Portraits of Kings Hiroo Kikai

*This book is secondhand.

A photo collection by Japanese photographer Hiroo Kikai.

For over 30 years, Kikai Hiroo has been known for photographing passersby in Asakusa, Tokyo, with the large red Hozomon Gate, located within the grounds of Sensoji Temple, known for its Kaminarimon Gate, as his backdrop, using the same Hasselblad camera loaded with black-and-white film.

This book won the Ina Nobuo Award in 1988, the same year it was published, and is the first photo collection that brought Kikai's work to widespread recognition. It features 41 portraits and a contribution by photographer Tomatsu Shomei.

The cover image of "The Master Carpenter" is a work that marked a turning point in Kikai's decision to become a photographer. It is remarkable to see both his mysterious encounters with people and his sustained courage, which allowed him to continue photographing without tiring using the same techniques for over 20 years.

The book was compiled by Kyoko Yamagishi, wife of editor Shoji Yamagishi, who has worked hard to promote Japanese photographic expression to the world, including planning the "New Japanese Photography" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.