Motoichi Kumagai

Motoichi Kumagai (熊谷 元一, Kumagai Motoichi, 12 July 1909 – 6 November 2010) was a Japanese photographer and illustrator of books for children, known for his portrayal of rural and school life.
Born in Ōchi (会地; now Achi), Shimoina District, Nagano Prefecture, Kumagai worked from 1930 to 1933 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 (a Konishiroku derivative of the Vest Pocket Kodak), 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. In 1939 he went to Tokyo 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 of 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 received various honours for his work, especially since around 1990. The village of Achi created a gallery, Kumagai Motoichi Shashin Dōgakan, for the permanent exhibition of his work.
He died in 2010, in a nursing home in Tokyo, of natural causes.

• (As illustrator.) Gakkō ehon: Shūshin no maki (学校ヱホン 修身ノ巻). Tokyo: Suzuki Jin Seidō, 1936. (Japanese)
• (As photographer.) Ōchi-mura: Ichi nōson no shashin kiroku (会地村 一農村の写真記録). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1938. Reprint. Achi: Kumagai Motoichi Shashin-hozon-kai, 1985. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Itachi to kodomo いたちと子供. Tokyo, 1941. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) 氏神さま. Tokyo: Kōdansha, 1942.
• (As illustrator.) Yama no mura (ヤマノムラ). Tokyo: Kyōyōsha, 1942. (Japanese)
• Ano mura kono mura (あの村この村). Tokyo: Hakubunkan, 1943. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) (山国の風土記). Tokyo: Sanseidō, 1943. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Yoi ko no mura (ヨイコノムラ). Tokyo: Nōsangyoson Bunka Kyōkai, 1943. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Furusato no ehon: Fuyu no maki (ふるさとの絵本 冬の巻). Tokyo: Miyajima Shoten, 1946. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Furusato no ehon: Natsu no maki (ふるさとの絵本 夏の巻). Tokyo: Miyajima Shoten, 1947. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Furusato monogatari (ふるさと物語). Tokyo: Kōdansha, 1949. (Japanese)
• (As photographer.) Kaiko no mura (かいこの村). Iwanami Shashin Bunko 84. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1953. (Japanese) Reissued. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1988. ISBN 4-00-003528-2.
• (As photographer.) Minami Shinano no nōson no fujin (南信濃の農村の婦人). Iwanami Shashin Bunko 121. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1954. (Japanese) Reissued. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1988. ISBN 4-00-003526-6.
• Mura no fujin seikatsu (村の婦人生活). Tokyo: Shinhyōronsha, 1954. (Japanese) 2nd ed. Tokyo: Shinhyōronsha, 1956.
• (As photographer.) Ichinensei: Aru shōgaku kyōshi no kiroku (一年生 ある小学教師の記録). Iwanami Shashin Bunko 143. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1955. (Japanese) Reissued. Iwanami Shashin Bunko Akasegawa Genpei Serekushon. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 2007. ISBN 978-4-00-028209-3.
• Nōka no shiki(農家の四季). Tokyo: Ie-no-Hikari Kyōkai, 1961. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator and writer.) Warabe-uta(わらべうた). Tokyo: Rironsha, 1966. (Japanese)
• Inadani o kaku (伊那谷を描く). Iida, Nagano: Shūbunsha.
  • 1. 1967.
  • 2. 1968.
  • 3.
  • 4. 1970.
  • 5. 1972.
• Mura no shashin sensei (むらの写真先生). Tokyo: Ie-no-Hikari Kyōkai, 1968. (Japanese)
• (As writer and illustrator.) Nihon no kaki no ki (二ほんのかきのき). Tokyo: Fukuinkan, 1969. (Japanese) Reprinted until at least as recently as 1994; later printings are ISBN 4-8340-0204-7.
• (As illustrator.) Shizen no naka de (自然の中で). Muku Hatojū Zenshū (i.e. the collected works of Hatojū Muku) 11. Tokyo: Popura-sha, 1969. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) 山の風っ子. Tokyo, 1969. (Japanese)
• (As photographer.) Aru sanson no Shōwa shi: Shinshū Achi-mura 39-nen: Shashin-kiroku-shū (ある山村の昭和史 信州阿智村39年 写真記録集). Nagano: Shinano-ji, 1975. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Gen jiito fushigi na mura (源じいとふしぎな村). Shinsaku Ehon Nihon no Minwa 10. Tokyo: Akane Shobō, 1975. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) 胸にともる灯. Tokyo: Chikuma Shobō, 1975.
• (As writer and illustrator.) Kaiko (かいこ). Tokyo: Fukuinkan, 1976. (Japanese)
• (As writer and illustrator.) Shinshū imadani no okashi (信州伊那谷のお菓子). Nagano: Shinanoji, 1980. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Furusato to Nōgyō o Minaosu Nōkyō Ehon Shirīzu (ふるさとと農業を見直す農協絵本シリーズ). Iida, Nagano: Iida Chūō Nōgyō Kyōdō Kumiai. (Japanese)
  • Ishi no kataribe: Mura no rekishi o kangaeru hon (石の語り部 むらの歴史を考える本). 1981.
  • Mura no ishibumi: Nōkyō no rekishi o kangaeru hon むらの碑 農協の歴史を考える本). 1982.
  • Irori: Nōka no kurashi o kangaeru hon (いろり 農家のくらしを考える本. 1983.
  • Morai buro: Nōka no kurashi o kangaeru hon (もらい風呂 農家のくらしを考える本). 1984.
  • Kobashi yasumi (こばし休み むらの仕来たりを考える本その1). 1985.
• (As writer and illustrator.) Shinano warabe uta (信濃わらべうた). Tokyo: Arisu-kan, 1983. (Japanese)
• (As writer and illustrator.) Tanabata matsuri (たなばたまつり). Tokyo: Fukuinkan Shoten, 1985. (Japanese)
• (As writer and illustrator.) Kaiko (かいこ). Tokyo: Fukuinkan Shoten, 1985. ISBN 4-8340-0473-2. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Kowashimizu (こわしみず). Kiyose, Tokyo: Kiyose-shi Kyōdo Hakubutsukan, 1985. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Furusato o minaosu ehon (ふるさとを見直す絵本). Tokyo: Nōsangyoson Bunka Kyōkai, 1986. (Japanese)
  • 4. Mushi fūji (虫封じ). ISBN 4-540-86054-2.
  • 5. Ishi no kataribe (石の語り部). ISBN 4-540-86055-0.
  • 6. Mura no ishibumi: Kyōdō kumiai no rekishi (むらの碑 協同組合の歴史). ISBN 4-540-86056-9.
  • 7. Irori (いろり). ISBN 4-540-86057-7.
  • 8. Morai-buro: Nōka no kurashi 2 (もらい風呂 農家のくらし2). ISBN 4-540-86058-5.
  • 9. Kobashi yasumi (こばし休み). ISBN 4-540-86059-3.
  • 10. Mura matsuri (むら祭り むらの仕来たり2). ISBN 4-540-86060-7.
• (As illustrator.) Inadani no sanson seikatsushi (伊那谷の山村生活史). Matsumoto, Nagano: Kyōdo Shuppansha, 1988. ISBN 4-87663-107-7. (Japanese)
• (As photographer and writer.) Furusato no Shōwa-shi: Kurashi no hen'yō: Gurafikku repōto (ふるさとの昭和史 暮らしの変容 グラフィック・レポート). Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1989. ISBN 4-00-009832-2. (Japanese)
• (As photographer.) Kumagai Motoichi sakuhinshū: Ichinensei to sono ato (熊谷元一作品展 一年生とその後). JCII Photo Salon Library 13. Tokyo: JCII, 1992. (Japanese)
• (As artist.) Kumagai Motoichi no sekai: Gashū (熊谷元一の世界 画集). Matsumoto, Nagano: Kyōdo Shuppansha, 1992. ISBN 4-87663-180-8. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Shōnen no Inadani (少年の伊那谷). Nagano: Shinano Mainichi Shinbunsha, 1992. ISBN 4-7840-9206-4. (Japanese)
• (As photographer.) Mura no ichinen (村の一年). Shashin de miru Nihon Seikatsu Zubiki. Tokyo: Kōbundō, 1993. ISBN 4-335-50019-X. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator.) Bāchan no Inadani no mukashibanashi (〓ばぁちゃんの伊那谷の昔ばなし). Iida, Nagano: Minami Shinshū Shinbunsha, 1993. ISBN 4-943981-04-6. (Japanese)
• (As photographer.) Kumagai Motoichi shashin zenshū (熊谷元一写真全集). Matsumoto, Nagano: Kyōdo Shuppansha, 1994. (Japanese)
  • 1. Senzenhen (戦前編). ISBN 4-87663-248-0.
  • 2. Sengohen 1 (戦後編 1). ISBN 4-87663-249-9.
  • 3. Sengohen 2 (戦後編 2). ISBN 4-87663-250-2.
  • 4. Inadani no matsuri (伊那谷の祭り). ISBN 4-87663-251-0.
• (As writer and illustrator.) Omoide no Komaba (思い出の駒場). Matsumoto, Nagano: Kyōdo Shuppansha, 1994. ISBN 4-87663-266-9. (Japanese)
• なずな花咲く. Iida, Nagano: Minami Shinshū Shinbunsha Shuppankyoku, 1996.
• (As photographer.) Kumagai Motoichi (熊谷元一). Nihon no Shashinka 17. Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1997. ISBN 4-00-008357-0. (Japanese)
• (As photographer.) Kiyose no 365 nichi (清瀬の365日). Kiyose, Tokyo: Kiyose-shi, 1999. (Japanese)
• (As writer.) Natsukashi no shōgaku ichinensei (なつかしの小学一年生). Tokyo: Kawade Shobō Shinsha, 2001. ISBN 4-309-72708-5. (Japanese)
• 50-sai ni natta ichinensei (五十歳になった一年生). Funabashi: Kumagai Motoichi to Ichinensei no Kai, 2001. (Japanese)
• Sansoku no waraji (三足のわらじ). Iida, Nagano: Minami Shinshū Shinbunsha Shuppankyoku, 2003. (Japanese)
• Utsushi-tsuzukete 69-nen: Ōchi-mura–Achi-mura: Shōwa, Heisei (写しつづけて69年: 會地村-阿智村 昭和・平成). Achi-mura, Nagano: Kumagai Motoichi Shashin Dōgakan, 2003. (Japanese)
• (As writer and illustrator.) Jiicha no kodomo no koro (じいちゃの子どものころ). Tokyo: Fuzanbō Intānashonaru, 2005. ISBN 4-902385-12-0. (Japanese)
• (As illustrator and photographer.) Ichinensei no toki sensō ga hajimatta: Warera kokumin gakkō funsenki (一年生のとき戦争が始まった われら国民学校奮戦記). Tokyo: Nōsangyoson Bunka Kyōkai, 2005. ISBN 4-540-04358-7. (Japanese)
• Shashinka Kumagai Motoichi to media no jidai: Shōwa no kiroku/kioku(写真家・熊谷元一とメディアの時代 昭和の記録/記憶). Tokyo: Seikyūsha, 2005. ISBN 4-7872-7205-5. (Japanese)
• (As writer and illustrator.) Kodomo sekai no gen-fūkei (子ども世界の原風景). Iida: Shin'yōsha, 2007. ISBN 978-4-88242-191-7. (Japanese)
• (As photographer.) Shinshū Shōwa no gen-fūkei: Kumagai Motoichi Hakuju kinen shashinshū (信州・昭和の原風景 熊谷元一白寿記念写真集). Nagano: Issōsha Shuppan, 2008. ISBN 978-4-902842-41-8. (Japanese)