Tokyo Lucky Hole (English and German Edition) [Paperback]

Nobuyoshi Araki (Photographer), Akihito Yasumi (Foreword), Akira Suei (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

A collection of the work of the Japanese photographer, Nobuyoshi Araki.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French, German

Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: Taschen; First Thus edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English, German
• ISBN-10: 3822881899
• ISBN-13: 978-3822881897
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.6 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,521,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars That tricky distinction between pornography and art, May 8, 2001

By 

C. Colt "It Just Doesn't Matter" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tokyo Lucky Hole (English and German Edition) (Paperback)

Araki is not for everybody. If you are turned off by nude, erotic images, then you should probably avoid it. If you are disgusted or horrified by candid documentary footage of the sex industry then again, you will want to avoid this book.

I liked this book for several reasons. In the first place, the photographs--regardless of how you feel about the subject matter--are quite good. More importantly the collection of a whole accomplishes something important. It reveals the various sex clubs and love hotels of Tokyo in the 1980s within a normal social context. Pictures of salary men fondling a gogo dancer are mixed with normal shots of a crowded street or a restaurant. The message here is very clear. The sex industry is not only a product of society, but also it is a part of society.

I have been interested in prostitution ever since reading Foucault's "History of Sexuality" and "Power/Knowledge". Foucault argues that prostitution is form of regulating society. If people must have their sexual urges then fine--let them go to some shameful secretive area and pay for it. But don't them experience sexuality on their own terms.

Once can clearly see this in Araki's photographs. Salary men with still wearing their ties sit around a circular stage watching a topless dancer. Some draw lots to see who can go on stage to perform sexual acts with her. Why are these men doing this instead of going out, and having an affair with someone? The answer is simply that it is more productive for Japanese society to have these men work long hours and come to a highly regulated place for release.

Araki's work is more of a documentary than anything else. It is not meant to stimulate anyone in a pornographic manner and it is not meant to glorify its subject matter. Araki places the Japanese sex industry in a realistic and somewhat humorous context. This is probably what makes so many readers uncomfortable.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Araki's Masterpiece, December 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tokyo Lucky Hole (English and German Edition) (Paperback)

The man is a genius. Take the cover photo. He didn't just throw a [woman] in a shower and snap some photos--though that may be a salutory idea. Compare it to the companion photo in the sample photos. The light and therefore the shadows, have moved, the towel has moved, and in both pictures the contours of the light, the shadow, and the folds of the towel track and repeat lines created by the model's pose. There are three circles in the cover photo--the shower hose, the model's [figure], and her face, and the cascade of water seems to close the circle created by the shower hose. Throughout the book are amazing photos like this, with stunning elements of light and composition, although there is a reason why this one is on the cover. You occasionally see Araki in the photos, although never without his sunglasses (or in one case, a mask). If you have any interest in photography at all, you should buy this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect deal, November 23, 2011

By 

Fauquet Simon - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tokyo Lucky Hole (English and German Edition) (Paperback)

rapid and serious, I receive the book before the date !
a pefect book for an amazing photograph !
I will check for more books now.
it's pretty rare in france.