Photographic Encounters in Postwar Japan, 1945–1955

This monograph examines photographs that Japanese and Americans took of Japan and each other amidst the social, political, economic, and cultural upheaval of the postwar period.

Emily E. Cole argues that photography created a dynamic cultural and visual space where photographers interacted and used the camera as a tool of community and creation, representation and resistance, and control and influence on shaping Japan’s postwar narrative. Particular focus is placed on amateur photography in comparison to professional photography and how individuals employ the camera as a powerful tool for community building against dominant narratives promulgated by authorities.