Kazuo Kitai - Somehow Familiar Places - 2012

First published in 1990, with a major expanded edition and exhibition catalog released in 2012 by Tosei-Sha Publishing in conjunction with the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. A color-focused edition (Color - Somehow Familiar Places) was also released later. 180 pp., 205 black & white illustrations, 8x8¾".

A deeply personal retrospective covering Kitai's photographic journey from his early protest images (such as the Zengakuren student demonstrations and Sanrizuka farmer struggles) to his travels capturing rural and everyday landscapes across Japan.

The Somehow Familiar Places photographs evoke a powerful sense of déjà vu or nostalgia. Viewers often feel they recognize the locations even if they have never visited them. Rather than grand historical statements, Kitai focuses on ordinary, overlooked corners of daily life, capturing the changing face of Japan during periods of rapid modernization. Kitai moved frequently during his childhood and often noted that he lacked a traditional hometown. His camera became a tool to project, explore, and recreate a universal sense of belonging and memory.

Copy in fine condition.