Hiroji Kubota
Encyclopedia
is a renowned Japan
ese photographer, a member of Magnum Photos
who has specialized in photographing the far east.
Born in Kanda
(Tokyo) on 2 August 1939, Kubota studied politics at Waseda University
, graduating in 1962. In 1961 he met the Magnum
photographers René Burri
, Elliott Erwitt
, and Burt Glinn
. He then studied journalism and international politics at the University of Chicago
, and became an assistant to Erwitt and Cornell Capa
, in 1965, a freelance photographer.
Kubota photographed the 1968
US presidential election
and then Ryūkyū islands
before their return to Japan in 1972. He then photographed Saigon
in 1975, North Korea
in 1978, and China
in 1979–85, and the USA in 1988–92, resulting in books and exhibitions.
Kubota won the Mainichi Art Prize in 1980, and the Annual Award of the Photographic Society of Japan
in 1981. Three of his publications won him the first Kodansha Publishing Culture Award in 1970: "Black People", and essays on Calcutta
and the Ryūkyū islands.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese photographer, a member of Magnum Photos
Magnum Photos
Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices located in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo...
who has specialized in photographing the far east.
Born in Kanda
Kanda, Tokyo
See also Kanda, Fukuoka and the disambiguation page for Kanda. is a district in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It encompasses about thirty neighborhoods...
(Tokyo) on 2 August 1939, Kubota studied politics at Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
, graduating in 1962. In 1961 he met the Magnum
Magnum Photos
Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices located in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo...
photographers René Burri
René Burri
René Burri is a Swiss photographer known for his photos of major political, historical and cultural events and key figures of the second half of the 20th century. Burri worked for Magnum Photos and has been photographing political, military and artistic figures and scenes since 1946...
, Elliott Erwitt
Elliott Erwitt
Elliott Erwitt is an advertising and documentary photographer known for his black and white candid shots of ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings— a master of Henri Cartier-Bresson's "decisive moment"....
, and Burt Glinn
Burt Glinn
Burton Samuel Glinn was an American professional photographer who worked with Magnum Photos. He covered revolutionary leader Fidel Castro's entrance into Havana, Cuba, and photographed people such as Andy Warhol and Helen Frankenthaler...
. He then studied journalism and international politics at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, and became an assistant to Erwitt and Cornell Capa
Cornell Capa
Cornell Capa was a Hungarian American photographer, member of Magnum Photos, and photo curator, and the younger brother of photo-journalist and war photographer Robert Capa. Graduating from Imre Madách Gymnasium in Budapest, he initially intended to study medicine, but instead joined his brother...
, in 1965, a freelance photographer.
Kubota photographed the 1968
United States presidential election, 1968
The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. Coming four years after Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won in a historic landslide, it saw Johnson forced out of the race and Republican Richard Nixon elected...
US presidential election
Presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is president.- United States :The United States has elections on the state and local levels...
and then Ryūkyū islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
before their return to Japan in 1972. He then photographed Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
in 1975, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
in 1978, and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 1979–85, and the USA in 1988–92, resulting in books and exhibitions.
Kubota won the Mainichi Art Prize in 1980, and the Annual Award of the Photographic Society of Japan
Photographic Society of Japan
Since its inception, the Photographic Society of Japan has annually presented a large number of awards.-1952–1956:-1957–1984:-1985–1993:-1994–2003:-2004–2008:-2009–2010:...
in 1981. Three of his publications won him the first Kodansha Publishing Culture Award in 1970: "Black People", and essays on Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and the Ryūkyū islands.
Exhibitions by Kubota
- "The President's People." Neikrug Gallery (New York), 1976.. Nikon SalonNikon Salonis the name given to exhibition spaces and activities run by Nikon in Japan.The Ginza Nikon Salon opened in January 1968 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Nippon Kōgaku . This was later augmented by the Shinjuku Nikon Salon and the Osaka Nikon Salon...
(Tokyo), 1976. - "Daigan no nagare" . Odakyu Department Store, 1976.
- "Keirin mugen" . Matsuya (Ginza), 1982.
- "On China." ICPInternational Center of PhotographyThe International Center of Photography is a photography museum, school, and research center in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
(New York), 1982. - "Chūgoku mange" . Matsuya (Ginza), 1986.
- "Korea: Above the 38th Parallel." ICP (New York), 1986.
- "China." Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
), 1991 - "From Sea to Shining Sea: A Portrait of America." Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), 1992
- "Out of the East: Recent Photographs of Asia." Equitable Gallery (New York), 1997
- "China: Fifty Years inside the People's Republic." Asia SocietyAsia SocietyThe Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States and around the world Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, and Melbourne...
(New York), 1999–2000 - "Can We Feed Ourselves?" Asia Society (New York); School of Oriental and African StudiesSchool of Oriental and African StudiesThe School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
(London), 2001/2002 - "USA 1963–69 and Burma 1970–78." Photo Gallery International (Shibaura, Tokyo), 2009.
Books by Kubota
- Daigan no nagare: Chūgoku no fūdo to ningen . Tokyo: PPS, 1980. Exhibition catalogue.
- Daigan no nagare: Chūgoku no fūdo to ningen . Tokyo: Geibunsha, 1981.
- Keirin mugen . Tokyo: Iwanani Shoten, 1982.
- Yūkyū no daichi Chūgoku: 5000-nen no rekishi o yuku . Higashi Murayama: Kyōikusha, 1985. ISBN 4-315-50183-2.
- Kōzan senkyū . Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1985. ISBN 4-00-008026-1.
- China. Hamburg: Hoffmann und Campe, 1985. ISBN 3455082580.
- Chūgoku mange . Tokyo: PPS, 1986. Exhibition catalogue.
- Chūgoku mange . Tokyo: TBS Britannica, 1986. ISBN 4-484-86203-4.
- Chine. [Neuilly-sur-Seine]: [Ed. Hologramme], 1987.
- Zhongguo feng wu (中國風物). Hong Kong: San lian shu dian Xianggang fen dian, 1987. ISBN 9620403932.
- Chōsen 38-dosen no kita . Higashi Murayama: Kyōikusha, 1988. ISBN 4-315-50759-8.
- Chōsen meihō Hakutōsan Kongōsan . Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1988. ISBN 4-00-008041-5.
- Chine: Photos de Hiroji Kubota. Paris: École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts, 1988.
- Pungnyŏk ŭi sanha: Kubotʻa Hiroji sajinjip: Paektusan, Kŭmgangsan (북녘의산하: 구보타히로지사진집: 백두산 금강산). Seoul: Hanʼgyŏre Sinmunsa, 1988.
- Shinpen keirin mugen . Tokyo: Iwanami, 1990. ISBN 4-00-260046-7.
- Shinpen Kōzan shinkyū . Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1991. ISBN 4-00-260068-8.
- Haruka naru daichi Chūgoku . Hachiōji: Tokyo Fuji Bijutsukan, 1991.
- Amerika no shōzō . Tokyo: Shūeisha, 1992. ISBN 4-08-532043-2.
- From Sea to Shining Sea: A Portrait of America. New York: Norton, 1992. ISBN 0393034100.
- Amerika: ein Porträt. Hamburg: Hoffmann und Campe, 1992. ISBN 3455084540.
- Ichiban tōi kuni: Kita Chōsen annai . Tokyo: Takarajima, 1994: ISBN 4-7966-0846-X.
- China. New York: Norton, 1995. ISBN 0393022439.
- Ajia to shokuryō / Can We Feed Ourselves? Tokyo: Ie no Hikari Kyōkai, 1999. ISBN 4-259-54566-3. The captions specify the place in both Japanese and English but the explanatory text is in Japanese only.
- Can We Feed Ourselves? A Focus on Asia. New York: Magnum, 1999. ISBN 0914122002.
- Out of the East: Transition and Tradition in Asia. New York: Norton, 1999. ISBN 0393040887.
- Japan. New York: Norton, 2005. ISBN 0393058433.
External links
- Photographs of Japan, BBC.