Bookstore Browsing: 10 Photo Books from Tokyo – PhotoShelter Blog

Japan is famous for its camera brands and love of photography, but outside of Daido Moriyama, most westerners would probably be hard-pressed to name a Japanese photographer. In browsing a number of titles at the Tsutaya bookstore, I was struck by the popularity of vernacular photography. And in a land replete with the highest resolution digital cameras and technical accuracy, many Japanese photographers seem to embrace film and aim for a grittier aesthetic – perhaps a photographic reflection of their concept of wabi-sabi or the acceptance of imperfection and transience.