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The photographs, taken over a five-year period, are presented without chronological order. They show objects and themes that Araki has dealt with in previous photobooks and series (flowers, female nudes, dolls, sex toys, views from his balcony, everyday encounters, some streetsnaps). However, “Kata-Me” presents a much more nostalgic, yearning, almost wistful atmosphere.

The title “Kata-Me” (an Araki-typical wordplay) provides some insight into the background of the book:
“Composed of the Japanese characters for “One side or one-sided” (Kata) and “Eye” (Me), the title Kata-Me not only refers to a Araki’s physical condition, but also represents a poignant as well as uniquely humorous and witty—confrontation of the reality that life is inseparable from loss and death, and his relentless will to capture life as it is.”