Daido Moriyama

The City I Always Had a Hard Time Leaving

Daido Moriyama (b. 1938) is a renowned Japanese photographer celebrated for his raw, grainy, and high-contrast black-and-white images that capture the gritty, chaotic energy of post-war urban life in Japan. Born in Osaka, Moriyama began his career as a graphic designer before turning to photography in the 1960s, influenced by the avant-garde Provoke movement, which sought to challenge traditional notions of photography with an expressive, unpolished style. Moriyama's work often focuses on the darker side of city life, portraying fleeting moments of alienation, desire, and transience in Tokyo’s streets. His iconic series, Farewell Photography (1972), and his book Shashin yo Sayonara, pushed the boundaries of photographic convention, using blurred, out-of-focus images to evoke the fragmented nature of memory and modern existence. His career has spanned over six decades, and he remains a vital figure in contemporary photography, inspiring generations with his provocative and innovative approach to capturing urban reality.