Toyoko Tokiwa
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese photographer best known for her 1957 book of text and photographs Kiken na Adabana , and particularly for its portrayal of the red-light district
of post-occupation Yokohama
, with US servicemen.
on 15 January 1930. (As a photographer, she would later spell "toyo" in hiragana
rather than the original characters.) Her family ran a liquor wholesaler at Kanagawa-dōri 4-chōme in Yokohama, where she lived until it was burnt down in the American firebombing of 29 May 1945, an event in which her father sustained fatal burns. Her elder brother had used a Rolleicord
camera and a darkroom
, and this combined with a desire to work among men led Tokiwa to want to work as a photographer, even before she had used a camera herself.
She graduated from Tokyo Kasei-Gakuin (the predecessor of Tokyo Kasei-Gakuin Junior College
) in 1951. Tokiwa started work as an announcer
but dreamt of being a photographer instead, joining the women-only Shirayuri Camera Club ; she was influenced by the realism of Japanese photography at the time (led by Ken Domon
).
Some of Tokiwa's earliest photographs are of Ōsanbashi
, the pier in Yokohama at which American ships docked and that was thus the site of emotional partings and reunions of American military families. She was able to photograph close up without attracting any comment, and greatly enjoyed the work. But she quickly moved to her main interest, working women. Despite an initial hatred of the American military, prompted in particular by her father's death, and repellence from prostitution, she simply invited herself into the akasen
(red-light area) of Yokohama, asked the girls whether she might photograph, and was accepted.
Tokiwa would later marry an amateur photographer, Taikō Okumura — whose photography of postwar Japan appears with hers in a 1996 book — and work as both housewife and photojournalist.
She is a member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society
and chairs the Kanagawa Prefectural Photographers Association .
In 1956 Tokiwa held an exhibition titled Hataraku Josei at the Konishiroku Photo Gallery (Tokyo) that won high acclaim. The exhibition showed pro wrestlers
, models
, ama, nurses and prostitutes.
In 1957, her book Kiken na Adabana , was published by Mikasa Shobō. Its text is divided into three parts:
Each of these is further subdivided into short essays. The text is in the first person and often about Tokiwa herself: the (composite) cover photograph and the photograph in the frontispiece both show Tokiwa holding a Canon rangefinder camera
, in a period when photography was very much a male pursuit in Japan."Until the 1980s there were few successful female photographers [in Japan]." Anne Wilkes Tucker
, "Introduction", Tucker et al., p.12. Tucker then mentions and alludes to several who preceded Tokiwa.
The text of the book is interrupted by four sections of photographs, taken between 1952 and 1957 (captions and technical data appear on pp. 242–241Not a mistake; as this is a two-page island of horizontal writing within a book whose text is otherwise vertical
, it is paginated backwards.). There is a title on the first photograph of each; these are:
Kōtarō Iizawa
calls the book "the strongest, most compassionate work by female photographer of that era."
(1958) and the Ryūkyū islands (1960). the Soviet Union
(1974, and Taiwan
and Malaysia (1975–80). Since 1985, she has worked on issues involving the elderly.
No book has yet (early 2010) been devoted to the later work of Tokiwa, but from the 1950s until the 1970s her work appeared in the magazines Asahi Camera
, Camera Mainichi
, Nippon Camera
, Sankei Camera, and Shashin Salon.
In November 2010, when she spoke (on the 23rd) to the Japan Professional Photographers Society
's 60th anniversary photo exhibition "Women" in Yokohama to an audience of about a hundred on her early days as a photographer, she was living in Yokohama and working on photographing people with Alzheimer's disease
.
, and in 1987 she taught at Fujisawa Bunka Sentā (Fujisawa, Kanagawa
).
, Narahara
and others in the first exhibition of Jūnin no Me . Until 1960, Tokiwa presented her work in several exhibitions, at least once together with Hisae Imai
.
The 3rd Month of Photography Tokyo showcased a variety of photograph exhibitions at various galleries in Tokyo in 1998. The main theme was "The Eye of Women Photographers" (Josei Shashinka no Manazashi), and it exhibited photographs by Tokiwa and other established Japanese women photographers of the 1945–1997 period.
Tokiwa joined the Yokohama Photo Triangle exhibition in 2009, held as a part of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port of Yokohama
, where she also organized a civic participation program.
Akasen
is Japanese slang and a collective term which was used to identify districts in Japan where prostitution and the sex industry flourished until 1958.Akasen means literally "red-line". The districts were the designated regions for state-regulated prostitution...
of post-occupation Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, with US servicemen.
Life and career
Toyoko Tokiwa was born in YokohamaYokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
on 15 January 1930. (As a photographer, she would later spell "toyo" in hiragana
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
rather than the original characters.) Her family ran a liquor wholesaler at Kanagawa-dōri 4-chōme in Yokohama, where she lived until it was burnt down in the American firebombing of 29 May 1945, an event in which her father sustained fatal burns. Her elder brother had used a Rolleicord
Rolleicord
The Rolleicord was a popular medium-format twin lens reflex camera made by Franke & Heidecke between 1933 and 1976. It was a simpler, less expensive version of the high-end Rolleiflex TLR, aimed at amateur photographers who wanted a high-quality camera but could not afford the expensive Rolleiflex...
camera and a darkroom
Darkroom
A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
, and this combined with a desire to work among men led Tokiwa to want to work as a photographer, even before she had used a camera herself.
She graduated from Tokyo Kasei-Gakuin (the predecessor of Tokyo Kasei-Gakuin Junior College
Tokyo Kasei-Gakuin Junior College
is a private women's college in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, established in 1950. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1925.Though the two share the same historical roots , this school and Tokyo Kasei-Gakuin University are distinct institutions....
) in 1951. Tokiwa started work as an announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
but dreamt of being a photographer instead, joining the women-only Shirayuri Camera Club ; she was influenced by the realism of Japanese photography at the time (led by Ken Domon
Ken Domon
is one of the most renowned Japanese photographers of the twentieth century. He is most celebrated as a photojournalist, though he may have been most prolific as a photographer of Buddhist temples and statuary....
).
Some of Tokiwa's earliest photographs are of Ōsanbashi
Osanbashi Pier
is the main international pier at the Port of Yokohama, located in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. Ōsanbashi is the oldest pier in Yokohama, originally constructed between 1889 and 1896.To meet modern demands, Ōsanbashi was reconstructed between 1987 and 2002...
, the pier in Yokohama at which American ships docked and that was thus the site of emotional partings and reunions of American military families. She was able to photograph close up without attracting any comment, and greatly enjoyed the work. But she quickly moved to her main interest, working women. Despite an initial hatred of the American military, prompted in particular by her father's death, and repellence from prostitution, she simply invited herself into the akasen
Akasen
is Japanese slang and a collective term which was used to identify districts in Japan where prostitution and the sex industry flourished until 1958.Akasen means literally "red-line". The districts were the designated regions for state-regulated prostitution...
(red-light area) of Yokohama, asked the girls whether she might photograph, and was accepted.
Tokiwa would later marry an amateur photographer, Taikō Okumura — whose photography of postwar Japan appears with hers in a 1996 book — and work as both housewife and photojournalist.
She is a member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society
Japan Professional Photographers Society
The is a Tokyo-based organization of photographers founded in 1950 that has continued to this day. Its logo reads “JPS”. It was formed from the combination of three earlier organizations, none more than two years old: Seinen Hōdō Shashin Kenkyūkai , Seinen Shashinka Kyōkai , and Shashinka Shūdan...
and chairs the Kanagawa Prefectural Photographers Association .
Kiken na Adabana
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, models
Model (art)
Art models are models who pose for photographers, painters, sculptors, and other artists as part of their work of art. Art models who pose in the nude for life drawing are usually called life models...
, ama, nurses and prostitutes.
In 1957, her book Kiken na Adabana , was published by Mikasa Shobō. Its text is divided into three parts:
- Kiken na adabana (as explained above)
- Fāsutofurekkusu kara Kyanon made (i.e. "From Firstflex to Canon"; the Firstflex was a brand of twin-lens reflex cameraTwin-lens reflex cameraA twin-lens reflex camera is a type of camera with two objective lenses of the same focal length. One of the lenses is the photographic objective or "taking lens" , while the other is used for the viewfinder system, which is usually viewed from above at waist level...
made by Tokiwa Seiki) - Kōfuku e no iriguchi no aru ie (i.e. "A house with an entrance to happiness")
Each of these is further subdivided into short essays. The text is in the first person and often about Tokiwa herself: the (composite) cover photograph and the photograph in the frontispiece both show Tokiwa holding a Canon rangefinder camera
Rangefinder camera
A rangefinder camera is a camera fitted with a rangefinder: a range-finding focusing mechanism allowing the photographer to measure the subject distance and take photographs that are in sharp focus...
, in a period when photography was very much a male pursuit in Japan."Until the 1980s there were few successful female photographers [in Japan]." Anne Wilkes Tucker
Anne Wilkes Tucker
Anne Wilkes Tucker is an American museum curator of photographic works. Tucker was born in Baton Rouge. She received a B.A. in Art History from Randolph Macon Woman's College in 1967, and an A.A.S in Photographic Illustration from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1968...
, "Introduction", Tucker et al., p.12. Tucker then mentions and alludes to several who preceded Tokiwa.
The text of the book is interrupted by four sections of photographs, taken between 1952 and 1957 (captions and technical data appear on pp. 242–241Not a mistake; as this is a two-page island of horizontal writing within a book whose text is otherwise vertical
Horizontal and vertical writing in East Asian scripts
Many East Asian scripts can be written horizontally or vertically. The Chinese, Japanese and Korean scripts can be oriented in either direction, as they consist mainly of disconnected syllabic units, each occupying a square block of space...
, it is paginated backwards.). There is a title on the first photograph of each; these are:
- Aru machi no kurai onna no iru fūkei (i.e. "The dark scenery with women of a certain Japanese town"). Mostly street scenes within this town (Yokohama) many showing girls and US servicemen. On pp. 44–45 appears Tokiwa's most famous photograph,This is reprinted in for example Iizawa, "The evolution of postwar photography", in Tucker et al., p.236. taken in Wakaba-chō Bā-gai , behind IsezakichōIsezakichois a district of Naka Ward in Yokohama, Japan, consisting mainly of the . The shopping street is 1.2 km long, running from in the northeast, to in the southwest....
, showing a girl held down by a foreign man while another in uniform looks away. - Kiken na hakimono (i.e. "Dangerous footwear"). The opening photograph shows getaGeta (footwear)Geta are a form of traditional Japanese footwear that resemble both clogs and flip-flops. They are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong to keep the foot well above the ground. They are worn with traditional Japanese clothing such as kimono or yukata,...
and sandals discarded at the entrance to a hospital; the photographs that follow show girls waiting for or having injections and mandatory checks of freedom from venereal diseasesSexually transmitted diseaseSexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
. - Fāsutofurekkusu kara Kyanon made (as explained above). A complex series: foreign visitors to Japan, ama, nude modelling, and chindon'ya.
- Kōfuku e no iriguchi no aru ie (as explained above). Happier scenes of young women — although the series ends with the scene shown within the lens on the cover.
Kōtarō Iizawa
Kotaro Iizawa
is a Japanese photography critic, historian of photography, and magazine editor.Born in Sendai, Miyagi in 1954, Iizawa studied photography in Nihon University, graduating in 1977. He obtained his doctorate at University of Tsukuba....
calls the book "the strongest, most compassionate work by female photographer of that era."
Television work
From 1962 to 1965 Tokiwa produced the television series Hataraku Josei-tachi .Other photography and publications
Tokiwa photographed around US military bases in YokosukaUnited States Fleet Activities Yokosuka
U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base, in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet and...
(1958) and the Ryūkyū islands (1960). the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(1974, and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Malaysia (1975–80). Since 1985, she has worked on issues involving the elderly.
No book has yet (early 2010) been devoted to the later work of Tokiwa, but from the 1950s until the 1970s her work appeared in the magazines Asahi Camera
Asahi Camera
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....
, 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...
, 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...
, Sankei Camera, and Shashin Salon.
In November 2010, when she spoke (on the 23rd) to the Japan Professional Photographers Society
Japan Professional Photographers Society
The is a Tokyo-based organization of photographers founded in 1950 that has continued to this day. Its logo reads “JPS”. It was formed from the combination of three earlier organizations, none more than two years old: Seinen Hōdō Shashin Kenkyūkai , Seinen Shashinka Kyōkai , and Shashinka Shūdan...
's 60th anniversary photo exhibition "Women" in Yokohama to an audience of about a hundred on her early days as a photographer, she was living in Yokohama and working on photographing people with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.
Other work
In 1967 Tokiwa joined a committee choosing work for exhibition by Kanagawa PrefectureKanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, and in 1987 she taught at Fujisawa Bunka Sentā (Fujisawa, Kanagawa
Fujisawa, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 407,731 and a population density of 5,870 people per km². The total area is 69.51 km²-Geography:...
).
Exhibitions
In 1957, Tokiwa joined TōmatsuShomei Tomatsu
is a Japanese photographer.Born Teruaki Tōmatsu in Nagoya in 1930, Tōmatsu studied economics at Aichi University, graduating in 1954. While still a student, he had his photographs published by the major Japanese photography magazines. He entered Iwanami and worked on the series Iwanami Shashin Bunko...
, Narahara
Ikko Narahara
is a Japanese photographer. Born in Fukuoka, Narahara studied law at Chuo University and, influenced by statues of Buddha at Nara, art history at the graduate school of Waseda University ....
and others in the first exhibition of Jūnin no Me . Until 1960, Tokiwa presented her work in several exhibitions, at least once together with Hisae Imai
Hisae Imai
was a renowned Japanese photographer who specialized in the photography of horses.Born in Tokyo in 1931, Imai graduated from Bunka Gakuin in 1952. She had her first solo exhibition in 1952; from the 1970s, most of her numerous solo exhibitions were of photographs of horses.Imai died on 17 February...
.
The 3rd Month of Photography Tokyo showcased a variety of photograph exhibitions at various galleries in Tokyo in 1998. The main theme was "The Eye of Women Photographers" (Josei Shashinka no Manazashi), and it exhibited photographs by Tokiwa and other established Japanese women photographers of the 1945–1997 period.
Tokiwa joined the Yokohama Photo Triangle exhibition in 2009, held as a part of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port of Yokohama
Port of Yokohama
The is operated by the Port and Harbor Bureau of the City of Yokohama in Japan. It opens onto Tokyo Bay. The port is located at a latitude of 35.27.–00°N and a longitude of 139.38–46°E. To the south lies the Port of Yokosuka; to the north, the ports of Kawasaki and Tokyo.-Facilities:Yokohama Port...
, where she also organized a civic participation program.
Permanent collections
- Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of PhotographyTokyo Metropolitan Museum of PhotographyThe is an art museum focused on photography. The museum was founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and is located in Meguro-ku, a short walk from Ebisu station in southwest Tokyo...
.As implied by her inclusion, without a qualifying note, within the book Nihon Shashinka Jiten / 328 Outstanding Japanese Photographers. - Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of ArtYamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art, in Yamaguchi City is the main art gallery of Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.Opened in 1979, the gallery has a permanent collection, part of which is exhibited at any one time, and also hosts special exhibitions....
. - Yokohama Civic Art Gallery.
Books by Tokiwa
- Kiken na Adabana . Tokyo: Mikasa Shobō, 1957.
- With Taikō Okumura . Sengo 50-nen: Yokohama Saigen: Futari de Utsushita Haisen Sutōrī .Another problematic title. All three ingredients appear on the cover, the title page, and the colophon, but the question of which way around they should go is unclear. In this list, they follow the order in the colophon. Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1996. ISBN 4582277330. Photographs of Yokohama after the war; pp. 3–95 show Okumura's work, pp. 96–143 show Tokiwa's.
- Watashi no naka no Yokohama Densetsu: Tokiwa Toyoko Shashinshū 1954–1956 / A Collection of Photographs by Toyoko Tokiwa. Yokohama: Tokiwa Toyoko Shashin Jimusho, 2001. Photographs of Yokohama, 1954–56.
Further reading
- Iizawa Kōtarō . Shashin to Kotoba: Shashinka Nijūgo-nin, Kaku Katariki . Shūeisha Shinsho. Tokyo: Shūeisha, 2003. ISBN 4-08-720176-7. Pages 91–97 are devoted to Tokiwa.
- Matsumoto Norihiko . "Gun-kichi-mondai ni idomu: Saeki Yoshikatsu to Tokiwa Toyoko" . Pp. 35–40 of Shōwa o Toraeta Shashinka no Me: Sengo-Shashin no Ayumi o Tadoru . Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1989. ISBN 4-02-258453-X.