Nobuyoshi Araki: The Complete Works, Vol. 7: Sentimental Travelogue

Nobuyoshi Araki: The Complete Works, Vol. 7: Sentimental Travelogue is the seventh volume of a 20-volume photo collection published by Heibonsha, reconfiguring Araki’s works around the theme of “travel.” It features photographs taken in Japan and abroad, starting with images connected to his masterpiece, Sentimental Journey, which documented his honeymoon with his wife, Yoko.

Though set in diverse locations such as Kyoto, Okinawa, New York, Mexico, Rio de Janeiro, and Paris, this book does not capture tourist landscapes. Instead, it portrays women Araki encountered, the atmosphere of city streets, and the physical sensations of being in transit. It suggests that for Araki, travel was not about recording places but a time to connect with the world through desire, chance, and encounters. The blend of color and monochrome compositions also strikingly highlights the varying temperatures of each place and the fluctuations of emotion.

The title, “Ryojo” (Sentimental Travelogue), is said to originate from the film Ryojo (Summertime), which Araki happened to see. This word encapsulates a yearning for foreign lands, fleeting passions, and a sentimentality for time passing. This book presents a world where travel, women, and photography are inextricably linked through the lens of the traveling photographer Nobuyoshi Araki. It includes an essay by Yu Miri titled “Travel in the (Neighborhood)” and an explanation by Araki himself at the end of the volume.

[Title] Nobuyoshi Araki: The Complete Works, Vol. 7: Sentimental TravelogueThe Works of Nobuyoshi Araki 7: Sentimental Travelogue
[Publisher] Heibonsha
[Publication Date] June 20, 1996
[Pages] 207 pages
[Size] Approx. 150*225*15mm
[Format] Softcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] ARAKI NOBUYOSHI SHASHIN ZENSYU DAI 7 KAN RYOJO
[Author/Editor] Nobuyoshi Araki/Author, Seiichi Suzuki Design Office/Book Design, Keiichi Kadosaki/Editor, Akihiro Hatanaka/Editor, Takumi Adachi/Editor,
[Printing] Toppan Printing/Printing, Oguchi Seihon Insatsu/Binding
[ISBN]
[Condition] Used 【5】Good (Slight yellowing and minor scratches due to age)
[Accessories] -
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibitions] -

Nobuyoshi Araki (1940-)

Born in Minowa, Taito-ku, Tokyo, on May 25, 1940.
In 1959, he enrolled in the Department of Photography and Printing Engineering at Chiba University, graduating in 1963. After graduation, he joined Dentsu and worked as an advertising photographer. In 1964, he received the first Taiyo Award for "Satchin," establishing his presence as a photographer.

In 1971, he self-published Sentimental Journey, a photo collection documenting his honeymoon with his colleague Yoko Aoki, establishing the "I-photography" style. In 1972, he left Dentsu to become a freelance photographer, capturing a diverse range of subjects including nudes, cityscapes, flowers, his beloved cat Chiro, his daily life with his wife Yoko, and street snapshots. His style, emphasizing fragments of daily life and personal emotions, created a new trend in the photography world.

From the 1980s onward, he developed dense daily photographs using medium format cameras such as the Pentax 67, Plaubel Makina 67, and Leica. With an intimate gaze toward his subjects and moist depictions, he pursued expressions that blur the boundaries between private and public space. He has published over 500 photo collections and is highly acclaimed both in Japan and internationally.

Notable photo collections include Sentimental Journey (1971), Tokyo Hiyori (1977), Shakyo Rojin A (1990), Shashin Shijoshugi (2000), and The Complete Works of Nobuyoshi Araki (2008).

His awards include the Taiyo Award, the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art, the 6th Ango Award, and the 54th Mainichi Art Award Special Prize. He continues to actively photograph and is globally recognized as one of Japan's leading contemporary photographers.

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Nobuyoshi Araki