shashasha

Masumi Kura has captured her subjects within her images again and again, closer to reality and more effortless than ever. For her, “beautiful men” are not limited to those in the prime of their youth, or men with an extraordinary sense for fashion. If I had to name a common element for her photos, it would be that they capture the nature of their subjects. Truly a collection of “fine men”, thanks to Masumi Kura’s “private gaze”.

— Michiko Kasahara, about Masumi Kura’s "Men are Beautiful" (translation by shashasha)

Having made up my mind to photograph men, I went out onto the streets; I did not limit my subjects to people I found attractive as members of the opposite sex, but rather made a point of releasing the shutter whenever I saw somebody who shone as a human being. […]
The reason why I decided to photograph men was that I want to use my personal technique, which is to say, street snapshots, to verify ‘beauty’. Historically speaking, beauty, as a subject has been limited to women but others have since worked to enlarge the scope of the genre and I was eager to participate, even if only in a minor role.

— Masumi Kura, from the book's afterword