Shoji Ueda - Matsue with Postcard - 1978

Signed, Matsue

Shoji Ueda
San-in Broadcasting/1978/Japanese/220*310*3

Matsue (First Edition)” was co-authored by Shoji Ueda, one of Japan's leading postwar photographers, and Izumo-born writer Taneichiro Hanto. The book was reprinted in 2014 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Sanin Broadcasting System, the publisher of the book, but this is the original edition published in 1978. The story goes that this was the beginning of the project. After many years of discussions, the book finally saw the light of day in 1978, the year of Mr. Hanamori's sudden death, from the local San-in Broadcasting Co. Most of the illustrations were taken in the 1960s, with the most recent taken in 1968. Ueda carried his heavy Linhof and tried to depict the old and historic streets of Matsue and its Japanese atmosphere by choosing rainy or cloudy days to take his photographs. Although “modern” is a word that suits Shoji Ueda, this book seems to express the flavor of “history” and “tradition” beautifully.