
Roganfudoki
- Publisher
- Sokyusha
- Year
- 2023
- Specifications
- Hardcover, black and white
235 x 235 mm
78 pages
65 images
English / Japanese
Limited edition of 400 copies
Edited by Michitaka Ota
Design: 加藤勝也
Afterword by Masako Todo
Printing: 株式会社サンエムカラー
The title means Hazy-eyed Record of a Region. With subjects ranging from mountain scenery, forests, children and villages to miscellaneous objects, interiors, ponds and close-ups, Masahito Agake's book captures the world as a place imbued with mystery and an ominous atmosphere. Through complex layers, Agake recreates the memories and sense of wonder of his childhood and captures the growth of his own son, all the while referencing traditions and techniques from the history of Japanese photography. Rather than simply offering nostalgia, it opens doors between the present and the past, between memories and dreams yet to be fulfilled. In her afterword Masako Todo suggests that one of the fundamental motivations for photography is to anticipate loss: retracing techniques of a century ago, Agake looks into a future in which what exists now will be lost, and tries to touch what he sees.