My Japan

For Issei Suda (1940–2019), photography was a means to document the ordinary and reveal the extraordinary. Traditional country festivals were a favourite subject, but he also saw theatre in Tokyo’s street life. Suda had a talent for square format compositions and is known for the technical perfection of his black-and-white prints as well as for his unique and surrealistic visual style. Issei Suda – My Japan is an introduction to his life’s work, from the 1960s until the publication of his final book in 2018. It includes rarely seen photographs from his early stage photographer days for the avant-garde theatre troupe Tenjo Sajiki, and iconic series, such as Fushi Kaden and Waga Tokyo 100. In the interview included in this book, Suda called every photograph his favourite: “For me, they work together as a photographic album that reflects myself and my times.”