Ichiro Kojima Photo Collection: Tsugaru, with obi, first edition published in 1963

With box and obi.

A collection of photographs by Japanese photographer Ichiro Kojima. Born in Aomori, Kojima spent his life photographing the landscapes of his hometown, and is now considered a "legend." After three years of military service, he began taking photographs in the early 1950s, influenced by his father. His active period was short, only about 10 years, before his early death at the age of 39 in 1964. However, after the war, he felt a great sense of loss at the destruction of Aomori, which had been devastated by one of the largest air raids in the Tohoku region. He was moved by the nature of Tsugaru, which he visited to buy food, and the silent farmers working there, and he regained his will to live. The photographs of the landscapes and people of Aomori that he continued to take were highly praised by Yonosuke Natori, and he held a solo exhibition in Tokyo in 1958. This collection is a group of works that capture his passion, as he said, "I want to express the strength of people and landscapes that do not allow compromise" and "more sculptural expression than snapshots." This book can also be read as a "topography," with writings by Yojiro Ishizaka, poems by Kyuzo Takagi, and prints by Junichiro Sekino. First edition, 1963, with obi.