YOSHIYUKI IWASE / 岩瀬禎之 | PHOTOGRAPHER

Iwase Yoshiyuki, 岩瀬禎之, was born in 1904 in Onjuku, a fishing village on the pacific side of the Chiba peninsula, which encloses Tokyo Bay on the east. After graduating from Meiji University Law School in 1924, he took up lifelong pursuits, heading the family sake distillery and documenting the receding traditions of coastal Japan. In the late 1920′s Yoshiyuki received an early Kodak camera as a gift. Since the main livelihood of the town came from the sea he gravitated there, and soon found a passion for “the simple, even primitive beauty” of ama – girls and women who harvested seaweed, turban shells and abalone from beneath the coastal waters.
This way of life has now completely disappeared but Yoshiyuki’s photographs provide a stunning visual testament to these fascinating women. His total output is of a very hight standard but it is his photographs of the ama divers which are truly iconic.
For more infos about the « ama (diving) women » (海人 海女) :
wikipedia
thingsasian

Yoshiyuki Iwase / 岩瀬禎之 ‘s site: www.iwase-photo.com

a giddy girl, 1950

Ama Bluff-gazing

Ama Boat Landing

Ama Circle Mural FR

Ama Circle

Ama Divers Sea Gazing

Ama in Capes 1934

Film Taiheyo no Wash

Fish Net Thong

Friends on Train 50s

Iwase Last Ama

Konbu Harvest 45 x 55

Madame in Vintage Car

Modernist Nude B

Mother Child Muscular Backs

Neg 1 Straight

All images © Iwase Yoshiyuki

www.iwase-photo
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