BOOK | A Photobook to Commemorate the Spring of Koyasan's 1200th Anniversary: "Issan"
BOOK | A Photobook of Exquisite Beauty, Shot Over Five Years
Eriko Koga's Photobook 'Issan'
This year marks the 1200th anniversary of the founding of Kōyasan as a center of Esoteric Buddhism by Kōbō Daishi Kūkai. In the spring of this commemorative year, emerging photographer Eriko Koga released 'Issan,' a photobook capturing Kōyasan over a five-year period.
Text by Kozue Enomoto (OPENERS)
A Collection Capturing Nature's Emotion and Kōyasan's Serene Daily Life
Founded around 819 as a place of spiritual practice by Kōbō Daishi Kūkai, Kōyasan is a sacred site of Japanese Buddhism. The recently released photobook 'Issan' is a magnum opus by the promising young photographer Eriko Koga, who spent five years photographing the sacred mountain.
The book features 100 stunning images that convey the quiet daily life of Kōyasan, the warmth of its residents, the solemn temples, the spiritual mountain paths, the pristine air, and the emotionally resonant beauty of the changing seasons.
“Ultimately, for me, there are ‘people’ before ‘photography.’ I want to be a better person, even just a little. I believe that the desire to do so leads me to certain places, to certain people, to fill what I lack. When what I seek is within reach, and the subject is profound, I can become deeply immersed. It might be a force akin to faith.”
As the first female photographer to turn her lens towards the inner sanctums of Kōyasan, her profound feelings, embraced by the mountain's spirit, imbue each photograph with a powerful sense of vitality.
The cover is available in three colors: 'Sakura,' reminiscent of cherry blossoms; 'Yuki,' evoking pure snow; and 'Usuzumi,' a quiet dusk gray. The photographs, capturing the beautiful seasons of Kōyasan and the very breath of its inhabitants, are sure to bring a sense of pure light to the viewer's heart.
'Issan' Regular Edition
Publisher | Akaaka
Price | ¥4,320
'Issan' Limited Edition
Publisher | Akaaka
Price | ¥32,400
Limited to 50 copies. Features a cloth-bound hardcover dyed with Kōyamaki cypress, includes Kōyasan washi paper endpapers, and comes in a wooden box.
Available Now
Akaaka
Tel. 03-6380-0908
http://www.akaaka.com