Yonosuke Natori
Encyclopedia
Born in Tokyo on 3 September 1910, Natori studied at Keio
normal school but upon graduation went with his mother to Munich
, where he studied at a school of arts and crafts. He became interested in photography and in 1931 obtained a Leica, later that year getting a contract to work as a photographer for Ullstein
, which in 1933 sent him to Manchuria
to cover the Mukden Incident
. After immediate hostilities there had ended, Natori went to Japan and set up the first Nihon Kōbō, and when that collapsed set up the second, working on its magazine Nippon. He went to Berlin
for the 1936 Olympics
, and thence went directly to the US, getting some of his photographs taken there published by Life
and in 1937 becoming the first Japanese photographer to be contracted to that magazine.
Natori returned to Japan and Japanese-held China, and worked through the wartime years on various Japanese propaganda organs, such as Shanghai and Canton.
In 1947, Natori set up Shūkan San Nyūsu (Weekly Sun News), inspired by Life and similar western magazines (though published on inferior paper). This ended two years later, whereupon Natori edited and also did photography for Iwanami Shashin Bunko (1950–59). He was busy in the fifties and made a number of trips outside Japan: to China in 1956, and to Europe every year from 1959 to 1962, toward the end of this period photographing romanesque sculpture and architecture
.
Natori died in Tokyo on 23 November 1962.
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
normal school but upon graduation went with his mother to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where he studied at a school of arts and crafts. He became interested in photography and in 1931 obtained a Leica, later that year getting a contract to work as a photographer for Ullstein
Ullstein-Verlag
The Ullstein Verlag was founded by Leopold Ullstein in 1877 at Berlin and is one of the largest publishing companies of Germany. It published newspapers like B.Z. and Berliner Morgenpost and books through its subsidiaries Ullstein Buchverlage and Propyläen.The newspaper publishing branch was taken...
, which in 1933 sent him to Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
to cover the Mukden Incident
Mukden Incident
The Mukden Incident, also known as the Manchurian Incident, was a staged event that was engineered by Japanese military personnel as a pretext for invading the northern part of China known as Manchuria in 1931....
. After immediate hostilities there had ended, Natori went to Japan and set up the first Nihon Kōbō, and when that collapsed set up the second, working on its magazine Nippon. He went to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
for the 1936 Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
, and thence went directly to the US, getting some of his photographs taken there published by Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
and in 1937 becoming the first Japanese photographer to be contracted to that magazine.
Natori returned to Japan and Japanese-held China, and worked through the wartime years on various Japanese propaganda organs, such as Shanghai and Canton.
In 1947, Natori set up Shūkan San Nyūsu (Weekly Sun News), inspired by Life and similar western magazines (though published on inferior paper). This ended two years later, whereupon Natori edited and also did photography for Iwanami Shashin Bunko (1950–59). He was busy in the fifties and made a number of trips outside Japan: to China in 1956, and to Europe every year from 1959 to 1962, toward the end of this period photographing romanesque sculpture and architecture
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
.
Natori died in Tokyo on 23 November 1962.
Books by Natori and of Natori's works
- Grosses Japan. Berlin: Karl Specht, 1937.
- Iwanami Shashin Bunko . Tokyo: Iwanami.
- 5. Amerikajin . 1950.
- 6. Amerika . 1950.
- 8. Shashin . 1950.
- 144. Nagano-ken: Shin-fudoki . 1955.
- 150. Wakayama-ken: Shin-fudoki . 1955.
- 153. Ōita-ken: Shin-fudoki . 1955.
- 156. Kanagawa-ken: Shin-fudoki . 1955.
- 164. Ehime-ken: Shin-fudoki . 1955.
- 170. Shiga-ken: Shin-fudoki . 1955.
- 173. Chiba-ken: Shin-fudoki . 1955.
- 234. Okayama-ken: Shin-fudoki . 1957.
- Atarashii shashinjutsu . Foto Raiburarī 3. Tokyo: Keiyūsha, 1955.
- Sunappu . Asahi Camera Kōza. Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1956.
- Kumi shashin no tsukurikata . Tokyo: Keiyūsha, 1956.
- Bakusekizan sekkuri . Tokyo: Iwanami, 1957.
- Romanesuku: Seiyōbi no shigen . Tokyo: Keiyūsha, 1962. A collection of black and white photographs (and a tiny number of color photographs) of Romanesque architectural ornament, painting, statuary, etc. Text — by Munemoto Yanagi — and captions in Japanese only.
- Ningen dōbutsu mon'yō: Romanesuku bijutsu to sono shūhen . Tokyo: Keiyūsha, 1963. A collection of black and white photographs of Romanesque architectural ornament, painting, statuary, etc., as well as its Roman precursors. Text — by Sahoko Tsuji — and captions in Japanese only.
- Shashin no yomikata . Iwanami Shinsho. Tokyo: Iwanami, 1973.
- Natori Yōnosuke no shigoto: Dainihon . Tokyo: Seibu Bijutsukan, 1978.
- Amerika 1937 . Tokyo: Kōdansha, 1992. ISBN 4-06-205689-5.
- Natori Yōnosuke . Nihon no Shashinka. Tokyo: Iwanami, 1998. ISBN 4-00-008358-9.
- Doitsu 1936-nen . Tokyo: Iwanami, 2006. ISBN 4-00-008083-0.
Books about Natori
- Ishikawa Yasumasa (石川保昌). Hōdō shashin no seishun jidai: Natori Yōnosuke to nakamatachi (報道写真の青春時代：名取洋之助と仲間たち). Tokyo: Kōdansha, 1991.
- Mikami Masahiko (三神真彦). Wagamama ippai Natori Yōnosuke (わがままいっぱい名取洋之助). Tokyo: Chikuma Shobō, 1988. ISBN 4-480-82243-7.
- Nakanishi Teruo (中西昭雄). Natori Yōnosuke no jidai (名取洋之助の時代). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1981.
Other books with works by Natori
- Dokyumentarī no jidai: Natori Yōnosuke, Kimura Ihee, Domon Ken, Miki Jun no shashin kara (ドキュメンタリーの時代：名取洋之助・木村伊兵衛・土門 拳・三木淳の写真から) / The Documentary Age: Photographs by Natori Younosuke, Kimura Ihee, Domon Ken, and Miki Jun. Tokyo: Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, 2001. An exhibition catalogue. The book reproduces 16 of Natori's photographs of the US. Captions in both Japanese and English, other text in Japanese only.