Domon Ken｜SHOGAKUKAN

Admire 216 masterpieces by internationally renowned
Japanese photographer, Domon Ken,
in a super-large format!

The 216 photographs of Buddhist statues and ancient architecture included in this book were taken by Domon Ken throughout his life, mainly for his masterpiece, the five-volume photo book A Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples.They are reproduced using the latest printing technology in a format that is 69 cm tall and fifty cm wide. A double-page spread is one m wide!

Most of the photographs, including the 27 taken with photographic dry plates in the 1940s, date back to more than half a century ago. However, their sharpness and overwhelming immersiveness far surpass those achieved using the latest digital technology, and make a lasting impression on the viewer.

Welcome to the world of Domon Ken. A fully bilingual (Japanese and English) supplementary booklet provides further context to the photographs. Domon Ken's own words resonate in the book to an extent that, if you look at the photos while reading the explanatory text, you can almost hear his voice! Domon Ken’s assistant photographers, unearth the secrets behind his powerful work.

The book features Buddhist art from 26 temples and 5 regions, including temples registered as World Heritage Sites such as Horyu-ji Temple, Yakushi-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, Toshodai-ji Temple, To-ji Temple, Byodo-in Temple, Kosan-ji Temple, and Chuson-ji Temple.

Born in 1909 in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture. Captivated by his first visit to Murou-ji Temple in 1939, he spent the rest of his life touring ancient temples and photographing Buddhist statues and ancient architecture. His life work, A Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples, which he began publishing in 1963, represents a pinnacle in the history of Japanese photography. In 1968, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage that left the right side of his body paralyzed, but he continued to take photographs with an unyielding spirit, completing in 1975 all five volumes of A Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples and publishing in 1978 Nyonin Koya Murou-ji (Murou-ji: Women’s Koya). He passed away in 1990 at the age of 80.

ZOOM IN

Precise, sharp images with every detail in focus! An overwhelming sense of depth and three-dimensionality! How was Domon Ken able to achieve this at a time when digital technology could not be relied upon? His skills and persistence can only be described as a miracle, one that we would like you to experience in a enlarged format, 69 cm tall and 1 m wide!

Whether he was photographing Buddhist statues or ancient architecture, Domon Ken emphasized the parts he thought were beautiful using close-ups and lighting, and captured them symbolically instead of taking explanatory photos. This “emphasis” and “omission” are the essence of his work, made even more powerful in the Super-large format!

Since his visit to Murou-ji Temple in 1939, photographing ancient temples became Domon Ken’s life work. Reproduced using the latest printing technology, the 27 photographs, taken with photographic dry plates, show how Domon Ken confronted Buddhist art in his early days. The photographs, with their smooth gradation of tone and high-quality reproducibility, are as beautiful as if they had just been taken!

The photographs selected for inclusion in this book were taken between 1940 and 1978. Since then, many temples restored their Buddhist statues and buildings or, for conservation purposes, the statues were moved to treasure halls. Domon Ken's photographs capture their former state, and offer a glimpse of the atmosphere that used to pervade those ancient temples.