Interview: Discussing Contemporary Japanese Photography

Interview: Speaking of Contemporary Japanese Photography traces the movements surrounding Japanese photography from the 1970s to the 2000s, primarily through an interview with Ryuichi Kaneko. This book, edited by Kotaro Iizawa, is based on interviews with Ryuichi Kaneko, who worked as a photography historian and photobook collector. It was published by Azusa Publishing in 2023.

Through organizations and activities Kaneko was directly involved in, such as the All Japan Student Photography Federation, the self-managed gallery Prism, the Tsukuba Museum of Photography, the Complete Works of Japanese Photography, and the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, the book discusses the nature of photographic expression, photo history research, exhibitions, and collection/preservation in Japan. It is also a record of post-war Japanese photography from the perspective of someone who collected, researched, exhibited, and articulated photography, rather than a photographer.

Each chapter includes "ANOTHER VIEW" featuring testimonies from Jin Tsukiji, Shin Yamazaki, Kotaro Iizawa, Akiko Okatsuka, Hiroko Arai, Takako Yamaguchi, and Katsuya Ishida. This structure allows for an exploration of the changing environment surrounding photography, not only through Kaneko's personal recollections but also by layering the perspectives of those involved in the creation, exhibition, and preservation of photography during the same era.

The book also covers many fundamental topics for understanding contemporary Japanese photography, such as photobook collecting, involvement with Kanda's secondhand bookstore district, articulating photography, preserving vintage prints and photobooks, and the formation of museum collections.

[Title] Interview: Speaking of Contemporary Japanese Photography
[Publisher] Azusa Publishing
[Publication Date] December 25, 2023 (1st edition)
[Page Count] 344 pages
[Size] Approx. 133×190×25mm / 390g
[Format] Softcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] INTERVIEW NIHON NO GENDAI SHASHIN O KATARU
[Author/Editor] Ryuichi Kaneko / Author, Kotaro Iizawa / Editor, Jin Tsukiji, Shin Yamazaki, Akiko Okatsuka, Hiroko Arai, Takako Yamaguchi, Katsuya Ishida / Contributors
[Printing/Binding] Ueno Printing Co. / Printing
[ISBN] 9784872627145
[Condition] Used【7】Good (Generally excellent)
[Accessories] -
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Ryuichi Kaneko (1948–2021)

Born in 1948. Photography historian, photobook collector. Served as a special researcher at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, chairman of the Tokyo College of Photography, and part-time lecturer at Musashino Art University, and curated exhibitions at museums and galleries both in Japan and internationally.

He continued collecting and researching photobooks and photographic works, investigating the history of modern and contemporary Japanese photography, and introducing it through exhibitions and publications. He was also involved in collection formation and photo preservation at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum.

His major books and co-authored works include The Establishment of Modern Japanese Photography, Independent Photographers in Japan 1976-83, Shoji Ueda: My Photographic Method, Complete Works of Ihei Kimura, A History of Japanese Photobooks 1956-1986, and Japan is a Photobook Country.

Kotaro Iizawa (1954–)

Born in 1954. Photography critic. Graduated from the University of Tsukuba's Graduate School of Art and Design in 1984. Continues to write and critique primarily on Japanese photo history and contemporary photography.

His major books include Welcome to the Museum of Photography, On Personal Photography, Digigraphy, Enjoying Photography, Expanded Notes on Post-War Photography History, and Contemporary Japanese Photography Read Through Keywords.

< Related Figures >

Jin Tsukiji
Kotaro Iizawa
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
All Japan Student Photography Federation
Tsukuba Museum of Photography