Kaoru Usui
Encyclopedia
Usui was born in Nagoya on 12 December 1916; the actor Shigeru Amachi (born Noboru Usui) was a younger brother. He started photography around 1933 — when he bought a Rokuoh-sha
Pearlette (a besutan camera, or copy of the Vest Pocket Kodak) — and from 1934 subscribed to Photo Times, whose regular contributor Sakae Tamura
inspired and influenced him.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, Usui worked to set up a series of amateur photography groups in Nagoya. One of these was Shūdan 35 , whose members in 1952 included the young Shōmei Tōmatsu
.
Between 1950 and 1955 Usui won the annual award in Camera
three times, his works there being highly praised by Ken Domon
, whose realist approach Usui followed enthusiastically. Usui went on to win contests judged by Domon and held by Photo Art in the late 1950s.
Usui was not content to stick with realism: some of the photographs from his staged series of the 1980s Arsène Lupin appeared in Popular Photography and the self-published book of them is well regarded.
Usui won Aichi-ken Geijutsu Bunka Shōreishō , a cultural award from Aichi Prefecture
, in 1994. At around this time, he — like Shōji Ueda
and several other photographers of his era — again came to enjoy photography with a besutan camera or lens.
Konica
was a Japanese manufacturer of, among other products, film, film cameras, camera accessories, photographic and photo-processing equipment, photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers.- History :...
Pearlette (a besutan camera, or copy of the Vest Pocket Kodak) — and from 1934 subscribed to Photo Times, whose regular contributor Sakae Tamura
Sakae Tamura (photographer)
was a Japanese photographer, prominent in the years before the war.Born in Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Tamura graduated from the Tokyo College of Photography and entered Oriental in 1928 and became editor of Photo Times. He was an active contributor to the magazine Geijutsu Shashin Kenkyū and in the...
inspired and influenced him.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, Usui worked to set up a series of amateur photography groups in Nagoya. One of these was Shūdan 35 , whose members in 1952 included the young Shōmei Tōmatsu
Shomei Tomatsu
is a Japanese photographer.Born Teruaki Tōmatsu in Nagoya in 1930, Tōmatsu studied economics at Aichi University, graduating in 1954. While still a student, he had his photographs published by the major Japanese photography magazines. He entered Iwanami and worked on the series Iwanami Shashin Bunko...
.
Between 1950 and 1955 Usui won the annual award in Camera
Camera (Japanese magazine)
, or Ars Camera , Arusu Kamera), is one of the older and longer running of Japanese camera magazines. It was published by the company Ars.The first issue of Ars Camera is dated April 1921: predating Asahi Camera by five years...
three times, his works there being highly praised by Ken Domon
Ken Domon
is one of the most renowned Japanese photographers of the twentieth century. He is most celebrated as a photojournalist, though he may have been most prolific as a photographer of Buddhist temples and statuary....
, whose realist approach Usui followed enthusiastically. Usui went on to win contests judged by Domon and held by Photo Art in the late 1950s.
Usui was not content to stick with realism: some of the photographs from his staged series of the 1980s Arsène Lupin appeared in Popular Photography and the self-published book of them is well regarded.
Usui won Aichi-ken Geijutsu Bunka Shōreishō , a cultural award from Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, in 1994. At around this time, he — like Shōji Ueda
Shoji Ueda
Ueda was born on 27 March 1913 in Sakai , Tottori. His father was a manufacturer and seller of geta; Shōji was the only child who survived infancy...
and several other photographers of his era — again came to enjoy photography with a besutan camera or lens.
Books by Usui
- Tobera no ki no shita . Nagoya: Kaoru Usui, 1973.
- Kaidō . Nagoya: Kaidō Shuppan Iinkai, 1984. Black and white photographs of kaidōKaidowere ancient roads in Japan dating from the Edo period. Major examples include the Edo Five Routes, all of which started at Edo...
(Japan's ancient roads). - Arusēnu Rupan / Arsène Lupin. Nagoya: Kaoru Usui, 1985.
- Amachi Shigeru gojūnen no kōbō . Nagoya: Usui Kaoru Shashin no Mise, 1987. Photographs of Shigeru Amachi.
- Sengo o ikita kodomo-tachi . Nagoya: Usui Kaoru Shashin no Mise, 1988.
- Watakushi no Shōwa shashinshi: Shōwa 10-nen yori Shōwa 35-nen made . Nagoya: Usui Kaoru Shashin no Mise, 1991. Black and white photographs of this 35-year period within the Shōwa periodShowa periodThe , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
. - Igaguri, otenba, gaki-daishō . Nagoya: Kyōdo Shuppansha, 1993. ISBN 4-87670-056-7. Photographs of and text about children from the late 1940s until the mid sixties; captions and texts in Japanese only.
- (Joint work.) Kita-ku, Nishi-ku-hen: Minoji, Kisoji ni sotte . Nagoya: Kyōdo Shuppansha, 1993. ISBN 4-87670-051-6.
- Shikisoku-zeku: Aichi-ken Geijutsu Bunka Senshō jushō kinen sanbusaku . Nagoya: Kaidō Shuppan Iinkai, 1996. Color photographs, including a set taken with a besutan lens.
- Ningen o ikiru . Nagoya: Kyōdo Shuppansha, 1998. ISBN 4-87670-104-0.
- With Toshirō Maruo . Amachi Shigeru . Tokyo: Wides, 1999. ISBN 4-89830-012-X. Photographs of Shigeru Amachi.
- Shōwa sanjū nendai no Seto: Tōjō no yama to machi to hitobito . Seto, Aichi: Seto City Art Museum, 2000. Catalogue of an exhibition held at Seto City Art Museum; photographs of Seto from 1955–64, especially landscapes and children.
- Usui Kaoru ga kiroku shita sengo o ikita kodomo-tachi . Gifu: Gifu Shinbunsha, 2002. ISBN 4-87797-043-6.