Postwar Japan in 'Chewing Gum and Chocolate' Photos of Shomei Tomatsu

Postwar Japan is on display in Chewing Gum and Chocolate (Aperture, US publication, May 31, 2014) featuring photography of Shomei Tomatsu (1930-2012).

Some context:

"Shomei Tomatsu originally named this series Occupation, but later retitled it Chewing Gum and Chocolate to reflect the handouts given to Japanese kids by the soldiers--sugary and addictive, but lacking in nutritional value. And although many of his most iconic images are from this series, the best of this work has never before been gathered together in a single volume. Leo Rubinfien, co-curator of the photographer’s survey Skin of the Nation, contributes an essay that engages with Tomatsu’s ambivalence toward the American occupation and the shifting national identity of Japan."

Shomei-tomatsu-chewing-gum-and-chocolate-1

Life in Japan after the war for Tokyo Thursdays # 278

Previously: 

In Search of Japan, Japan 8-9-3 Achim Duchow Photo Exhibit at Weltkunstzimmer, Dusseldorf

Previous Post

Bid, Art on Skateboards from Joi Ito to 1st Female Indian Skateboarder Atita Benefit We School India Skatepark

Feb 19
She knows how to make things happen in her many projects including currently We the School India an We Magazine- Middle East. Ulrike Reinhard is always generous with her time and advice so when she asked me to give a hand in spreading the word on an auction she is spearheading to raise funds for a skatepark in rural India, I could not say no. This effort reminds me of model that was adopted for...
Next Post

Dog and Bone, from 101 Sandwiches to Cook your Date into Bed, on Helen Graves Trail

Feb 20
After taming the beast with 101 Sandwiches (Dog and Bone, October 2013), Helen Graves of London Review of Sandwiches blazes post Valentine's Day trail with Cook your Date into Bed (also Dog and Bone, February 28, 2014). "Frustrated at the ‘cheesy pile of utter toss’ usually written about the relationship between food and romance, Helen Graves decided to do something about it. Cook Your Date Into bed is an ant-cliché cynical sideways glance at the...

Comments