Divers

海女

by
北井一夫╱Kazuo Kitai

Kazuo Kitai (b. 1944, Anshan, Liaoning) first gained attention in the 1960s with socially engaged works such as Resistance and Sanrizuka. In the 1970s he turned to everyday life in Japan’s villages—often described by institutions as a counter-choice during the era of high economic growth and urban concentration.

This set was published in Asahi Camera, June 1975 as part 18 of his long-running series “Mura-e / To the Village.” The camera focuses on ama—women who free-dive for a living—on the Shima Peninsula, Mie.

Timeline: Mura-e serialized in Asahi Camera 1974–1975 (24 installments); sequel Soshite Mura-e 1976–1977. The magazine issued an Extra “Mura-e” in Oct 1976; the material was re-edited as a book by Tankosha in 1980.