Publisher/新人物往来社

Google翻訳
"Dewa Sanzan" is a photo collection by Japanese photographer Masatoshi Naito (1938-2025). Naito was a photographer who, from the 1960s onward, photographed folk beliefs, Shugendo, and mummified monks throughout Tohoku over a long period, and sought to capture through photography the sense of the "otherworld" that was rapidly disappearing in the shadow of Japan's high economic growth. A major characteristic of his work is that, at a young age, he was deeply moved by the mummified monks of Yudono-san and actually participated in the autumn mountain ascetic training of Haguro Shugendo, approaching the world of faith through his own body rather than merely being a record-keeper. "Dewa Sanzan" is a representative work that captures the prayers of the mountain ascetics, the wild nature, and the sense of death and rebirth lurking in the depths of darkness, in sharp monochrome, set against the backdrop of the sacred mountain worship sites consisting of Haguro-san, Gassan, and Yudono-san. The images, where intense strobe light and deep blacks intertwine, transcend mere folklore records, revealing the very spirit and culture of the Japanese people that was in danger of being forgotten due to modernization. This is an important work in the history of Japanese photography, where folklore, religion, and photographic expression are intertwined at a high level.