Shoji Ueda Museum of Photography

Hoki-cho, Saihaku County

Famous in Japan and overseas, the aloof photographer, Shoji Ueda

Shoji Ueda (1913 to 2000) called himself an amateur photographer, and spent his life taking photos. His style brims with originality, gaining wildly enthusiastic fans from all over the world, and being invited to the prestigious Arles International Photography Festival. The Shoji Ueda Museum of Photography possesses 12,000 of his photos, some of which are on display. The concrete building standing tall among a beautiful rural landscape embodies Shoji Ueda’s photographic aesthetics perfectly.

His work is praised for its unique sense of beauty called “Ueda Cho” in France

Ueda was born in Hoki-cho, Saihaku County, where the museum is located, and took up a camera at 13 years old. Later, while running a local photography museum, he began taking photos of landscapes in the San’in region. Among these photos, one of the most popular is the Sand Dune series. He photographed friends and family against the background of the Tottori Sand Dunes for a poetic visual impression in monochrome. These avant-garde photos were highly praised in France, being called “Ueda Cho” (Ueda style).

A building that looks like a camera obscura capturing photos of the rural landscape

Not only are Shoji Ueda’s photos highly praised, but also the architecture of the museum. It was designed by the famous Japanese architect Shin Takamatsu, and appears to be four boxes lined up when viewed from afar. Once inside the building, try standing in between these boxes. You should be able to see Daisen, the mountain the San’in region is famous for, in between the concrete walls. The scenery cut out by the sharp lines looks like a photo captured by the building itself. The museum is a tangible homage to Ueda.