Nobuyoshi Araki
Nobuyoshi Araki (b. 1940, Tokyo) is one of Japan’s most prolific and controversial photographers, known for his bold explorations of love, death, eroticism, and the intimacy of everyday life. With a career spanning over six decades, Araki has published more than 500 books and held exhibitions around the world.
His work is deeply personal, often blurring the lines between fiction and reality. One of his most iconic projects, Sentimental Journey (1971), documented his honeymoon with his wife Yoko, who would become a recurring presence in his photographs until her death. This loss profoundly shaped his artistic expression, bringing themes of mourning and memory to the forefront.
Araki’s style ranges from explicit erotic imagery to poetic still lifes of flowers, from gritty Tokyo street scenes to diaristic self-portraits. Through it all, he has remained fiercely committed to the idea that photography is not just a visual medium, but a way to experience and preserve human emotion.
Despite controversies surrounding the explicit nature of some of his work, Araki is celebrated for challenging conventional notions of beauty and confronting taboos with honesty and vulnerability.
Today, his influence can be seen across contemporary photography, fashion, and visual culture. He continues to shoot, publish, and inspire new generations of artists who find power in the personal and the provocative.
Major Exhibitions
A selection of the most significant shows that shaped Araki’s legacy around the world.
1988 – “Tokyo Comedy”
Parco Gallery, Tokyo (Japan)
One of his earliest major retrospectives in Japan, showcasing many of his photographs about the city and its people.
1995 – “Araki: Sentimental Photography, Sentimental Life”
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (Japan)
A landmark exhibition that established Araki as one of Japan’s leading contemporary artists.
1997 – “Nobuyoshi Araki: Self, Life, Death”
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (Japan)
Focused on Araki’s autobiographical work, including his iconic series on Yoko, mortality, and eroticism.
2005 – “Nobuyoshi Araki: Sentimental Journey”
Barbican Art Gallery, London (UK)
A key international exhibition exploring the emotional and diaristic elements of Araki’s work.
2012 – “ARAKI”
Foam Photography Museum, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
A curated mix of eroticism, personal life, and flowers. This show drew global attention for its depth and intimacy.
2013 – “Araki o’Clock”
Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt (Germany)
One of the most comprehensive exhibitions ever held in Europe, featuring over 300 photographs.
2018 – “ARAKI: Tokyo Lucky Hole”
C/O Berlin (Germany)
Centered around one of his most controversial series, this show offered a raw look at paid sex culture in 1980s Tokyo.
2022 – “Nobuyoshi Araki: Life and Death”
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (Japan)
A mature reflection on Araki’s vision of life, eroticism, and death.
His most iconic works in print
Sentimental Journey (1971)
A deeply personal photo-diary documenting Araki’s honeymoon with his wife Yoko — an intimate and emotional narrative that set the tone for much of his later work.
Tokyo Lucky Hole (1990)
A raw and provocative look inside Tokyo’s underground sex industry during the 1980s. One of his most controversial and revealing books.
Erotos (1993)
A sensual and abstract exploration of the erotic, where objects and body parts blur into visual metaphors of desire and life.
Shokuji (The Banquet) (1993)
A quiet yet powerful collection of daily meals, photographed after the death of his wife — food as both ritual and reflection of grief.
Self, Life, Death (2005)
A major retrospective publication covering Araki’s life work, touching on the recurring themes of autobiography, eroticism, memory, and mortality.