Eikoh Hosoe ( born 18 March 1933 in Yonezawa, Yamagata) is a Japanese photographer and filmmaker who emerged in the experimental arts movement of post-World War II Japan. He is known for his psychologically charged images, often exploring subjects such as death, erotic obsession, and irrationality. He is known for his friendships and artistic collaborations with the writer Yukio Mishima and 1960s avant-garde artists such as the dancer Tatsumi Hijikata.
1933 Born in Yonezawa, Yamagata.
1954 Graduates from Tokyo College of Photography.
1956 First solo exhibition, American Girl in Tokyo, achieves great success.
1957-59 Invited to take part in Junin-no-me (Eyes of Ten), an exhibition held by Tatsuo Fukushima in Tokyo showcasing new photographic approaches and aiming to “sever ties with established photography.”
1960 Founds Vivo with Kawada Kikuji, Sato Akira, Tanno Akira, Narahara Ikko and Tomatsu Shomei. The group was short-lived (it disbanded in 1959) but had a profound impact on photography in Japan at the time.
1961-63 Shoots a series of portraits of the novelist Mishima Yukio forming the series Barakei (Killed by Roses) which is first published in 1963.
1965-68 Collaborates on the Kamaitachi series with the founder of Butoh dance, Hijikata Tatsumi. The series is taken in the region from which Hosoe and Hijikata originate.
1975 Offered professorship at Tokyo College of Photography and helps to begin their fine art photography collection.
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“To me photography can be simultaneously both a record and a mirror or window of self-expression… the camera is generally assumed to be unable to depict that which is not visible to the eye and yet, the photographer who wields it well can depict what lies unseen in his memory.”- Eikoh Hosoe
Eikoh Hosoe: Ordeal by Roses
By Eikoh Hosoe
I am Eikoh Hosoe, a photographer from Tokyo. It is a great honor for me to speak on this special occasion about my collection of photographs of Ba-ra-kei, or Ordeal by Roses, and my experience of photographing Yukio Mishima. Ba-ra-kei began one day in September 1961 as a result of an assignment from the Japanese publisher Kodansha. I was commissioned to photograph Yukio Mishima for the cover of Mishima’s book of critical essays, which Kodansha was about to publish.
I knew Mishima by name, but I had never met him. I was curious as to why I had been given such an important assignment and was told by the editor over the phone that I had been chosen at Mishima’s special request. I instantly accepted the offer, but the question still remained: Why had he chosen me?
Eikoh Hosoe: Ordeal by Roses
Eikoh Hosoe: Ordeal by Roses
Early Life and the VIVO Influence
Born in 1933 in Yamagata Prefecture, Hosoe grew up in a Japan transitioning from imperial power to post-war recovery. In 1959, he co-founded the legendary photographic cooperative VIVO with other giants of Japanese photography, including Shomei Tomatsu and Ikko Narahara. VIVO rejected the documentary objectivity of the time, favoring a more subjective, personal approach to the medium.
Eikoh Hosoe: Ordeal by Roses
Eikoh Hosoe: Embrace
Key Photographic Series
1. Man and Woman (1960)
This series established Hosoe's fascination with the human body. Through high-contrast black-and-white photography, he explored themes of eroticism, power, and the tension between genders. The images were often abstract, focusing on the texture of skin and the geometry of limbs.
2. Barakei (Ordeal by Roses) (1963)
Perhaps his most famous work, this series features the celebrated writer Yukio Mishima as the primary subject.
Style: Highly stylized, baroque, and theatrical.
Themes: Narcissism, death, and beauty.
Legacy: The collaboration between the photographer and the writer created a visual mythos that remains iconic in both literary and photographic circles.
3. Kamaitachi (1969)
In this series, Hosoe collaborated with the founder of Butoh dance, Tatsumi Hijikata.
Concept: Based on the Japanese folk legend of the "sickle-weasel" (kamaitachi)—an invisible spirit that slashes victims in rice fields.
Visuals: Hijikata is seen performing spontaneous, visceral movements in rural landscapes, interacting with villagers and children. It is a masterpiece of performance photography, capturing the raw energy of Butoh against the backdrop of a disappearing traditional Japan.
Eikoh Hosoe : Man and women
Eikoh Hosoe : Man and women
Film and Multi-Disciplinary Work
Hosoe was a pioneer in experimental cinema, co-founding the Jazz Film Laboratory (Jazzu Eiga Jikken-shitsu) in 1960.
Eikoh Hosoe: Embrace
Eikoh Hosoe: Embrace
Eikoh Hosoe : Kazuo ohno
Artistic Style and Philosophy
High Contrast: Hosoe used "harsh" blacks and whites, often pushing film to its limits to create dramatic, chiaroscuro effects.
The Body as Landscape: He viewed the human form as a sculptural terrain rather than a mere subject of portraiture.
Collaboration: His work was almost always a dialogue between himself and other artists—writers, dancers, and architects.
Eikoh Hosoe : Man and women
Eikoh Hosoe : Man and women
Eikoh Hosoe : Kamaitachi
Eikoh Hosoe : Kamaitachi
Eikoh Hosoe : Kamaitachi
Eikoh Hosoe: Kamaitachi
Teaching and Legacy
Hosoe was a dedicated educator, helping to professionalize photography in Japan.
The Workshop: In 1974, he co-founded the independent "Workshop" photography school with Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki.
Mentorship: He served as a mentor to Daido Moriyama, who worked as his assistant during the Barakei sessions.
KMoPA: He served as the long-time director of the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts, focusing on supporting young photographers.
Throughout his career, Hosoe received Japan's highest honors, including the Order of the Rising Sun and the designation of Person of Cultural Merit.
Eikoh Hosoe : Kamaitachi
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