Motoichi Kumagai

was a Japanese photographer and illustrator of books for children, known for his portrayal of rural and school life. He has illustrated numerous children's books, books containing his photography, and other works. His works have won prizes, beginning with a photography prize from the Mainichi Shimbun in 1955.

He is sometimes credited as Motokazu Kumagai or Motoiti Kumagai.

Biography

Kumagai was born on 12 July 1909 in the village of (now part of Achi), Shimoina District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. His given name is generally romanized as "Motoichi", but is also sometimes written as "Motoiti" or "Motokazu".

From 1930 to 1933, Kumagai worked as a teacher. He had his first work for children published in the May 1932 issue of the magazine Kodomo no Kuni. In 1936, he bought a Pearlette camera (a Konishiroku derivative of the Vest Pocket Kodak), with a simple meniscus lens, and started to use this to photograph village life. His first photograph collection was published two years later by Asahi Shinbunsha.

He went to Tokyo in 1939 as a government photographer and was later sent three times to Manchukuo. After the war, he returned to teach in his village. A book of photographs featuring school life published by Iwanami Shoten in 1955 won a photography prize from Mainichi Shimbun.

Kumagai published books of works for children as well as books of photographs. His photographs are held in the permanent collection of the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, and a volume of the series Nihon no Shashinka is dedicated to his work. He has received various honours for his work since 1990. The village of Achi created a gallery called Kumagai Motoichi Shashin DÃÂgakan to permanently exhibit his work.

He died of natural causes on 6 November 2010 in a nursing home in Tokyo.

Bibliography

As illustrator

(Suzuki Jin SeidÃÂ, 1936)
(Kin no Seisha, 1941)
Kodansha, 1942)
(KyÃÂyÃÂsha, 1942)
(Hakubunkan, 1943)
(SanseidÃÂ, 1943)
(NÃÂsangyoson Bunka KyÃÂkai, 1943)
(Miyajima Shoten, 1946)
(Miyajima Shoten, 1947)
(Kodansha, 1949)
(Popura-sha, 1969)
(BunkendÃÂ Shichiseisha, 1969)
(Akane ShobÃÂ, 1975)
(Chikuma ShobÃÂ, 1975)
(Iida ChÃÂ«ÃÂ NÃÂgyÃÂ KyÃÂdÃÂ Kumiai)
(1981)
(1982)
(1983)
(1984)
(1985)
(Kiyose-shi KyÃÂdo Hakubutsukan, 1985)
(NÃÂsangyoson Bunka KyÃÂkai, 1986)
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(KyÃÂdo Shuppansha, 1988, )
(KyÃÂdo Shuppansha, 1992, )
(Shinano Mainichi Shinbunsha, 1992, )
(Minami ShinshÃÂ« Shinbunsha, 1993, )

As illustrator and writer

(Rironsha, 1966)
(Fukuinkan, 1969)
Reprinted until at least as recently as 1994; later printings are )
(Fukuinkan, 1976)
Reprint: (Fukuinkan Shoten, 1985. )
(Shinanoji, 1980)
(Arisukan, 1983)
(Fukuinkan Shoten, 1985)
(KyÃÂdo Shuppansha, 1994. )
(FuzanbÃÂ IntÃÂnashonaru, 2005. )
(Shin'yÃÂsha, 2007. )

As photographer

(Asahi Shinbunsha, 1938)
Reprint (Kumagai Motoichi Shashin-hozon-kai, 1985)
(Iwanami Shoten, 1953)
Reprint (Iwanami Shoten, 1988, )
(Iwanami Shoten, 1954)
Reprint (Iwanami Shoten, 1988, )
(Iwanami Shoten, 1955)
Reprint (Iwanami Shoten, 2007, )
(Shinano-ji, 1975)
(Iwanami Shoten, 1989. , as photographer and writer)
(JCII, 1992, no ISBN)
(KÃÂbundÃÂ, 1993. )
(KyÃÂdo Shuppansha, 1994)
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(Iwanami Shoten, 1997, )
(Kiyose-shi, 1999)
(IssÃÂsha Shuppan, 2008. )

Other

(ShinhyÃÂronsha, 1954)
2nd edition (ShinhyÃÂronsha, 1956)
(Ie-no-Hikari KyÃÂkai, 1961)
(ShÃÂ«bunsha)
# (1967)
# (1968)
# (1969)
# (1969)
# (1972)
(Ie-no-Hikari KyÃÂkai, 1968)
(Minami ShinshÃÂ« Shinbunsha Shuppankyoku, 1996)
(Kawade ShobÃÂ Shinsha, 2001, , as writer)
(Kumagai Motoichi to Ichinensei no Kai, 2001, no ISBN)
(Minami ShinshÃÂ« Shinbunsha Shuppankyoku, 2003, no ISBN)
(Kumagai Motoichi Shashin DÃÂgakan, 2003, no ISBN)
(NÃÂsangyoson Bunka KyÃÂkai, 2005. , as illustrator and photographer)
(SeikyÃÂ«sha, 2005. )

Motoichi Kumagai

Biography

Bibliography

As illustrator

As illustrator and writer

As photographer

Other

Awards and recognition

Notes

References

External links