First edition of Shima Fudoki by Kusukazu Uraguchi (1978)

First printing

Medium format hardback hardback with cardboard slip case in fine condition. Slip case has sustained general shelf wear to edges and some scuffing. Toning to the book's spine, but otherwise cloth cover boards are well kept; no markings or bumps. Page block shows some foxing, with the first and last pages also showing foxing. Otherwise, there is only some age toning to the extremities of the pages. The edge of back end paper has some small, superficial tears (see final image).

Signed by Kusukazu Uraguchi to the front end paper.

190 pages

28 x 27.5 cm

About

Shima Fudoki by Kusukazu Uraguchi chronicles 25 years of the photographer's intimate documentation of his native Shima Peninsula in Mie Prefecture. Structured in five chapters—topography, trainee ama divers, ama divers, tradition transmission, and O-bon festivals—it features evocative black-and-white images of coastal landscapes, resilient female divers, and cultural rituals, blending documentary depth with poignant preservation. It's hailed as a vital record of vanishing rural heritage.