Bukō Shimizu


Bukō Shimizu was a Japanese photographer who lived in and photographed Chichibu.
Shimizu was born on 12 October 1913 in Chichibu, the eldest son of the family running a photography studio in Kumaki, Chichibu. 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. In 1929, Shimizu's father suddenly gave up working at the family's photography studio in Chichibu, and the 16-year-old Bukō had to teach himself photographic technique from books bought second hand in order to keep the business running From around 1937 he also energetically photographed the topography and people of Chichibu.
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.
Shimizu also wrote much about Chichibu; a three-volume collection of his writings was published in 1983. He worked on behalf of the area's libraries and drama, and towards creation of Chichibu National Park.
Shimizu died on 23 January 1995.
Photographs by Shimizu are in the permanent collection of the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.

Books by Shimizu