Motoichi Kumagai


Motoichi Kumagai was a Japanese photographer and illustrator of books for children, known for his portrayal of rural and school life. He has illustrated numerous children's books, books containing his photography, and other works. His works have won prizes, beginning with a photography prize from the Mainichi Shimbun in 1955.
He is sometimes credited as Motokazu Kumagai or Motoiti Kumagai.

Biography

Kumagai was born on 12 July 1909 in the village of Ōchi, Shimoina District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. His given name is generally romanized as "Motoichi", but is also sometimes written as "Motoiti" or "Motokazu".
From 1930 to 1933, Kumagai worked as a teacher. He had his first work for children published in the May 1932 issue of the magazine Kodomo no Kuni. In 1936, he bought a Pearlette camera, with a simple meniscus lens, and started to use this to photograph village life. His first photograph collection was published two years later by Asahi Shinbunsha.
He went to Tokyo in 1939 as a government photographer and was later sent three times to Manchukuo. After the war, he returned to teach in his village. A book of photographs featuring school life published by Iwanami Shoten in 1955 won a photography prize from Mainichi Shimbun.
Kumagai published books of works for children as well as books of photographs. His photographs are held in the permanent collection of the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, and a volume of the series Nihon no Shashinka is dedicated to his work. He has received various honours for his work since 1990. The village of Achi created a gallery called Kumagai Motoichi Shashin Dōgakan to permanently exhibit his work.
He died of natural causes on 6 November 2010 in a nursing home in Tokyo.

As illustrator

  • Gakkō Ehon: Shūshin no Maki
  • Itachi to Kodomo
  • Ujigami-sama Kodansha, 1942)
  • Yama no Mura
  • Ano Mura Kono Mura
  • Yamaguni no Fudoki
  • Yoi Ko no Mura
  • Furusato no Ehon: Fuyu no Maki
  • Furusato no Ehon: Natsu no Maki
  • Furusato Monogatari
  • Shizen no Naka de
  • Yama no Fūkko
  • Genjii to Fushigi na Mura
  • Mune ni Tomoru Tō
  • Furusato to Nōgyō o Minaosu Nōkyō Ehon Shirīzu
  • *Ishi no Kataribe: Mura no Rekishi o Kangaeru Hon
  • *Mura no Ishibumi: Nōkyō no Rekishi o Kangaeru Hon
  • *Irori: Nōka no Kurashi o Hangaeru Hon
  • *Moraiburo: Nōka no Kurashi o Kangaeru Hon
  • *Kobashi Yasumi: Mura no Shikitari o Kangaeru Hon Sono 1
  • Kowashimizu
  • Furusato o Minaosu Ehon
  • #Yatauchi: Mukashi no "Mugizukuri"
  • #Osanaburi: Mukashi no "Gomezukuri"
  • #Okaiko-sama: Mukashi no "Kogai"
  • #Mushi Fūji: Minna no Kenkō )
  • #Ishi no Kataribe: Mura no Rekishi
  • #Mura no Ishibumi: Kyōdō Kumiai no Rekishi
  • #Irori: Nōka no Kurashi 1
  • #Morai-buro: Nōka no Kurashi 2
  • #Kobashi Yasumi: Mura no Shikitari 1
  • #Mura Matsuri: Mura no Shikitari 2
  • Inadani no Sanson Seikatsushi
  • Kumagai Motoichi no Sekai: Gashū
  • Shōnen no Inadani
  • ''Reibāchan no Inadani no Mukashibanashi''

As illustrator and writer

  • Warabe-uta
  • Nihon no Kaki no Ki
  • *Reprinted until at least as recently as 1994; later printings are )
  • Kaiko
  • *Reprint:
  • Shinshū Imadani no Okashi
  • Shinano Warabe Uta
  • Tanabata Matsuri
  • Omoide no Komaba
  • Jiicha no Kodomo no Koro
  • ''Kodomo Sekai no Genfūkei''

As photographer

  • Ōchi-mura: Ichi Nōson no Shashin Kiroku
  • *Reprint
  • Kaiko no Mura
  • *Reprint
  • Minami Shinano no Nōson no Fujin
  • *Reprint
  • Ichinensei: Aru Shōgaku Kyōshi no Kiroku
  • *Reprint
  • Aru Sanson no Shōwa Shi: Shinshū Achi-mura 39-nen: Shashin Kirokushū\\\\\\\\\\\

Other

  • Mura no Fujin Seikatsu
  • *2nd edition
  • Nōka no Shiki
  • Inadani o Egaku
  • #Inadani o Egaku
  • #Inadani no Warabe Uta
  • #Kuroda Ningyō
  • #Inadani no Kaiko
  • #Tenryūgawa no Kawaranbe
  • Mura no Shashin Sensei
  • Nazuna Hanasaku
  • Natsukashi no Shōgaku Ichinensei
  • 50-sai ni Natta Ichinensei
  • Sansoku no Waraji
  • Utsushitsuzukete 69-nen: Ōchi-mura-Achi-mura: Shōwa, Heisei
  • Ichinensei no Tki Sensō ga Hajimatta: Warera Kokumin Gakkō Funsenki
  • ''Shashinka Kumagai Motoichi to Media no Jidai: Shōwa no Kiroku/Kioku''

Awards and recognition