地平 第11号 — Chihei No.11 2018 | Case Publishing | Osaka Photography | Momota Shunji

地平 第11号 — Chihei No.11

Case Publishing, Japan. 2018. Softcover. 182×262mm. 64pp.

OVERVIEW

地平 (Chihei) was founded in April 1972 as an independent photography journal, running for ten issues over five years before ceasing publication in 1977. Centred on Momota Shunji (百々俨二) — then a teacher at the Osaka Photography School (now Visual Arts College Osaka) — the journal brought together students and fellow photographers aged 20–24, producing work against the backdrop of Japan’s turbulent social landscape of the early 1970s. Member Kuronuma Koichi articulated the journal’s position in terms that remain striking:

「カメラはぼくらの武器だ。自己表現に終始する回路を断て。写真は閉鎖した感性を脅かす図器のようなものです。見たいのはきみの写真でなく、きみの写真が開示する世界なのです。」

“The camera is our weapon. Cut the circuit that terminates in self-expression. Photography is something like a device that threatens closed sensibility. What I want to see is not your photograph — it is the world your photograph reveals.”

This eleventh issue — published in 2018 by Case Publishing, 41 years after the journal’s suspension — is a revival edition. Seven photographers spanning their 20s to 70s, all connected to Momota Shunji, shoot Osaka as their shared keyword. The result is a multi-generational document of a city and a photographic lineage, anchored by the original journal’s radical premise.

Contributors: Momota Shunji (百々俨二), Abe Jun (阿部淣), Yamada Shogo (山田省吾), Noguchi Yasuko (野口靖子), Matsuoka Sachi (松岡小智), Akashika Maya (赤鹿摩耶), Urashiba Masafumi (浦苝眞史).

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS: EASY AI TRANSLATION

While the primary text is in Japanese, English captions and notes are included. For full Japanese text, smartphone AI tools (Google Lens, ChatGPT, Google Translate) provide instant translation from any page photograph. Language is no longer a barrier to owning this important document of Japanese photography history.

WHY THIS VOLUME IS A PRIZED COLLECTOR'S ITEM

1. 41-Year Revival — The first new issue of Chihei since 1977. A direct continuation of one of the most significant independent photography journals of 1970s Japan.

2. Momota Shunji’s Lineage — Seven photographers across generations, all connected to Momota and the original Chihei project. A rare multi-generational document.

3. Osaka as Subject — A sustained photographic engagement with a single city across seven distinct practices and perspectives.

4. Case Publishing — One of Japan’s most respected independent photography publishers, whose titles are consistently sought by international collectors.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

• Title: 地平 第11号 / Chihei No.11
• Photographers: Momota Shunji, Abe Jun, Yamada Shogo, Noguchi Yasuko, Matsuoka Sachi, Akashika Maya, Urashiba Masafumi
• Publisher: Case Publishing, Japan
• Year Published: 2018
• Format: Softcover, 182×262mm, 64pp
• Language: Japanese / English
• ISBN: 978-4-908526-20-6

CONDITION

Very Good+

• Cover: Very Good+. Light rubbing and minor scuffing to cover surface and corners, consistent with careful handling. No tears or structural damage.
• Binding: Tight and fully intact.
• Interior & Pages: Near Fine. Clean throughout — no writing, staining, or tears. All photographs fully intact.

*Please carefully inspect all high-resolution listing photos before purchasing.