Yukichi Watabe

Overview

Yukichi Watabe (1924-1993) was a documentary
photographer who started his career after the Second
World War, in the period where the Japanese people were
turning to a new order (and spirit) while still suffering from
enormous damage from the war. This was the age of great
chaos and change in Japan. In Watabe’s photographs one
can witness the moments that symbolise the atmospere
of the period, and also, the people who lived plainly but
were full of energy. While focusing on the objectivity as a
photo journalist, he looked at the Japanes people’s
lives with a sincere, warm heart.

Long after his death Watabe’s work became known and
acclaimed in the West. In 2006 a rare book dealer in London
bought a large set of Watabe’s photographs, from which a
remarkable cinematic photo book A Criminal Investigation
was compiled and published in 2011. This widely celebrated
‘film noir’ book brought the well derserved attention for
Watabe’s warm but honest documentation of a recovering
Japan.

Works

Untitled 50 from The Post-War Years (Tokyo Olympics), 1964
Untitled 49 from The Post-War Years (Tokyo Olympics), 1964
Untitled 81 from The Post-War Years (Keihin Tsurumi Petroleum Combine), 1962
Untitled 53 from The Post-War Years, 1962
Untitled 36 from The Post-War Years, 1958
Untitled 35 from The Post-War Years, 1958
Untitled 8 from The Post-War Years (Returned soldiers at Ueno), 1950
Untitled 52 from The Post-War Years (Yoshiwara), 1950
Untitled 51 from The Post-War Years (Yoshiwara), 1950
Untitled 47 from The Post-War Years (Returned Soldiers at Ueno), 1950
Untitled 46 from The Post-War Years (Returned Soldiers at Ueno), 1950
Untitled 45 from The Post-War Years (Yasukuni Shrine), 1950
Untitled 89 from The Post-War Years, 1948
Untitled 78 from The Post-War Years (Gakusei Engo Kai), 1948
Untitled 67 from The Post-War Years (Gakusai Engo Kai), 1948
Untitled 42 from The Post-War Years (Gakusei Engo Kai), 1948
Untitled 83 from The Post-War Years, 1947
Untitled 55 from The Post-War Years (Taito-ku, Tokyo), 1947
Untitled 54 from The Post-War Years (Outdoor class, Ginza Taimei elementary school), 1947
Untitled 5 from The Post-War Years (Shopping at Ueno), 1947
Untitled 26 from The Post-War Years, 1947
Untitled 90 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 9 from The Post-War Years (Self-defense forces, second time, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 88 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 87 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 85 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 84 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 82 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 80 from The Post-War Years (Self-Defense Forces, second year, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 79 from The Post-War Years (Mount Fuji Base), 1945-c1970
Untitled 77 from The Post-War Years ((against) Japan/US Security Treaty), 1945-c1970
Untitled 76 from The Post-War Years (Star Takehiko Maeda), 1945-c1970
Untitled 75 from The Post-War Years (Self-defense Forces, second year, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 74 from The Post-War Years (Star Takehiko Maeda), 1945-c1970
Untitled 73 from The Post-War Years (Night Junior High School), 1945-c1970
Untitled 72 from The Post-War Years (Night Junior High School), 1945-c1970
Untitled 71 from The Post-War Years (17 Years Old), 1945-c1970
Untitled 70 from The Post-War Years (Star Takehiko Maeda), 1945-c1970
Untitled 7 from The Post-War Years (Ministry of Finance Printing Bureau), 1945-c1970
Untitled 69 from The Post-War Years (17 Years Old), 1945-c1970
Untitled 68 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 66 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 65 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 64 from The Post-War Years (Mount Fuji Base), 1945-c1970
Untitled 63 from The Post-War Years (Mount Fuji Base), 1945-c1970
Untitled 62 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 61 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 60 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 59 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 58 from The Post-War Years (Manager's Seminar), 1945-c1970
Untitled 57 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 56 from The Post-War Years (Maiko in Kyoto), 1945-c1970
Untitled 48 from The Post-War Years (Stock Market), 1945-c1970
Untitled 44 from The Post-War Years (Oku no Hosomichi), 1945-c1970
Untitled 43 from The Post-War Years (Oku no Hosomichi, Donald Keene by Mogami River), 1945-c1970
Untitled 41 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 40 from The Post-War Years (Ministry of Finance Printing Bureau), 1945-c1970
Untitled 39 from The Post-War Years (Ministry of Finance Printing Bureau), 1945-c1970
Untitled 38 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 37 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 34 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 33 from The Post-War Years, 1945-c1970
Untitled 32 from The Post-War Years (Oku no Hosomichi, Donald Keene), 1945-c1970
Untitled 31 from The Post-War Years (Stock Market), 1945-c1970
Untitled 30 from The Post-War Years (Self-defense forces, second time, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 3 from The Post-War Years (Maiko in Kyoto), 1945-c1970
Untitled 29 from The Post-War Years (Self-defense forces, second time, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 28 from The Post-War Years (Self-defense forces, second time, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 27 from The Post-War Years (Self-defense forces, second time, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 25 from The Post-War Years (Asakusa za), 1945-c1970
Untitled 24 from The Post-War Years (Nichigeki Music Hall), 1945-c1970
Untitled 23 from The Post-War Years (Self-defense forces, second time, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 22 from The Post-War Years (Self-defense forces, second time, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 21 from The Post-War Years (Crown Prince), 1945-c1970
Untitled 20 from The Post-War Years (Crown Prince), 1945-c1970
Untitled 2 from The Post-War Years (Mount Fuji Base), 1945-c1970
Untitled 19 from The Post-War Years (Crown Prince), 1945-c1970
Untitled 18 from The Post-War Years (Crown Prince), 1945-c1970
Untitled 17 from The Post-War Years (Crown Prince), 1945-c1970
Untitled 16 from The Post-War Years (Crown Prince), 1945-c1970
Untitled 15 from The Post-War Years (Mount Fuji Base), 1945-c1970
Untitled 14 from The Post-War Years (Toho Dispute), 1945-c1970
Untitled 13 from The Post-War Years (Toho Dispute), 1945-c1970
Untitled 12 from The Post-War Years (Nichigeki Music Hall), 1945-c1970
Untitled 11 from The Post-War Years (Nichigeki Music Hall), 1945-c1970
Untitled 10 from The Post-War Years (Self-defense forces, second time, 1 October), 1945-c1970
Untitled 1 from The Post-War Years (Mount Fuji Base), 1945-c1970