Ken Domon (1909–1990) was a celebrated Japanese photographer known for his work as a photojournalist and as a photographer of Buddhist temples and statuary. He began his career in the 1930s contributing to magazines that supported the militaristic Japanese state, but later criticized propaganda photography. After being forced out of government service, he became a freelance photographer and was a leading figure in the realistic photography movement (Riarizumu Shashin Undō). Domon is renowned for his documentary work on the aftermath of World War II, specifically his portraits of children in exploitative labor conditions and survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His monumental series 'Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples' (Koji Junrei) documented thirty-nine temples across Japan using color film. He was a significant mentor to younger generations of photographers and received numerous national awards for his humanist vision.
Hiroshima1958 · book · JapaneseEponymous volume including 130 pages of photographs and 46 pages of notes.
Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples (Koji Junrei)1963 · Bijutsushuppansha · book · JapanesePublished in five volumes from 1963 to 1975.
Bunraku1972 · book · JapaneseDocumenting traditional Japanese puppet theater.
The Half Life of Awareness: Photographs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki1995 · Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography · book · English, JapaneseExhibition catalogue featuring works by Domon and others.
Exhibitions
1981What Now!?: Japan through the Eyes of Shōmei Tōmatsusolo
1992Sakura + PlasticsMetropolitan Museum of Art, New Yorksolo
1999Traces: Fifty Years of Tōmatsu's WorkTokyo Metropolitan Museumsolo
Awards
1958Mainichi Photography Award
1958Photographer of the Year AwardJapan Photo Critics Association
