William KleinTokyo

William Klein made his first visit to Japan in 1961. Being guided through Tokyo by government officials, he was able to snag some unique, and at times irreverent, shots ; a sumo fight in action, shot from the edge of the sacred ring (the dojoh), a close-up portrait of the imperial couple. His unique access also gave him the opportunity to photograph places of power such as the Tokyo stock exchange and the luxurious lounges of the Diet (the home of the national legislature). When William Klein finally escaped his official escort, he immersed himself in the chaotic city that was Tokyo on the eve of the 1964 Olympic Games, a turning point which thrust the capital in the modern era. During his stay, the famous photographer Eikoh Hosoe introduced him to Kazuo Ohno, the co-founder of Butoh dance, which Klein then followed as they performed in the streets of the metropolis. Klein also met with Ushio Shinohara, who was putting on a "box-painting" performance, and photographed prostitutes putting on make up and blending with children in the street or in baseball fields. The book Tokyo ends with a skyline shot of the city at night and the image of an anti-American protest, a sign of the wave of dissent to come.Tokyo is both a historical record and a personal diary. An American in postwar Japan, William Klein shared through photographs his surprising encounters with the people, the leaders and the artistic avant-garde.