Asakusa Portraits Hiroh Kikai

It's about an hour by train from his home in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture. He heads to Asakusa, Tokyo with a camera, a lens, spare film, and a light meter in his bag. With the big red gate of Hozomon, located in the grounds of Sensoji Temple, as his usual backdrop, he calls out to people passing by, takes photos on black and white film, and when he gets home, develops them in the darkroom. The result is a collection of photographs taken over a 45-year period of repetitive days, sometimes with days when he never took a single shot. The subjects of his photographs are people that Hiroh Kikai, who has lived a life full of twists and turns, is attracted to. It also gives the impression that the people he photographs have an insight into his life and agreed to be his subjects. This is a book that will leave you in awe of the simple yet inimitable expressions that see through the lens to the inner world of the people he photographs.