Eikoh Hosoe's mythic images in Kamaitachi

Eikoh Hosoe passed away on September 16th. He was 91 years old. He has published several excellent photobooks. Including Otoko to Onna (Man and Woman), Barakei (Killed by Roses), Barakei Shinshuban (Ordeal by Roses Re-edited) and Kamaitachi. All are considered undisputed masterworks among Japanese photobooks. Kamaitachi was a collaboration between Hosoe and dancer Tatsumi Hijikata. It was originally released in 1969. It tells the story of a demon called Kamaitachi. Hijikata improvised a performance inspired by the legend of Kamaitachi. Hosoe photographed Hijikata's spontaneous interactions with the landscape and with the people they encountered. It resulted in an investigation of tradition and an exploration of contemporary convulsions in Japanese society. They produced also beautiful, funny images.