20 years of Camera Mainichi - 100 Japanese Photographers: Profiles & Photographs - 1973

A fantastic commemorative volume for the 20th anniversary of Camera Mainichi, featuring 100 Japanese photographers and their works (2 pages, a text, and 2-3 images for each, some in color). A selection that is at times bold. The true gem of the book: all the portraits of the photographers and the texts were created specifically for the occasion by fellow photographers and artists.

This book was published to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of Camera Mainichi. It features 100 famous photographers of the era and includes self-recommendation works, as well as portraits and biographies of artists. What makes it unique is that the portraits (plates) and character reviews (texts) are created by people close to the artist who are believed to know their personality, style, and way of thinking better. For example, Yoshihiro Tachiki's assistant is Osamu Nagahama, Masaya Nakamura's student is Nobumi Kurimoto, and Kishin Shinoyama's classmate, Saku Sawatari, is responsible for the portrait photography and text. Another highlight is that Masahisa Fukase's text was written by his then-wife Yoko (photograph by Kazuoki Nozawa). An excerpt from her words reads: 'For ten years, he lived with me, only viewing me through his lens, and I think the person he copied was nothing but an unruly man. Although his recent age of 39 has softened his drinking habits and he has begun to show some social compassion to his family, Fukase, as a co-owner, remains a selfish and hopeless con-con-chiki.'