Walker/Weatherhill, 1969First edition Hardcover with dust jacket, 178 pages, 235 x 310 mmText in English Condition: Very Good. Minor wear to jacket, interior in excellent condition
Riotously primitive naked festivals [hadaka matsuri] take place each year across modern Japan, not only in remote villages but also in big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. The paradox of these survivals of agricultural and fertility rites —as old as the remotest Japanese ancestors — is the theme of this book, a stunning and rare photographic record of the beauty and mystery surrounding these festivals.
To the popular conceptions (and misconceptions) of Japanese society, another facet must be added — that of a primitive youthfulness, a refusal to make the final surrender to civilization, a naive belief in ancient gods, and a freedom from Western concepts of sin and shame.
In addition to the 145 photographs by Yato Tamotsu, the book includes several essays and a guide to naked festivals.
