Domon Ken's Showa Children Ken Domon

 A collection of photographs of children taken by Ken Domon, one of post-war Japan's leading photographers. It contains 164 photographs taken from the 1930s, when he began his career as a photographer, through the chaotic pre- and post-war periods, to the era of rapid economic growth.

Including his masterpiece "The Children of Chikuho," it captures children encountered in various places such as street corners, schools, festivals, and coal mining towns. In Domon's photographs, which advocated "absolute non-staging," the daily lives of children—laughing carefree, absorbed in play, or helping with work—are vividly depicted. Despite not being a prosperous era, what is conveyed from the screen is a powerful vitality and relaxed freedom. 

The group of photographs, which capture expressions that only appear in that moment while carefully closing the distance with the subject, are both a record of the era and a reflection of a deep gaze toward humanity.

In addition to essays and work commentaries by Domon himself, this book also includes a contribution by Takeshi Kitano. It is not only a precious document reflecting the Showa era but also a volume that makes one feel the universal charm of photography once again.