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Japan’s oldest Buddha statues, captured by a master photographer

Ken Domon was one of the pioneers of post-war Japanese photography. For thirty years between the 1940s and 1970s – a period in which he suffered three brain hemorrhages that eventually bound him to the wheelchair –, Domon visited ancient temples all over Japan as part of his series “Pilgrimage to Ancient Temples.” This volume focuses on the photographs of Buddha statues captured by Domon during these 30 years.

Containing over 162 photographs of Buddha statues (among them 44 national treasures and 19 important cultural assets) taken at 26 temples in Japan — including Muro-ji, Yakushi-ji, Sanjusangendo and Byodoin — the book manages to capture both the magnificent craftsmanship required to create the statues as well as convey the awe these statues inspire. Some of the statues captured in Domon’s detailed compositions are not open to the public and only shown on special occasions. This overwhelming series would probably be impossible to create in this way today.
A one-of-a-kind collaboration between the sublime Buddha statues, worshipped for over a thousand years by generations of people, and Ken Domon, one of Japan’s master photographers.

Please note that all texts included in this publication are only available in Chinese and Japanese language.