This photo collection features photographs of Minobu-dake and Nanzen-dake in Yamanashi Prefecture, which are central locations for the Hokke faith, taken by photographer and folklorist Masatoshi Naito.
With a unique perspective, the author records the scenery of sacred places that have attracted people as places of practice and faith since ancient times, as well as the prayers and ceremonies of the believers.
The photographs, which capture the tension and solemn atmosphere that pervades the sacred site, transcend mere documentation and become works that deeply question the relationship between religion and humanity.
This book condenses Naito's lifelong pursuit of "faith and land," which can be considered his life's work.
[Title] Minobu-san and Nanaden-san: Holy Sites of the Lotus Sutra Faith
[Publisher] Kodosha
[Publication Date] August 1, 1981 (1st Edition)
[Number of pages] 193 pages
[Size] External dimensions: approx. 34.2 x 25.8 x 4.0 cm, 2.10 kg
[Format] Hardcover
[Title Reading] Minobusan Shichimensan Hokkeshinko no Seiichi
[Author(s), Editor(s), etc.] Masatoshi Naito / Author, Toyo Watanabe, Noriharu Ishikawa, Atsutoshi Miyagawa, Tetsuo Yamori / Commentary, Shiro Tatsumi / Book Design
[Printing] Dainippon Printing Co., Ltd.
[ISBN] 1672-00017-2427
[Condition] Used [5] Fair (box has age-related yellowing and slight stains, top edge has slight stains, a few pages from the endpapers have slight stains, dust jacket is torn (half missing))
[Accessories] Double box, obi (half missing)
[Published in] None
[Related Exhibitions]
Naito Masatoshi (1938-2025)
Born in 1938 in Harachō, Kamata Ward, Tokyo (now Tamagawa, Ōta Ward, Tokyo).
In 1961, he graduated from the Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University. While a student, he belonged to the photography club.
After graduating, he joined the research lab of Kurashiki Rayon (now Kurare), but left after a year to become a freelance photographer.
He actively engages in photographing Japanese folk customs and beliefs, such as Itako shamans and sacred places in the Tohoku region, while continuing his research in folklore and writing.
In 1966, he won the Japan Society of Photographic Critics' Newcomer Award for "Mummies of Japan," which covered the Dewa Sanzan region.
In 1983, he won the Dōmon Ken Prize for "Dewa Sanzan and Shugyō" (Kōsei Publishing).
In 1986, he won the Japan Photographic Society Annual Award for "Tokyo - Visions of the City's Darkness" (Meicho Publishing).
He died of pneumonia in Tokyo on July 9, 2025.
(Reference book: Japanese Photographers Dictionary / Tankosha: P.227)
