“Every portrait has a silent voice.” -Itaru Takahara
写真とは、 声なき声。 高原至
I received the sad news that Mr. Itaru Takahara passed away on August
5th. He was 97 years old. Takahara-san survived the atomic bombing of
Nagasaki and the firebombing of Tokyo five months prior.
I
photographed Takahara-san in July 2010 when my hibakusha (atomic bomb
survivor) portraits were exhibited in Nagasaki. Takahara-san was a
famous photographer who published a book documenting the ruins of the
Urakami Cathedral. The atomic bomb detonated over Urakami which was home
to the largest cathedral in eastern Asia. The cathedral was smashed
and half of it’s steeple was tossed down a hill. Takahara-san spent
years after the war documenting children playing and services being held
in it’s ruins.
When I first met Takahara-san he asked me where
my book was. I laughed and told him that no publisher was willing to
print a book of my hibakusha (atomic bomb survivor) and firebombing
survivor portraits. I jokingly told him if I ever got a book offer he
would have to write the introduction. A week later I was interviewed by
ZERO NEWS, a national television show in Japan. The next day I was
offered a book deal in Japan. Takahara-san wrote the introduction to my
book, FROM ABOVE, that still inspires me to live every moment with a
burning passion.
Takahara-san was a brilliant photographer but
was an even better person. He had an infectious laugh, a zeal for life
and the same weakness for chocolate cakes that I have. He paid
attention to every minute detail of a photograph and saw beauty in
silence. He reinforced that the importance of a photograph came from
the emotion it resonated! The feelings are all that matters.
I will miss Takahara-san but the years I knew him left a permanent smile in my soul. You’ll always be my friend.
Mr. Yoshitoshi Fukahori visited the exhibition opening at the Nagasaki Peace Museum.
Mr. Fukahori was 16 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. He has dedicated his life to collecting photos of the damage created by the atomic bomb so the future generations will not forget the horror war causes.
From Above exhibition:
Nagasaki Peace Museum, July 9th-August 2nd, 2013
Web Site (English): www.nagasakips.com/archives/category/subscription/english
Web site (Japanese): www.nagasakips.com
Nagasaki Prefecture Museum of Art, August 8th-18th, 2013
Web Site (English): www.nagasaki-museum.jp/english/
Web Site (Japanese): www.nagasaki-museum.jp/
A documentary shot by Community Media about my portrait project From Above. The project concentrates on the lives of Hibakusha (atomic bomb Survivors) and Tokyo fire bombing Survivors. It was shown at Gallery EF in Tokyo during March 2009 and at the Nagasaki Peace Museum during July 2010.
Mr. Takahara Itaru is a Nagasaki Hibakusha. He survived the fire bombing of Tokyo on March 10th, 1945. He returned home to Nagasaki and witnessed the atomic bomb being dropped on August 9th, 1945.
Takahara-san is a very well know photojournalist in Japan. During the years after the atomic bomb, he documented what was lost in the city. He just published a book Nagasaki Urakami Cathedral, 1945-1958: An Atomic Bomb Relic Lost. His photos document the remains of the Urakami Cathedral after the atomic bomb destroyed the largest church in East Asia.
His photos span the 13 years after the atomic bomb, showing how the Christians continued to worship and tried to maintain some of the damaged relics. The closing photos show members of the parish clearing away the strong stoic remains of the heavily destroyed cathedral. To make way for the new cathedral.
I was very lucky to photograph Takahara-san at my exhibition in the Nagasaki Peace Museum.
