Japanese Literary Awards

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Naoki Ishikawa

いしかわ なおき

Ishikawa Naoki

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1977-06-30 （Hatsudai, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
photographer, mountaineer, author, translator, university lecturer
Active Years
1998-
Affiliations
Tama Art University (Institute of Art Anthropology, Special Researcher), Rikkyo University (Part-time Lecturer), Nihon University (Department of Photography, Part-time Lecturer), Osaka University of Arts (Department of Photography, Visiting Professor)
Influenced By
Kōtarō Sawaki, Daido Moriyama

Education

Waseda University, Second Faculty of Letters
Second Faculty of Letters / History / Folklore
Degree: 学士（文学）
Period: 1997-2001
Year of Graduation: 2001
Country: Japan
Traveled widely during undergraduate years
Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Fine Arts (Master's)
Graduate School of Fine Arts / Advanced Artistic Expression
Degree: 修士（美術）
Period: 2003-2005
Year of Graduation: 2005
Country: Japan
Completed master's program; studied photographic and advanced artistic expression
Tokyo University of the Arts, Graduate School of Fine Arts (Doctoral)
Graduate School of Fine Arts / Advanced Artistic Expression
Degree: 博士（美術）
Period: 2005-2008
Year of Graduation: 2008
Country: Japan
Doctoral thesis on archipelago cultures in the Pacific Rim

Awards

Sagamihara New Photographer Encouragement Award
2006
Organization: Sagamihara Photography Association
Result: Winner
Miki Atsushi Prize
2006
Organization: Miki Atsushi Prize Committee
Result: Winner
Japan Photography Association Award - Newcomer
2008
Organization: Japan Photography Association
Result: Winner
Kodansha Publishing Culture Award
2008
Work: NEW DIMENSION / POLAR
Organization: Kodansha
Result: Winner
Kaikō Ken Nonfiction Prize
2008
Work: The Last Adventurer
Organization: Shueisha
Result: Winner
Higashikawa Prize - New Artist Award
2009
Organization: Higashikawa Prize Committee
Result: Winner
Sagamihara Photography Prize
2010
Organization: Sagamihara Photography Association
Result: Winner
Domon Ken Award
2011
Work: CORONA
Organization: The Mainichi Newspapers
Result: Winner
Japan Photography Association Award - Artist
2020
Work: EVEREST / MAREBITO
Organization: Japan Photography Association
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

NEW DIMENSION

2007 Photobook

A photobook compiling images taken during travels to remote areas; characterized by anthropological perspectives and poetic visual expression.

travelperipherythe body

POLAR

2007 Photobook

A collection of photographs documenting polar regions; observes landscapes and human activity in extreme environments.

polar regionsnatureanthropology

CORONA

2010 Photobook

Photographs of landscapes from Japan and around the world; one of the award-winning works (Domon Ken Award).

landscapelighttime

EVEREST

2019 Photobook

A photographic record of Everest ascents and journeys; explores the relationship between mountains and humans.

mountaineeringextreme environmentshuman and nature

STREETS ARE MINE

2022 Photobook

A photobook focused on urban alleys and street corners; connects travel and urban perspectives.

cityalleywaysstreet photography

MOMENTUM

2022 Photobook

Photobook themed around the dynamics of travel and movement; focuses on representations of time and motion.

movementtimetravel

Bibliography

  • POLE TO POLE: Winds Connecting the Polar Regions
  • THE VOID
  • NEW DIMENSION
  • POLAR
  • VERNACULAR
  • Mt. Fuji
  • ARCHIPELAGO
  • CORONA
  • Lhotse
  • Qomolangma
  • Manaslu
  • K2
  • DENALI
  • EVEREST
  • STREETS ARE MINE
  • MOMENTUM

Translations by Author

  • The Science Door Series: We All Travel (translator)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
documentary-likeobservationalpractice-based on travel and the body
Recurring Motifs
journeymovementcontrast of peripheries and citiesmountains and polar regions

Health

  • Injury (traffic accident)
    2005
    Injured in a 2005 traffic accident in Argentina; reports indicate a passenger died

Legacy

A photographer and author known for photographic practice rooted in travel and mountaineering. With an anthropological perspective, he addresses subjects from polar regions to cities. His photobooks and writings are highly regarded domestically and internationally and are held in major museum collections.

Museums

  • Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo Tokyo, Japan
  • Tokyo Photographic Art Museum Tokyo, Japan
  • Yokohama Museum of Art Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
  • Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum Okinawa, Japan

Academic Societies

  • Japan Photography Association

Trivia

  • His grandfather was the writer Jun Ishikawa.
  • At age 23 he set the then-world record as the youngest to summit the highest peak on each of the seven continents (later surpassed).
  • In 2024 he completed ascents of all 14 eight-thousanders, becoming the second Japanese to do so.