INTERVIEW AND PORTRAIT BY TOMO KOSUGA
TRANSLATED BY LENA OISHI There lives in Japan a relentless monster who has released 450 photo books—and still continues to take photographs every day. His name is Nobuyoshi Araki. Those of you who don’t know much about him might, after a cursory glance, see nothing more than a horny old man. And yes, sure, at times his themes are super-erotic, and that’s not only when he shoots women. He can make anything look sexy. Who else can make a photo of the ground look so much like a vagina that you start to seriously consider jerking off to it? Nobody but Araki. There are a quintillion photographers in the world, but none have lived and breathed photography like Araki, who is constantly producing work and at times releases as many as 20 books a year—an accomplishment that can be achieved because of his perpetual focus on everyday life. Not only that, he writes books on photography. His magic words render his images all the more potent. Unfortunately, most of his books have only been published in Japanese, and we can’t read Japanese. That’s why we sent Tomo from
to talk to Araki. Sick of being interviewed countless times throughout his career, Araki tried to demolish him from the very beginning. But Tomo hadn’t cut classes in university to read the entire collection of Araki’s books in the school library for nothing. And so an unprecedented battle of wills over photography began…
Vice: Today I want to ask you about your photographs.
Nobuyoshi Araki: OK, well, why don’t you start by telling me about the first time you picked up a camera… Well then, can I ask about all the photo books that you’ve published? In EROTOS, you made ordinary flowers and cracks in the ground look like male and female genitalia. Why do you think your photos come across as being so erotic? Well, let’s talk about your book Kofuku Shashin [“Happiness Photographs”]. Compared to your old photographs, these were more reminiscent of keepsake portrait pictures that fathers take of their families. It seemed to me like they are crossing a line that was almost taboo in your former photographs. What made you shift your perception so drastically? laughs EROTOS EROTOS Kofuku Shashin Right. With this kind of thing there’s the danger of the images ending up like professional portraits, but you didn’t want that. EROTOS Kofuku Shashin laughs Kofuku Shashin consists mostly of snapshots. Do you ask for permission from each person before taking a photo of them in the street? I guess that’s why the expressions of the people in those photographs are so distinct. But you once said that “a camera is a penis,” and your stance was all about unleashing that tool onto your subjects. I see. With your Nihonjin no kao [“Faces of Japan”] project, you have been traveling to various prefectures in Japan and shooting the citizens there. I hear that you shoot anyone and everyone who sees the ad and comes along. So you’re saying that you need to embrace the subjects? You don’t necessarily just want to shoot beautiful people then. laughs Like many of your works, this series also suggests that you are particularly intent on shooting Japan. Why is that? You must have so much energy to even conceive of shooting the whole of Japan.
laughs Kofuku Shashin Funny. So, any interesting things happen to you lately? What else is new?
Kinbaku Whoa. laughs Your portrayal of bondage makes it seem somewhat different from the typical image that we have of it. EROTOS EROTOS EROTOS Kofuku Shashin Thanks. So maybe you can give me some tips on how to take lustrous photographs of thousands of women? laughs I know. Thanks so much for the interview. EROTOS Kofuku Shashin
TRANSLATED BY LENA OISHI There lives in Japan a relentless monster who has released 450 photo books—and still continues to take photographs every day. His name is Nobuyoshi Araki. Those of you who don’t know much about him might, after a cursory glance, see nothing more than a horny old man. And yes, sure, at times his themes are super-erotic, and that’s not only when he shoots women. He can make anything look sexy. Who else can make a photo of the ground look so much like a vagina that you start to seriously consider jerking off to it? Nobody but Araki. There are a quintillion photographers in the world, but none have lived and breathed photography like Araki, who is constantly producing work and at times releases as many as 20 books a year—an accomplishment that can be achieved because of his perpetual focus on everyday life. Not only that, he writes books on photography. His magic words render his images all the more potent. Unfortunately, most of his books have only been published in Japanese, and we can’t read Japanese. That’s why we sent Tomo from
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Vice: Today I want to ask you about your photographs.
Nobuyoshi Araki: OK, well, why don’t you start by telling me about the first time you picked up a camera… Well then, can I ask about all the photo books that you’ve published? In EROTOS, you made ordinary flowers and cracks in the ground look like male and female genitalia. Why do you think your photos come across as being so erotic? Well, let’s talk about your book Kofuku Shashin [“Happiness Photographs”]. Compared to your old photographs, these were more reminiscent of keepsake portrait pictures that fathers take of their families. It seemed to me like they are crossing a line that was almost taboo in your former photographs. What made you shift your perception so drastically? laughs EROTOS EROTOS Kofuku Shashin Right. With this kind of thing there’s the danger of the images ending up like professional portraits, but you didn’t want that. EROTOS Kofuku Shashin laughs Kofuku Shashin consists mostly of snapshots. Do you ask for permission from each person before taking a photo of them in the street? I guess that’s why the expressions of the people in those photographs are so distinct. But you once said that “a camera is a penis,” and your stance was all about unleashing that tool onto your subjects. I see. With your Nihonjin no kao [“Faces of Japan”] project, you have been traveling to various prefectures in Japan and shooting the citizens there. I hear that you shoot anyone and everyone who sees the ad and comes along. So you’re saying that you need to embrace the subjects? You don’t necessarily just want to shoot beautiful people then. laughs Like many of your works, this series also suggests that you are particularly intent on shooting Japan. Why is that? You must have so much energy to even conceive of shooting the whole of Japan.
laughs Kofuku Shashin Funny. So, any interesting things happen to you lately? What else is new?
Kinbaku Whoa. laughs Your portrayal of bondage makes it seem somewhat different from the typical image that we have of it. EROTOS EROTOS EROTOS Kofuku Shashin Thanks. So maybe you can give me some tips on how to take lustrous photographs of thousands of women? laughs I know. Thanks so much for the interview. EROTOS Kofuku Shashin
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