth slipcase, a very good copy. 144pp. Tokyo, Privately Printed, 1987.
£250
75
KON (Michiko). SHIMAMOTO (Shuji) text. E A T.
Michiko Kon was born in 1955 in Kamakura. The present book is her first
publication with a rather misleading title: While all of the images indeed
show food, eating it is clearly not the object of these highly artificial
compositions. “In Michiko Kon’s photographs, the daily necessities of
food, living space, and clothing are the ‘subjects’ and with these she
gives form to our invisible desires. When she is slapped for ‘playing with
food’ she forces that hand aside and continues pressing the shutter
button.” (Introduction by Shimamoto). Rare.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Text in
English and Japanese. 4to. Original flexible boards in
dustwrapper and obi, a fine copy signed by the photographer on title. 91pp. Tokyo, Artworks Books, 1987.
£350
76
SHINOYAMA (Kisshin). Shinorama Nippon.
“Human beings approach the world with two eyes, the camera with only
one. How would the world appear viewed through three eyes or more?
... The double gatefold photos in this collection each consist of four
separate photographs. These were shot in a number of different ways. In
some cases they were taken successively by a single rotating camera.
In others they were shot simultaneously by four different cameras. And
in still other instances a single camera was moved about to capture
the subject from different angles... It permits an angle of vision greater
than 180 degrees and allows the viewer to roam freely through space,
moving from outdoors to indoors or from one floor to another. It also
makes it possible for a photo to span an entire day from morning until
evening or to capture a single human subject in different poses or
attitudes... I suggest that you clear a desk of all extraneous objects, set
the volume down in the middle, and empty your mind of other affairs
before turning the pages. If possible the double gatefolds should be
opened from both sides at once, using two hands; an utterly different
First edition. Numerous double gatefold colour plates.
Japanese text with English summary. Folio. Original
decorated cloth in dustwrapper, obi, and slipcase.
Overall a very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Sekai
Bunka-sha, 1989.
world will emerge before your eyes.” (About ‘Shinorama’). This
book delivers upon it’s promises and more: Under twenty-four
subject headings Shinoyama Kisshin manages to portray
the timeless beauty of Japan, its natural scenery, its cities, its
artefacts, its seasons, and its outstanding individuals. Bookdesign by Tanaka Ikko.
£350
77
TAKANASHI (Yutaka). Miyako no bo - Visages of a Metropolis.
SIGNED COPY
Takanashi took most of these images during the night, walking through the
city by himself. There he discovered the remnants of history, leftovers from
the 20s and 30s that were hidden beneath bridges, in cellars, stairways,
and underground passages. He described this book as ‘retro-focus’. By
photographing during the night Takanashi banned all movement and
human activity from the images. They demand a certain amount of
effort from the viewer, as if one eyes have to get used to the darkness
and could be seen as part of a trilogy starting with ‘Machi’ (1977) and
ending with ‘Nostalghia’ (2004). All of these books focus on layers of
history/meaning within architecture, documenting the change inside
the ‘skin’ of the city. The introductory poem by Tamura Ryuichi is entitled
‘The Sinking City’. Matsuyama Iwao contributes a post-script. Otake
Makoto (also a teacher at Tokyo Zokei Univ.) wrote the explanations to
First edition. 40 photographic plates. Japanese text.
Large folio. Original decorated cloth (very minor soiling) in cardboard slipcase, overall a very good copy,
signed by the photographer on title. Unpaginated. Together with a loose sheet giving notes for the location
for each image. Tokyo, Inter Press Corporation, 1989.
each locality. The book binding which aptly incorporates the
phases of the moon was designed by Matsushita Koichi.
£1200
78
NAGANO (Shigeichi).
Toi Shisen - A Strange Perspective in Tokyo.
This is a logical continuation of the themes explored in ‘Dream-age’,
and a strange perspective indeed: Office workers taking a mid-day nap
on artificial grass in front of the Ikebukuro Sunshine building, a used car
sales-show 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, all
of the scenes become significant through the angle, the moment, and
the size. While verging on the absurd, there is a palpable sense of the
security, confidence, and contentedness of the late 80s. The dated
dustwrapper was issued in 1992 after IPC ran out of slipcases. Nagano
was awarded the 11th Ina Nobuo Award for this book.
1980-1989. First edition. 42 double-page plates.
Japanese text. Large folio. Original decorated cloth in
slipcase, a fine copy. [xii](text)pp. Tokyo, Inter Press
Corporation,1989.
£450
79
SHINOYAMA (Kisshin). TESHIGAHARA (Hiroshi). Take [Bamboo].
A superb co-production between Shinoyama and the ikebana artist
Teshigahara (1927-2001), who takes the viewer on a guided tour of
his large bamboo installation held at the famous ikebana school in
September 1987. “This novel photographic collection consists of a
continuous series of 30 photographs encompassing Hiroshi Teshigahara’s
one-man exhibition held at the Sogetsu Kaikan.” The images were cut
together using the Shinorama method and thus form one continuous
panorama. They were taken during the course of one day, starting at
sunrise and finishing in the evening. Includes an accompanying booklet
containing essays by Noguchi Isamu, Isozaki Arata, and Shinoyama
Kisshin.
First edition. No. 36 of a limited edition of 800 copies. Numerous colour photographic plates. Folio.
Orihon. Original decorated boards in folding blindstamped cloth box in outer cardboard case, together
with a separately printed booklet of text in English
and Japanese. A very good copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo,
Privately Published,1990.
£650
80
HAMA (Noboru). SUZUMURA (Kazunari) text. From Scratch.
SIGNED PRESENTATION COPY
Hama Noburu was born in 1946 in Tokyo. He graduated from Waseda
in 1969. In 1975 he joined Tomatsu Shomei’s ‘Workshop’. The present is
his first book, a wonderfully themed work showing scratched surfaces.
Ironically the printing imitates the glossy surface of photographs, bringing
out the quality of the scratches even more. The dustjacket imitates a
scratched steel surface. Book-design by Suzuki Hitoshi and Sugimoto
Kazuhide. Only one copy in OCLC (National Diet Library).
First edition. 43 photographic plates. Japanese text.
4to. Original boards in dustwrapper, a very good copy.
Signature on separate presentation slip. 77pp. Tokyo,
Shashin Koenrin, 1990.
£180
81
VARIOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS. Hysteric. No. 1-3.
Hysteric No. 1 “Hysteric energy within 13 photographers” shows works
by Yoda Hiroshi, Hida Yoko, Wataya Osamu, Ishida Masataka, Hirokawa
Taishi, Hata Kimie, Yermakov Gregory, Inaba Minoru, Tatsukawa Kiyoshi,
Hasui Mikio, Kashimura Eiichi, Matsumoto Yasuo, and Narahara Ikko.
Hysteric no. 2 “Self Portrait” 1991 shows works by Kitamura Nobuhiko,
Wataya Osamu, Yoda Hiroshi, Kashimura Eiichi, Narahara Ikko, Matsuo
Mikio, Goda Sawako, Naito Tadayuki, Hirokawa Taishi, Ueda Shoji,
Matsumoto Yasuo, Kawase Toshiro, Inoue Yuichi, Tatsukawa Kiyoshi, Narita
Hiroshi, Sunto Hiroshi, Kobayashi Maya, Kanzo Kaho, and Hata Kimie.
Hysteric no. 3 “Scenery” 1992 shows works by Wataya Osamu,
Hirokawa Taishi, Kashimura Eiichi, Matsuo Mikio, Matsumoto Yasuo,
Tucker Nicolas, Narahara Ikko, Onishi Kohei, Furuya Seiichi, Hata
Kimie, Yoda Hiroshi, and Tatsukawa Kiyoshi.
Hysteric. No. 1-3.First editions. Numerous photographic plates. Large square folio. Original flexible
boards, some wear and light staining to covers, but
overall a good set. Unpaginated. Tokyo, N. Kitamura/
Hysteric Glamour,1991-1992.
£850
82
SEKI (Tsugio). Yubari 1982-1992.
SIGNED COPY
Yubari was founded on April 1, 1943 as a coal mining town. At the height
of the industry the town was home to some 120,000 people. When most
of the mines were closed in the 1980s this caused considerable social
problems and the population shrank to around 50,000. The present
photobook chronicles the struggles of the coalminers and their families.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. Large 8vo. Original boards in dust-jacket
and obi, overall a very good copy signed by the photographer. 119pp. Tokyo, Japan Press Photo, 1992.
£150
83
FUKUDA (Gan), photographer. AMAGATSU (Ushio). Unetsu - Sankaijuku - The Egg stands out of Curiosity.
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 a superb record
of a dance called ‘Unetsu’ which was first performed by Amagatsu Ushio
in 1986. “The photo-session with Sankai Juku for this edition was held at
OYA in Utsunomiya City, Japan in 1987.”
First edition. Numerous colour photographic plates.
Text in Japanese, English, and French. Folio. Original
boards in dustwrapper, a very good copy. Unpaginated.
Tokyo, Libroport, 1994.
£175
84
KAWADA (Kikuji). Rasuto kosumoroji - The Last Cosmology.
SIGNED COPY
‘Last Cosmology’ focuses on two points in the history of Japan, namely
the end of the Showa Era in 1989 and the approaching end of the 20th
century. Kawada documents these events by focusing on the heavens:
Cosmological phenomena such as ‘The last eclipse of Venus’, ‘The
last sunrise of the Showa era’, and ‘The last Golden Ring eclipse’ are
interspersed with the night sky, images of clouds, and various landscapes.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates, several
double-page. Japanese text. Large folio. Original flexible boards in dustwrapper (lacking envelope), a very
good copy signed by the photographer on back inside
cover. Unpaginated. Tokyo, 491,1995.
£250
85
UEDA (Yoshihiko). ITO (Toshiharu) text. Amagatsu.
Photographs of the Butoh dancer Amagatsu Ushio, the founder of
the Sankai Juku dance troupe. “Ueda captures Amagatsu’s body as
a ‘human mold’... It is where ‘something’ falls, flows, fills and swells,
instant by instant; in respect to circumstances and the environment,
this something metamorphoses mournfully, voluptuously, amorously.
Still pictures, these photographs communicate the pulsations of some
invisible dynamic. Even more, by virtue of their being non-moving
images, they inscribe within themselves the process and the moment
of ‘the advent of something’. (Introduction: ‘Imagining the Human Mold’
by Ito Toshiharu. The book design by Yamagata Toshio could hardly
be more sumptuous. The text is printed on delicately coloured paper actually a different shade of green on recto and verso - and the colour
plates are on a special heavy stock.
First edition. Numerous colour plates, several large
folding. Text in Japanese, English and French. Large folio. Original decorated cloth in slipcase and obi, a close
to fine copy. Unpaginated. Kyoto, Korinsha, 1995.
SOLD
86
SAKAI (Toshio). Rojo no koun [A halo of light on the Road].
SIGNED COPY
A fascinating look at elevated highways and road-scenes at night. Due
to the long exposure shadows (halos) of light are visible resulting in an
eerie calm. Post-script by the art critic Obinata Kinichi and the singer
Miura Kazuto. Design by Nagahara Yasuhito.
First edition. 22 photographic plates (incl. one foldout panorama). Text in Japanese. Square folio. Original boards. A fine copy, signed by the photographer
on the title. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Mole, 1998.
£150
87
SUZUKI (Risaku). MOERMAN (David), introduction. Kumano.
Suzuki Risaku was born in 1963 in the Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. He
received a master degree from the Tokyo College of Photography in
1987. ‘Kumano’ is his first book. “Suzuki’s journey from Tokyo to Kumano
is at once a departure and a return; a reflection of a search for the
lost. The series ends at his home town during the Shingu’s Fire Festival
held each year in the month of February... The images of Kumano
suggest a territory embedded in history, altered by human intervention,
and haunted by memory.” (Introduction). Kumano was an important
pilgrimage destination going back to 10th century but its religious
significance actually dates from pre-historic times.
First edition. Numerous photographic colour plates.
Text in English and Japanese. Oblong folio. Original
flexible boards with obi. A close to fine copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Korinsha, 1998.
SOLD
88
MIYAZAWA (Masaaki). Monochrome Infrared Photographs 1979-1999.
SIGNED COPY
Miyazawa Masaaki was born in Tokyo in 1960. He got interested in infrared
photography while studying at Nihon University. In 1983 he graduated
and won the Nihon University Arts Award for his series ‘Yume juya’ [Dream
of Tranquility]. This series of 19 images won the ICP’s first newcomer
award in 1985. The present book by Kodansha gives an overview of
twenty years of his work in infrared photography.
First edition. 100 photographic plates. Text in English and Japanese. Folio. Original flexible decorated
boards. A very good copy signed by the photographer
on the title. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Kodansha, 1999.
£75
89
KANEMURA (Osamu). Spider’s Strategy.
Anybody who has been to Tokyo will have noticed the curious mangle
of electric and telephone cables that line the streets and connect to
houses and flats forming an intricate web of lines across the urban
environment. Kanemura (b. 1964) graduated from the Tokyo College of
Photography in 1993 and won the Domon Ken Award in 2000. Text by
Isozaki Arata. Book-design by Okumura Yukimasa.
First edition. 80 photographic plates. Oblong folio.
Original boards in dust-jacket and obi, a very good
copy. Tokyo, Osiris, 2001.
£250
90
KAWAUCHI (Rinko). Hanako.
Kawauchi Rinko was born in Shiga Pref. in 1972. Having graduated from
Seinan’s Women College of Art and Design in 1993 she joined the Osaka
Advertising Research Center. Four years later she became a freelance
photographer. In September 2001 she published three books with Little
More, all them spelling out hope for the future of Japanese photography.
Hanabi (Fire-works), Hanako and Utatane (Nap) have a certain female
ambience, an observation at leisure, a mundane spirit, a gentle, careful
observation, subtle, hazy colour - it all adds to the substantially new,
and optimistic feeling. Hanako is a touching story of a handicapped
girl and her family, which was also made into a film. The juxtaposition of
portraits of the girl and her father with objects of everyday life is extremely
successful: Rather than focussing on the suffering, this book shows the
positive side of her life, and the beautiful value of her existence. This is the
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 8vo. Original flexible boards with obi, a
fine copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo, Little More, 2001.
perfect book to end with, showing one of the most Japanese
of emotions that is alluded to in the title of this book, namely
the ‘beauty in sadness’.
SOLD
91
TSUDA (Akito). Maxwell Street.
SIGNED COPY
Tsuda was born in 1966 in Osaka. He studied photography in Chicago
from 1988 to 1990 and the present images were taken during his studies.
Most of the images show abandoned dogs scavenging for food.
Somehow the images give the impression that the photographer is one
of them. Design by Tomita Mitsuhiro.
First edition. Portfolio containing 30 loose photographic plates. Oblong folio. Original cardboard box. A
fine copy signed by the photographer. 2ff. (postscript
& colophon). Osaka, Privately Printed, 2004.
£85
92
MATSUE (Taiji). JP-22.
Aerial photographs of Japan. “Taiji Matsue’s photographs revive and
repeat two qualities that have been excluded from modern photography’s
discursive space: the realness of information and the opto-haptic eros,
that is to say, the non-spatial depth and the purely optical tactility.”
(Postscript text by Shimizu Minoru).
First edition. Numerous colour photographic plates.
Text in English and Japanese. Square folio. Original
decorated boards. A fine copy. Unpaginated. Tokyo,
Daiwa Radiator Factory, 2006.
SOLD
93
NAGANO (Shigeichi). Toi Shisen Gentou - Distant Gaze; Dark Blossoms of Winter.
This book is a continuation of the themes explored in ‘Toi Shisen’ published
by IPC in 1989. All of the images were taken between 1987 and 2008
in Tokyo. They capture the sense of increasing alienation and loneliness
in Japan.
First edition. Numerous photographic plates. Japanese text. 4to. Original flexible boards, a fine copy.
151pp. Tokyo, Sokyusha, 2008.
£85
94
SANAI (Masafumi). Furou [Tramp]
SIGNED COPY
In 2008 Sanai commenced ‘producing’ a number of limited edition
books under his own steam, as it were. ‘Furou’, ‘Dust’, ‘Trouble in mind’,
are all handmade books, produced in limited editions, all more or less
hand-made, each with the title, signature, and limitation hand-carved
into the acrylic boards. These books were not available in the bookshops
but had to be directly ordered from the Sanai Office. The present ‘tramp’
is the first in this series showing images of Kyoto townscapes. ‘Taisho’
[Contrast] is the name of his publishing label and the number stands for
February 4th, 2008.
First edition. No. 28 of a limited edition of 1000 copies. Numerous photographic plates. No text. Large 4to.
Bound in red acrylic boards with protective paper (minor wear). Inscribed on the back “taisho 0824”. A very
good copy. N.p., [Tokyo, Taisho (Sanai Office), 2008]
SOLD
95
MORIYAMA (Daido). Moriyama Zoo No. 1 - tribute to daido moriyama.
A remarkable new departure for Moriyama combining elements of his
photography with music, play, and design. This volume was originally
conceived as “a retrospective collection of photographs on the subject
of animals by Daido Moriyama” according to the publisher. Later on,
several musicians were invited to contribute, resulting in two vinyl LPs,
and a CD featuring a colourful cast of musicians from as far afield as
California and Finland.
First edition. One of a limited edition of 1000 copies. Book containing 16 photographic plates, two vinyl LPs in decorated album covers, one CD, a menko
game, as well as a stray dog pop-up card. Square folio.
Original decorated box, a fine unopened copy. Tokyo,
Powershovel Books, 2009.
£350