My Tokyo 100: Nikon Salon Books 5

Waga Tokyo 100 (My Tokyo 100) is an early photo book by Issei Suda, one of Japan's leading photographers.

Published in 1979 as the fifth volume in the Nikon Salon Books series, it is a significant work that represents Suda's early career. Born in Kanda, Tokyo, Suda photographed the city of Tokyo, where he was born and raised, walking its streets and capturing snapshots.

Alleys, festivals, bars, shopping streets, children, adults, spectacles, signboards, crowds—a collection of photographs that acutely capture the humidity, smells, and presence of people lurking within the massive city of Tokyo. Suda's unique "eye for viewing the city," which would later lead to The Veil of Memory, is already strongly evident here.

Published at a time when he was beginning to gain attention for his masterpiece Fushi Kaden, which he photographed while traveling throughout Japan in the 1970s, it is also interesting to note that this book focuses on "Tokyo" rather than travel.

Furthermore, not only the content but also the production team of this book is highly distinguished. Jun Miki and Jun Morinaga were responsible for selecting the works, while Yusaku Kamekura, a leading figure in Japanese design, handled the composition, book design, and layout. The layout, with its somewhat square image placement and use of the bottom margin, is also beautiful, making it a highly accomplished photo book.

The end of the book also includes "My Tokyo, My Issei Suda" by Masao Tanaka, text by Shoji Ueda, and a roundtable discussion titled "Issei Suda, Photographer of the Common People." It is a valuable resource for conveying the atmosphere of Japanese photography in the 1970s.

The Nikon Salon Books series was published under the philosophy of "leaving behind works that, although commercially challenging, would contribute to the history of photography in the future," and this book can be said to be a representative volume of that series.

[Title] Issei Suda: Waga Tokyo 100, Nikon Salon Books 5
[Publisher] Nikkor Club
[Publication Date] March 1979
[Page Count] 100 plates
[Dimensions] Approx. 212 x 298 x 10mm / 690g
[Format] Softcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] SUDA ISSEI WAGA TOKYO 100 NIKON SALON BOOKS 5
[Author/Editor, etc.] Issei Suda / Author, Yusaku Kamekura / Composition, Book Design, Layout, Jun Miki, Jun Morinaga / Work Selection, Masao Tanaka / Text
[Printing] Toppan Printing / Printing
[ISBN] None
[Condition] Used [5] Good (Cover: spine faded, slight damage to top edge; Book block: slight foxing on three edges)
[Accessories] None
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Issei Suda (1940-2019)

Born in Kanda, Tokyo. Photographer.

After graduating from Tokyo College of Photography, he worked as an exclusive photographer for Shuji Terayama's theatrical experimental group Tenjo Sajiki. He later became a freelancer and established his unique snapshot style while traveling throughout Japan.

His masterpiece of the 1970s, Fushi Kaden, vividly captured Japanese folk customs, festivals, and the bodily sensations of people, and is highly regarded as a significant work in the history of Japanese photography.

He possessed a keen sense for cities, streets, folklore, spectacles, small anomalies, and "the anomalous," and with strong flash and sharp compositions, he captured the unease and humor hidden beneath the surface of everyday life.

In 1997, he received the 16th Domon Ken Award for The Veil of Memory.

His major works include Fushi Kaden, Waga Tokyo 100, The Veil of Memory, Tokyo Labyrinth, Min'yo Sanga, and Nagi no Kata.

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