Forms of Japan

by Michael Kenna, Yvonne Meyer-Lohr

This beautiful book presents a meditative, arresting, and dazzling collection of 240 black-and-white images of Japan, made over almost 30 years by the internationally renowned photographer Michael Kenna. A rocky coast along the sea of Japan; an immense plain of rice fields in the snow; Mount Fuji towering over misty wooded hills; silent temples devoid of people but brimming with Buddhist deities; a Torii gate mysteriously emerging from moving clouds and water—these are a few images from this remarkable collection of photographs by Michael Kenna, whose black-and-white work is highly renowned. Forms of Japan, brilliantly designed by Yvonne Meyer-Lohr, is organized into chapters simply titled, "Sea," "Land," "Trees," "Spirit," and "Sky." The quietly evocative photographs, often paired with classic haiku poems of Basho, Buson, Issa, and others, provide a contemplative portrait of a country better known for its energy and industry. Gorgeously reproduced to convey the enormous subtleties that exist in Michael Kenna’s traditional black-and-white silver prints, the photographs in this book include both well-known and previously unpublished images from all corners of Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Okinawa, and Shikoku.

Genres: Photography, Japan, Art, Nonfiction, Travel, Poetry

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2015

Reviews

[Wendelle]

Majestic book. Collects monochromatic, wintry nature pictures of Japan, using clean lines and panoramic views to transport the viewer to a place of stillness, calm and awe. Accompanied by evocative haikus.

[Barry Stoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the top 3 photography books I have read.
Kenna's photography is amazing. It's easy to see how he loves to shoot in Japan, with his graphic images presenting the viewer with a spiritual minimalism that is so much a large part of the Japanese culture.
The layout really excels at presenting the images and print quality is adequate.

Highly recommended to anyone who has a passion for B&W photography

[Pramodh Gopalan Varatharajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely breathtaking. It calms me down after a stressful day. The haikus make you introspect, and the photos pair perfectly with it.

I wish I owned this book instead of returning it to the library.

[Pramodh Gopalan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely breathtaking. It calms me down after a stressful day. The haikus make you introspect, and the photos pair perfectly with it.

I wish I owned this book instead of returning it to the library.

[Annick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent book of photographs by a master landscape photographer. All in B&W. His images are pure art. Gorgeous.

[Patricia Aragnouet · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Qué paz de libro!

[Josephine]

beautiful photographs.

[Patrick Hanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The combination of images and text throughout the collection invite long langorous contemplation of the artistry assembled and the mystery and enchantment that each page offers. Beautiful.

[Wendy Wei · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my fav fine art photographers! Crying because his work feels so zen and beautiful. I often flip through the pages when I am down to remind myself the beauty of living

[Hansu · Rating 5 out of 5]

And suddenly I am in the midst of silence, space, alone with myself and the great nothing. Quiet, stillness, timelessness. Eternal beauty of nature.

[Jessie Vahrenkamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful book presents a collection of 240 black and white photographs by renowned photographer Michael Kenna taken over a period of 30 years from his travels to and throughout Japan. Kenna’s compositions emphasise the provocative power of natural forms combined with the pervading influence of Zen philosophy in the Far East. Expansiveness and emptiness coexist. Thus: a placid coastline; Mt Fuji presiding over a snowy expanse; mist-filled landscapes of hunched shrubs; a torii gate emerging from a sea of clouds; stalwart yet forgotten Bodhisattvas.

Divided between seven chapters (First, Sea, Land, Trees, Spirit, Sky, Last), the book’s few words are introspective essays that open each chapter and classic haiku interspersed throughout. Simultaneously contemplative and evocative, Forms of Japan is a rich meditation on simplicity and form.

[Seema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous collection of black & white photographs of Japan, accompanied by traditional haiku. The photographs by Michael Kenna and the book design & commentary by Yvonne Meyer-Lohr beautifully convey the simplicity and spirituality of the Japanese aesthetic. I’d recommend this coffee table book to fans of black & white nature photography, Japanese art or Zen Buddhism.

[Benjamin Uke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book of photography and haiku illustrating the culture of japan.