The History of Japanese Photography

Photography was introduced to Japan soon after its invention and began to have a cultural impact by the year 1850. Embraced as a mechanism to facilitate Japan’s emergence from its isolationist shell, the new technology was formally researched by authorities. Today, Japan is a technology leader in the massive industry that photography has become worldwide. Additionally, the medium has been enthusiastically explored and exploited by Japanese artists. This extensively researched and gorgeously presented book-the first to encompass fully photography’s journey in Japan-successfully moves the reader beyond acknowledgment of industrial contributions to an appreciation of the intricate, inventive, and dedicated artistic offerings of Japanese photographers over 150 years. The engaging essays provide deep context for the hundreds of images that cover the early years, the development of photography as art, modernism, photojournalism, postwar developments, and the state of current Japanese photography. Unique to Japan while tied determinedly to the West, Japanese photography has much to offer an international audience, and this book is an important conduit. Copublished with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which housed an exhibition of the same name (traveling to Cleveland), this is highly recommended for any large public and academic library.