Araki Nobuyoshi 荒木経惟 (1940.5.25-) Minowa, Taito-ku, Tokyo.

Japan's most famous and controversial photographer.

Major themes Women of all ages, nudes, women in the sex trade, women in bondage, portraits of Japanese, death, Tokyo, lewd flowers, photo diary, street photography, wife Yoko

Education Entered Chiba Univ. in 1959, graduated in 1963, majoring in photography and cinema.

Career Father was a geta clog maker from Minowa. Took his first photograph (of the Nikko Toshogu Shrine) while in the 6th grade on a school trip to Nikko with a camera lent by his father.

After graduating from college in 1963, employed as an advertising photographer at Dentsu Inc., a major advertising company. In 1965, produced a movie titled, "Satchin and His Brother Mabo" which brought him attention with the Taiyo Prize. The still photos were also featured in Camera Geijutsu magazine (edited by KUWABARA Kineo) in April 1964. He becomes good friends with KUWABARA Kineo.

In 1971, married AOKI Yoko (b. 1947) who died on Jan. 27, 1990. Quit Dentsu in 1972. In 1988, opened his own office called Aat Room with two others, TAMIYA Shiro and ANSAI Nobuhiko. Accused of showing obscene photos in the exhibit titled, "Photo-maniac Diary" in 1992. Fined 300,000 yen.

In November 1993, the National Police Agency arrested several people at the Parco Gallery in Shibuya, Tokyo for selling Araki Nobuyoshi's photo book "Erotos" which was deemed obscene. The police confiscated copies of the book. The book was a record of works from Araki's AKT-TOKYO photo exhibit which was held in Austria in 1992. The Austrian publisher of "Erotos" was puzzled by the move since the book had received high acclaim in New York and other places.

Araki is a prolific producer of photo books and Japan's most famous photographer. He is also sometimes controversial. Nudes, genitalia, sado-masochist nudes, and nudes of young girls have provoked more than the police.

He has a loyal following of photographer groupies called "Araki-zoku" (Araki Tribe). People either love him or hate him (or his work). Personality-wise, he is a very jolly good fellow and fun to be with. His "mad professor" hairstyle also adds to his unique persona. A recent movie, titled "Himawari," was also made about his life with wife Yoko. See book reviews of his photo books.

Awards 1st Taiyo Prize, 1964.

Book reviews

Sexual Colors
Seoul to Rain
Sentimental Journey/Winter Journey
Shashin Shijo Shugi (and others)
The Works of Nobuyoshi Araki Vol. 1 - 20

Hiunkaku Story

By: ARAKI Nobuyoshi 荒木経惟

Published: 2005-06-10

Publisher: Hongwanji Publishing Co.

ISBN: 489416521X

Price in Japan: Y2,940

Qualities: B5, soft cover, 100 pp., color photos

Language: Japanese

In a corner of the expansive Nishi Honganji Temple in Kyoto, there is the magnificent Hiunkaku pavilion built in the 16th or 17th century. It is believed that it was moved from Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Fushimi Castle to the temple. The building is a National Treasure and one of Japan's most elegant-looking buildings. It fronts a Japanese garden.

It's strange to see Araki photographing a building without any nude women. But since it is part of a Buddhist temple (Jodo Shinshu sect), I guess he had to behave himself. He did a good job in photographing it in all four seasons and from all angles.

Exhibitions

<a href="http://www.assemblylanguage.com/reviews/Arakii.html" target="window">At the Metropolitan Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, 1999; exhibition review by Monty DiPietro</a>

<a href="http://www.assemblylanguage.com/reviews/Araki.html" target="window">At Hara Museum, 1997; exhibition review by Monty DiPietro</a></HTML>

MORIYAMA Daido/ARAKI Nobuyoshi - Moriyama Shinjuku Araki

By: MORIYAMA Daido/ARAKI Nobuyoshi 森山大道/荒木経惟

Published: 2005-01-15

Publisher: Heibonsha

ISBN: 4582277578

Price in Japan: Y3,675

Qualities: A4, soft cover, B/W photos

Language: Japanese and English

This is the first time these two famous Japanese photographers collaborated on a photo book and exhibition together. The photos were taken by both men on the same day in Aug. 2004 in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

They just wandered around Shinjuku and snapped away. The book also served as the exhibition catalog for their joint exhibition at Tokyo Opera City near Shinjuku during early 2005. Some 200 images are in the book. Essays are all translated into good English.

Sample photos

http://www.arakinobuyoshi.com/special_feature.html

http://www.assemblylanguage.com/images/Araki.html

Official site http://www.arakinobuyoshi.com/

(2002-12-19)

Biography in Japanese

1940 5月25日、東京都台東区に生まれる東京の色街・吉原の裏手にあたる三ノ輪に生まれ、浄閑寺や吉原界隈を遊び場にして育つ。父・長太郎はプロ顔負けのアマチュアの写真家。撮影の手伝いをすることで次第にカメラに慣れていった。小学校6年生の修学旅行の時、父から3×4センチ判のスプリングカメラ「ベビーパール」を譲り受け、生まれて初めて写真を撮る。モチーフは夜明けの日光東照宮。下谷中学校に入学した荒木、早くもクラスメイトの女の子に声をかけて写真を撮るようになる。都立上野高校に入学、夏目漱石や森鴎外を愛読、東大文学部をめざすがやがて断念、写真家を志すようになる。この頃からダジャレが得意、クラスの人気者であった。

1959 千葉大学工学部写真印刷工学科写真映画専攻（-'63）

1963 株式会社電通勤務（-'72）

1971 青木陽子と結婚約3年の交際期間を経て、電通OL・青木陽子とめでたく結婚。「私の写真人生はヨーコとの出会いから始まった。」

『センチメンタルな旅』私家版（限定1000部）【出版】京都、柳川、長崎をめぐる4泊5日の新婚旅行の記録を自費出版。「これはそこいらの嘘写真とはちがいます。この『センチメンタルな旅』は私の愛であり、写真家決心なのです、自分の新婚旅行を撮影したから真実写真だぞ！といっているのではありません。写真家としての出発を愛にし、たまたま私小説からはじまったにすぎないのです。もっとも私の場合ずーっと私小説になると思います。私小説こそもっと写真に近いと思っているからです。」

1981 有限会社アラーキー設立会社設立と同時に10冊の著書を刊行。本格的なアラーキーブームの到来。

1982 『10年目のセンチメンタルな旅』（共著荒木陽子）冬樹社【出版】

1983 『カメラ毎日』〈写真私情主義〉の連載が打ちきりになったことで、カメラ雑誌に遺憾を示していた一方、ユニークな写真集を生み出すことになる『写真時代』増刊のシリーズ1冊目として発刊。「いま〈時代の生理〉のニオイに一番敏感なのが『写真時代』であり、末井昭なのである。」

1988 AaT Room設立。10月、田宮史郎、安齋信彦とともに設立。

1990 妻陽子死去

1992 女性性器が写っていた作品8点が、猥褻図画公然陳列の疑いで警視庁により押収、事情徴収、書類送検され、罰金刑を受ける。

1994 「AKT-TOKYO」展カタログを輸入・販売していたパルコギャラリーの女性責任者が逮捕された一件をめぐり、アラーキーが彼女に捧げたもの。

1999 荒木経惟センチメンタルな写真、人生。東京都現代美術館【個展】

2002 『ARAKI』（タッシェン社、ドイツ）【出版】３ヶ月を費やして制作され作品約1,000点を収録した、超・大型写真集がついに刊行されました。 34.5cmx50cm、厚さ8cm／直筆サイン入り／全世界で2500部・日本では250冊の限定発売。

参考：http://www.arakinobuyoshi.com/profile.html

Written by Philbert Ono