Legendary Daido Moriyama's gritty portrayal of ancient Japanese tradition in the modern world

Date
26 June 2012

Tokyo is more often than not captured with high-contrast colour photography to heighten the ubiquitous neon lights and bright colours. But what happens when you capture Tokyo in the gritty, black and white street photography usually synonymous with New York City? Well, look no further than the photography of Daido Moriyama – one of Japan’s leading documenters of urban life since the 1950s. Currently exhibiting at LACMA, Moriyama’s work transports you to a potentially unfamiliar city, filled with characters and creatures you would normally find in old movies and fiction. Through his images, Moriyama tries to convey a sense of ancient tradition mingling uncomfortably with – or clinging desperately on to – contemporary culture.

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Daido Moriyama: Tsugaru

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Daido Moriyama: Tsugaru

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Daido Moriyama

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Daido Moriyama

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Daido Moriyama: Tokyo

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Daido Moriyama: Tsugaru

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Daido Moriyama:

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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