About the Book・写真集について

Empty Kyoto is a book of photographs taken during the Coronavirus pandemic, 2020-2023.

Everyone was told to stay home, the border was closed, and things were just... empty. Kyoto became peaceful, quiet, zen. It was oddly spiritual.

I had the luxury of being able to photograph these places – temples, gardens, streets, rivers – practically alone. Public transportation was discouraged, but many of the places in the book were walking distance from my home. And they were open.

We ran a successful Kickstarter funding campaign for the book in 2023, and thanks to our generous backers we all have a wonderful book to enjoy.

Details

  • edition of 1000 copies
  • heavy cardboard softcover with a UV coated, full color dust jacket
  • lay-flat binding
  • archival, coated matte fine-art paper
  • 200mm x 200mm (8x8"), like an A4 or LTR size page cut square
  • 104 pages
  • 13 sections
  • 73 photographs, including 11 two-page spreads
  • printed and bound in Kyoto, Japan

Production

Printed and bound at Sun M Color, Kyoto's well respected art book printer, on a top of the line 5-color Heidelberg press. For you printing geeks, the book was printed using using stochastic screens at what would be equivalent to 450dpi. It's incredible how clear and sharp the photos are in this book.

It costs a lot more to make a book at this level, but the result was worth it.

Contents

  1. About Empty Kyoto
  2. How I Ended up in Kyoto
  3. It Was a Strange Time...
  4. Shutdown / Finding Zen in Quarantine / Gradual Return to Life
  5. Why ‘Empty’?
  6. Arashiyama
  7. Arashiyama’s Bamboo Grove
  8. The Road to Kiyomizu
  9. Temples & Shrines
  10. Tenryuji Temple
  11. Cherry Blossoms
  12. Autumn Leaves
  13. The End of an Era
  14. Notes & Acknowledgements

Order “Empty Kyoto” Online

We are now able to offer books at a reduced price, due to the current low value of the Japanese Yen.

Books are in stock for immediate shipment. Standard shipping is 2~3 days to Japan, 5~7 days to the US & Canada, 10~14 days to the rest of the world. The price is USD $45, plus shipping. California state sales tax will also be charged to California addresses. Click here to order... (outside Japan)

「閑かなる京都」日本国内のオンラインでご注文いただけます

詳細

  • 1000部
  • 厚紙ソフトカバー、UVコート・フルカラー・ジャケット付
  • レイフラット製本
  • アーカイブ用マット・コートのファインアート紙
  • 200mm x 200mm、A4のページを正方形にカットしたようなサイズ。
  • 104ページ
  • 13セクション
  • 写真73点(うち見開き2ページ11点)
  • 印刷・製本:京都

制作

このレベルの本を作るにはコストがかかりますが、その価値はあります。

目次

  1. 「閑かなる京都」について
  2. 私が京都にたどり着くまで
  3. 不思議な時間だった
  4. シャットダウン ・ 隔離で禅を見つける ・ 徐々に復活
  5. なぜ「閑かな」のか?
  6. 嵐山
  7. 嵐山竹林
  8. 清水道
  9. 寺院と神社
  10. 天龍寺
  11. 秋の紅葉
  12. 時代の終わり
  13. 注釈と謝辞