Haruka naru uta Shoji Otake

*This book is secondhand.

A photo collection by Japanese photographer Shoji Otake.

Since his junior high school days, Otake has been submitting photographs to monthly camera magazine contests, often winning prizes. He emerged as one of the most accomplished amateur photographers, producing images that rivaled those of adults. He then worked for the Public Relations Department of the GHQ, which governed Tokyo after the war, and photographed singers and actresses who visited to entertain soldiers stationed there, honing his portraiture skills.

After working for the Tokyo branch of Life and other agencies, Otake went freelance and became independent. His portraits of international musicians who came to Japan for performances, "Musicians of the World," were well-received, and his portraits of actresses and models, published in women's and weekly magazines, garnered acclaim. He gained considerable attention as a leading figure in female portraiture in Japan.

This book compiles Otake's early works, spanning the prewar period from the early 1930s to the postwar period.

These photographs capture the lives of ordinary people, primarily children, and allow viewers to experience Otake's youthful and vibrant sensibility.