shashasha

The paradisiac side of Japan’s islands

When he won the prestigious 11th Kimura Ihei Photography Award for his first photobook “Rakuen” (“Paradise”) – a series of images taken on tropical islands such as the Seychelles and the Maldives – at age 27, Japanese photographer Kazuyoshi Miyoshi was the youngest recipient in the award’s history.
With “Rakuen: The Island Paradise of Japan”, Miyoshi (now aged 62) captures Japan and its many islands from their most paradisiac side. Shot with high-end equipment and printed in vibrant, lifelike colors, Miyoshi preserves the idyllic beauty of Japan’s nature in breathtaking photographs – from simple compositions highlighting the beauty of a sunset over the ocean to close-ups of rare birds, long exposures of archipelagos, portraits of locals performing traditional rites in costume, or detail shots of plants and trees.