Absolutely Superb Minimalist Black and White Photos Captured Winter Scenes in Japan in the 1950s and 1960s

Asano Kiichi (1914–1993), born in Kameoka, Kyoto Prefecture, moved to Kyoto City as a child, where he was deeply influenced by the city’s arts and traditions.

His passion for photography began in high school, leading him to capture Kyoto’s old ways as they were disappearing in the city’s transition to modernity. In the 1950s, he documented the life of Kyoto’s geisha and Japan’s snow country, aiming to preserve images of fading rural traditions. His career brought numerous awards and membership in the Japan Professional Photographer’s Society, and he published notable works like *Snow Country* and *Invitation to Japanese Gardens*. Today, his photographs are part of collections in prominent museums, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

h/t: vintag.es