Born October 10, 1938 (Japanese: 森山大道), in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, is one of the most influential Japanese photographers of the second half of the 20th century. His work played a decisive role in establishing Japanese photography on the international stage.

Moriyama studied design and photography in Kobe before moving to Tokyo in 1961, where he briefly joined the photography collective VIVO. His first photobook, Japan: A Photo Theater, was published in 1968. From the late 1960s into the early 1970s, he developed a radically new photographic language that challenged established conventions in Japanese photography.

Rather than focusing on idealized subjects, Moriyama turned his attention to the margins of society, red-light districts, and the street as a primary subject. He became known for his spontaneous shooting method, often photographing without looking through the viewfinder, producing images that feel raw, immediate, and highly subjective. This approach had a profound influence on a generation of younger photographers in Japan and resonated widely beyond its national context.

Moriyama published numerous photobooks and his photographs appeared regularly in magazines. He was also closely associated with PROVOKE, the influential Japanese photography magazine published in 1968–1969, which played a key role in shaping postmodern Japanese photography. In later years, his work has been the subject of international exhibitions and tributes, including major presentations at the Kassel Photobook Festival.

Reference
Biography text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), German edition. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daidō_Moriyama