Three exquisite photo books by Hashiguchi Joji that capture deep human drama.
"17 Years Old," "Father," and "Couple" are works that each focus on different age groups and relationships, but they all share a common thread: they portray the lives and emotions of ordinary people in a straightforward manner.
"17 years old"
This book is a collection of photographs of 17-year-olds from various regions of Japan. It contains black and white portraits of 60 17-year-olds that the author encountered across the country, from Rebun Island to Yonaguni Island.
In a society at the mercy of desire, the "now" of each of these children, as they talk about their worries, suffering, and dreams, is vividly brought to life through the photographs. Hashiguchi has made it his life's work to follow 17-year-olds for many years, and from his unique perspective, this work delves deeply into the inner lives of these children during their impressionable years.
"Father"
A new edition of "Father" published by Bungeishunju. This photo book focuses on fathers all over Japan. It features images of 112 fathers who were encountered during a journey from Yonaguni Island in Okinawa in the south to Rebun Island in Hokkaido in the north.
The everyday lives of fathers who support their families and raise their children, as well as the joys, struggles, and love they experience, are condensed into these unadorned photographs. This book offers a glimpse into the personalities and lives of each father, evoking a wide range of emotions in the viewer.
"Couple"
A new edition of "Couple," published by Bungeishunju.
This photo book documents a total of 103 couples, starting with shoots on Iriomote Island in Okinawa and ending with shoots in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
The photographs depict the diverse relationships of couples from different eras and backgrounds who have chosen to lean on each other and live together. Joy, sadness, conflict, and a strong bond. The atmosphere and subtle emotions that flow between the couple are vividly conveyed through the photographs. This work makes us think deeply about the "connection" that lies at the root of human relationships.
These three books are a series that can be said to be the culmination of the theme of "humanity" that Joji Hashiguchi has pursued for many years.
From different perspectives - "17 years old," "Father," and "Couple" - the show explores the essence of human beings at each age and in each relationship, as well as their relationship with society.
Although each work carries a separate message, reading all three books together offers a multifaceted look at important aspects of life, such as personal growth, family ties, and partnerships, and asks how humans change over time and what remains constant.
[Title] 17 Years Old 2001-2006 / Father New Edition / Couple New Edition
[Publisher] Iwanami Shoten / Sangyo Editorial Center / Sangyo Editorial Center
[Publication date] April 2008 / January 2007 / January 2007
[Number of pages] 168 pages / 224 pages / 228 pages
[Size] Approx. 25.7 x 27.0 x 2.1 cm, 1.22 kg / 25.7 x 27.0 x 2.9 cm, 1.65 kg / 25.7 x 27.0 x 2.8 cm, 1.57 kg
[Format] Hardcover
[Title reading] 17th / Father's Death / Couple's Death
[Authors/Editors] Joji Hashiguchi (Author), Satoru Machiguchi (Art Director), Yoichi Sakamoto (Designer)
[Printing] San-M Color/Printing, Shin Nippon Books/Binding
[ISBN] 978-4-000234443, 978-4-916199935, 978-4-9161999942
[Condition] Used [8] Good to above average (some minor scratches on cover, slight discoloration on obi)
[Accessories] Obi
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George Hashiguchi
Born in Kagoshima Prefecture in 1949.
In 1981, he won the 18th Taiyo Award for Gaze, a photograph of urban youth.
His work can be broadly divided into documentaries such as "We Can't Be Anywhere," which capture young people in cities around the world, and lifelong series focusing on Japanese people. The latter series includes "17 Years Old," which follows 17-year-olds, "Father," which photographs fathers, and "Couple," which captures couples.
Hashiguchi is known for his candid portrayal of the activities and emotions of ordinary people through his photographs, and continues to question what it means to be human and what society is.
In 1992, he won the Photographic Society of Japan Annual Award and the Higashikawa Domestic Artist Award for his photo books "BERLIN" and "Couple."
