Asahi Camera
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese monthly photographic magazine.
The first issue was that for April 1926. It has from the outset been published by Asahi Shinbun-sha, publisher of the newspaper Asahi Shinbun
.
From the January 1941 issue, it merged with the magazines Geijutsu Shashin Kenkyū and Shōzō Shashin Kenkyū . Publication was suspended with the April 1942 issue.
Publication resumed after the Second World War
with the October 1949 issue. Its cover employed a monochrome portrait of a girl by Ihei Kimura
, who would become a major contributor.
Asahi Camera attempts to satisfy interests in all areas of photography, with short portfolios in monochrome and color by established and new photographers (most but not all of them Japanese), contests for readers, articles about technique, and (accounting for much of the magazine's bulk) news and tests of equipment. The April 2006 issue, for example, has over four hundred pages (many of them advertising, but the great majority editorial) with five or more pages devoted to work by each of ten photographers, the announcement of the latest Kimura Ihei Award
, articles about equipment (new, old and even future), contests, and much else.
Even if one considers only its uninterrupted years of publication, from 1949, Asahi Camera is the oldest surviving Japanese photography magazine. Like any magazine that attempts to satisfy people with very different interests, it is sometimes criticized for not serving any of them particularly well, but its equipment reviews appear to be as rigorous as any and it continues to attract some of the best photographers for its portfolios. Like many photographic magazines, a lot of its covers somehow happen to show conventionally attractive young women (sometimes nude), and the overall impression it gives is unadventurous, but daring is a rare commodity in the Japanese magazine market and Asahi Camera does display work that cannot be regarded as at all commercial.
Since the demise of Camera Mainichi
in 1985, the only rival as a magazine attempting to cater for all photographic interests has been Nippon Camera
.
From its 1926 start until around 1932, in addition to the katakana
title, the magazine was prominently titled in English, Asahi Camera: The Japanese Journal of Photography. A shortened version, Asahi Camera, continued as an alternative title until late in the twentieth century but is now written "ASAHICAMERA".
The first issue was that for April 1926. It has from the outset been published by Asahi Shinbun-sha, publisher of the newspaper Asahi Shinbun
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
.
From the January 1941 issue, it merged with the magazines Geijutsu Shashin Kenkyū and Shōzō Shashin Kenkyū . Publication was suspended with the April 1942 issue.
Publication resumed after the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with the October 1949 issue. Its cover employed a monochrome portrait of a girl by Ihei Kimura
Ihei Kimura
Born on 12 December 1901 in Shitaya-ku , Tokyo, Kimura started taking photographs when very young but his interest intensified when he was around 20 and living in Tainan, Taiwan, where he was working for a sugar wholesaler. He opened a photographic studio in Nippori, Tokyo in 1924...
, who would become a major contributor.
| year | months | photographer |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Jan–Dec | Kichisaburō Anzai |
| 1963 | Jan–Dec | Masaaki Imamura |
| 1964 | Jan–Apr | Noriaki Yokosuka Noriaki Yokosuka was a renowned Japanese photographer.-References:... |
| May–Aug | Naoya Sugiki | |
| Sep–Dec | Hiroki Hayashi Hiroki Hayashi ' is a Japanese animation director.- Direct-to-video animation :* 1988 Revenge Road * 1989 Explorer Woman Ray* 1990 Sol Bianca * 1992 Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki* 1995 El-Hazard... |
|
| 1965 | Jan–Apr | Hideki Fujii Hideki Fujii , died on May 3, 2010 at age 75, is a renowned Japanese photographer.Among his published works are the book Karada Kesho, with make-up artist Teruko Kobayashi.-External links:*... |
| May–Aug | Hiroshi Nagaoka | |
| Sep–Dec | Toshio Tateishi | |
| 1966 | Jan–Apr | Masaaki Nishimiya |
| May–Aug | Shigeji Asano | |
| Sep–Dec | Kazumi Kurigami Kazumi Kurigami is a renowned Japanese photographer.-References:... |
|
| 1967–8 | not applicable | |
| 1969 | Jan–Dec | Kazumi Kurigami |
| 1970 | Jan–Dec | Daidō Moriyama Daido Moriyama is a Japanese photographer noted for his images depicting the breakdown of traditional values in post-war Japan.- Life and career :Born in Ikeda, Osaka, Daidō Moriyama studied photography under Takeji Iwamiya before moving to Tokyo in 1961 to work as an assistant to Eikoh Hosoe... |
| 1971 | Jan–Dec | Umihiko Konishi |
| 1972 | Jan–Dec | Kishin Shinoyama Kishin Shinoyama is a Japanese photographer.Shinoyama graduated from Nihon University. He worked with the Light Publicity agency while still a student, and freelanced after graduation.... |
| 1973 | Jan–Dec | Yutaka Takanashi Yutaka Takanashi is a Japanese photographer who has photographed fashion, urban design, and city life, and is best known for his depiction of Tokyo.-Life and career:... |
| 1974 | Jan–Dec | Akira Satō Akira Sato was a Japanese photographer noted for his photographs of girls and of Europe.Satō was born on 30 July 1930 in Tokyo. While a student of economics at Yokohama National University he was an avid reader of Life and other photographic and fashion magazines at the American CIE library in Hibiya. He... |
| 1975 | Jan–Dec | Hajime Sawatari Hajime Sawatari is a renowned Japanese photographer. He is known for his fashion and advertising photography as well as his nudes of girls and women. He earned his degree from Nihon University's College of Art with a major in photography.... |
| 1976 | Jan–Dec | Shin Yanagisawa Shin Yanagisawa was a renowned Japanese photographer.-References:*Nihon shashinka jiten / 328 Outstanding Japanese Photographers. Kyoto: Tankōsha, 2000. ISBN 4-473-01750-8. Despite the English-language alternative title, all in Japanese.... |
| 1977 | Jan–Dec | Shunji Ōkura Shunji Okura is a renowned Japanese photographer.-References:... |
| 1978 | not applicable | |
| 1979 | Jan–Dec | Akira Satō |
| 1980 | Jan–Dec | Takamasa Inamura Takamasa Inamura was a renowned Japanese photographer.-References:... |
| 1981 | Jan–Dec | Kōichi Inakoshi |
| 1982 | Jan–Jun | Bishin Jūmonji Bishin Jumonji is a photographer who has done advertising, portrait, architectural, and other work.Jumonji was born in Yokohama on 4 March 1947. After studying at the Tokyo College of Photography he worked as an assistant to Kishin Shinoyama and went freelance in 1971, when he was the cameraman for advertisements... |
| Jul–Dec | Noriaki Yokosuka | |
| 1983 | Jan–Dec | Hajime Sawatari |
| 1984 | not applicable | |
| 1985 | Jan–Dec | Hajime Sawatari |
Asahi Camera attempts to satisfy interests in all areas of photography, with short portfolios in monochrome and color by established and new photographers (most but not all of them Japanese), contests for readers, articles about technique, and (accounting for much of the magazine's bulk) news and tests of equipment. The April 2006 issue, for example, has over four hundred pages (many of them advertising, but the great majority editorial) with five or more pages devoted to work by each of ten photographers, the announcement of the latest Kimura Ihei Award
Kimura Ihei Award
The is a Japanese photographic award that attracts the attention of the mass media and book-buyers.The award has been given every year since 1975 by the Asahi Shimbun Company, publisher of Asahi Shimbun and the magazine Asahi Camera, in honor of the photographer Ihei Kimura...
, articles about equipment (new, old and even future), contests, and much else.
Even if one considers only its uninterrupted years of publication, from 1949, Asahi Camera is the oldest surviving Japanese photography magazine. Like any magazine that attempts to satisfy people with very different interests, it is sometimes criticized for not serving any of them particularly well, but its equipment reviews appear to be as rigorous as any and it continues to attract some of the best photographers for its portfolios. Like many photographic magazines, a lot of its covers somehow happen to show conventionally attractive young women (sometimes nude), and the overall impression it gives is unadventurous, but daring is a rare commodity in the Japanese magazine market and Asahi Camera does display work that cannot be regarded as at all commercial.
Since the demise of Camera Mainichi
Camera Mainichi
is a Japanese monthly magazine of photography that started in June 1954 and ceased publication in April 1985.As in most mass-market photography magazines, much of the editorial content of Camera Mainichi was devoted to news and reviews of cameras, lenses, and other equipment...
in 1985, the only rival as a magazine attempting to cater for all photographic interests has been Nippon Camera
Nippon Camera
is a Japanese photography magazine, published since 1950.It started in March 1950 as a bimonthly magazine, published by Kōgeisha as the successor to the book series Amachua Shashin Sōsho . It became a monthly magazine from July 1951...
.
From its 1926 start until around 1932, in addition to the katakana
Katakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet . The word katakana means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana scripts are derived from components of more complex kanji. Each kana represents one mora...
title, the magazine was prominently titled in English, Asahi Camera: The Japanese Journal of Photography. A shortened version, Asahi Camera, continued as an alternative title until late in the twentieth century but is now written "ASAHICAMERA".