A Book on the Shelf: Volume 18

Well then, the photo book I'd like to introduce this week is this one.

Hiromi Tsuchida's "Zokushin: Expanded and Revised Edition."

Since the theme of my own photography revolves around the world of the eight million gods, Tsuchida's Zokushin was a must-have photo book for me, right alongside Suda's Fushi Kaden.
I wasn't able to buy the original edition, so I ended up purchasing this version released by Tosei-sha.

In unraveling the theory of the Japanese people, often compared to 'honne' (true feelings) and 'tatemae' (public facade), I interpret these photos as capturing people who are honest about their oozing desires—so-called 'vulgar' people—as 'gods,' taken in various places across Japan during 'hare' (festive/open) occasions where social barriers are dropped.
For younger people, since these photos were taken between 1968 and 1975, they might just be seen as historical documentary photographs.
However, if you keep looking at the expressions of the people in the photos, they start to look like 'something in human form,' which feels mysterious and even a little eerie.

This expanded and revised edition itself was published in 2004, so that was 20 years ago.
Even in these last 20 years, the world's values have changed drastically.
It has also become difficult to take and publish similar photos, including issues regarding portrait rights.

It might be presumptuous of me to say, but as a theme for my own photography, I feel that I want to capture and leave behind the kinds of desires that are etched into the DNA of the Japanese people.

Actually, since Mr. Tsuchida started using X, if this drivel were to be read by him, it would be embarrassing beyond words...

If you are reading this, let me make my appeal.
I respect you!

As always, I'll leave the link to shashasha here.

https://www.shashasha.co/jp/book/zokushin