Bukō Shimizu

Bukō Shimizu (清水 武甲, Shimizu Bukō, 1913–1995) was a Japanese photographer who lived in and photographed Chichibu (Saitama).

Shimizu was born on 12 October 1913 in Chichibu, the eldest son of the family running a photography studio in Kumaki, Chichibu.[1] His unusual given name, Bukō, is written with the same characters as those used for Mount Bukō; the family had intended it to be pronounced Takekatsu, but when interviewed in his late seventies Shimizu did not remember "Takekatsu" as having been used.[2] In 1929, Shimizu's father suddenly gave up working at the family's photography studio in Chichibu,[3] and the 16-year-old Bukō had to teach himself photographic technique (even the manufacture of photographic paper) from books bought second hand in order to keep the business running[2] From around 1937 he also energetically photographed the topography and people of Chichibu.[1][4]

Shimizu provided the photographs for a large number of books about the Chichibu area. In 1972 he won the annual award of the Photographic Society of Japan.[5]

Shimizu also wrote much about Chichibu; a three-volume collection of his writings was published in 1983.[3] He worked on behalf of the area's libraries and drama, and towards creation of Chichibu National Park.[4]

Shimizu died on 23 January 1995.[4]

Photographs by Shimizu are in the permanent collection of the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.[3]

Books by Shimizu
Some photobooks by Bukō Shimizu
  • Chichibu no kao hyakunin (秩父の顔百人). Chichibu: Chichibu no kao hyakunin-shū Dōjinsha, 1954.
  • Chichibu-ji (秩父路). Tokyo: Shinseiki-sha, 1958.
  • Oku-Chichibu: Yamatabi to fūdo (奥秩父　山旅と風土). Yamakei Bunko. Tokyo: Yamato Keikoku-sha, 1962. With Seiichirō Asami (浅見清一郎).
  • Chichibu gensōkō: Kannon reijō, sono kokoro to fūdo (秩父幻想行　観音霊場、そのこころと風土). Tokyo: Mokujisha, 1968.
  • Chichibu: Shimizu Bukō sakuhinshū (秩父　清水武甲作品集). Tokyo: Mokujisha, 1969.
  • Chichibu hika: Chichibu jiken no kokoro to fūdo (秩父悲歌　秩父事件の心と風土). Tokyo: Shinjūsha, 1971.
  • Chichibu minzoku: Kōchi no hitobito (秩父民俗　耕地の人々). Tokyo: Mokujisha, 1971.
  • Chichibu: Furusato no kokoro (秩父　ふるさとの心). 2nd ed. Tokyo: Mokujisha, 1972.
  • Chichibu sankei (秩父山塊). Tokyo: Shinjūsha, 1974.
  • Chichibu jōdo: Chichibu kannon reijō shashinshū (秩父浄土　秩父観音霊場写真集). Tokyo: Shinjūsha, 1976.
  • Bukō-zan (武甲山). Tokyo: Mokujisha, 1976.
  • Chichibu senchū no kiroku (秩父戦中の記録). Tokyo: Mokujisha, 1977.
  • Mitsumine-san: Shashinshū (三峰山　写真集). Tokyo: Mokujisha, 1978.
  • Chichibu matsuri (秩父祭). Chichibu: Chichibu Matsuri Hozon Iinkai, 1979. With Hisashi Chishima (千嶋寿). Expanded edition. Tokyo: Gensōsha, 1984.
  • Ningen Chichibu: Kage to hida no naka ni (にんげん秩父　蔭と襞の中に). Tokyo: Shinjūsha, 1980.
  • Chichibu (秩父). Furusato no omoide: Shashinshū Meiji–Taishō–Shōwa. Tokyo: Kokusho Kankō-kai, 1983. Edited by Shimizu and Hisashi Chishima.
  • Chichibu: Shimizu Bukō-shū (秩父　清水武甲文集). 3 vols. Tokyo: Gensōsha, 1983. Writing by Shimizu.
    • 1. Fūdokō (風土考).
    • 2. Yama to seikatsu (山と生活).
    • 3. Shashin saijiki (写真歳時記).
  • Chichibu bandō kannon reijō (秩父坂東観音霊場). Shin-jinbutsu-ōrai-sha, 1984. ISBN 4-404-01236-5.
  • Chichibu-gaku nyūmon: Waga-ai suru fūdo e (秩父学入門　わが愛する風土へ). Sakitama Sōsho. Urawa: Sakitama Shuppankai, 1984. ISBN 4-87891-027-5. Edited by Shimizu.
  • Chichibu-ji 50-nen (秩父路50年). Tonbo no Hon. Tokyo: Shinchōsha, 1986. ISBN 4-10-601933-7. With Hisashi Chishima.
  • Chichibu jinja (秩父神社). Sakitama Bunko 2. Urawa: Sakitama Shuppankai, 1989. ISBN 4-87891-202-2. Text by Hisashi Chishima.
  • Shimizu Bukō sensei kenshō-hi shunkō kinenshi (清水武甲先生顕彰碑竣工記念誌). Chichibu: Shimizu Bukō sensei kenshō-kai, 1998.

Notes
  1. Teruo Okai (岡井輝雄, potted biography of Shimizu, Nihon rettō shashin jinhyōden: Fūdo to shashin no kōkei (日本列島写真人評伝　風土と写真の光景), Photo Contest bessatsu (Tokyo: Nihon Shashin Kikaku, 1992), p.132. (in Japanese)
  2. Shimizu in conversation with Teruo Okai, in Nihon rettō shashin jinhyōden: Fūdo to shashin no kōkei, pp. 132–36.
  3. Mihashi Sumiyo (三橋純予), "Shimizu Bukō", Nihon shashinka jiten (日本写真家事典) / 328 Outstanding Japanese Photographers (Kyoto: Tankōsha, 2000; ISBN 4-473-01750-8), p.175. (in Japanese) (Despite the English-language alternative title, all in Japanese.)
  4. Nihon no shashinka (日本の写真家) / Biographic Dictionary of Japanese Photography (Tokyo: Nichigai Associates, 2005; ISBN 4-8169-1948-1), p.248. (in Japanese)(Despite the English-language alternative title, all in Japanese.)
  5. List of award winners, PSJ. (in Japanese) Accessed 20 October 2010.


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