Ryoichi Maeda’s amazing images of body modification in Japan
We have previously introduced examples of Japanese photography shared by fintan (Pinakotheca) from his incredible collection of Japanese subculture and erotica, which he scans and puts online, and typically offers the original publications for sale.
One that recently caught our eye is more contemporary (fintan seems to prefer Showa-era content) but also, to be frank, more extreme than his usual picks.
He has showcased the extraordinary body modification photography of Ryoichi Maeda.
As fintan writes:
Ryoichi Maeda is the premier photojournalist on the Japanese body modification scene, and has been a prolific writer on the subject for decades, this set of two culture explainer books is arguably among his best works. Maeda is also known for exporting the “bagel head” mod to Japan after witnessing it in Canada, where it became extremely popular, and for being a regular writer for Burst Magazine.
Maeda’s publications include Complete Body Modification Manual (2004) and Scar Factory: Extreme Body Modification in Japan (2006).
Also known as Keroppy Maeda, he has documented the work of scarification and piercing/implant artists Lukas Zpira and Steve Haworth while on tour in Tokyo, and the history of the fetish club event Torture Garden Japan. His lens has taken him to secret gatherings in Japan as well as major events and body suspension parties.
He is not just a photographer but a practitioner. He formed a suspension group called The Hookers to give more people the chance to experience that unique art.
As fintan writes, Maeda also helped introduce the bagel head modification scene in Japan in the later 2000s. We remember when that first became famous and the world media rushed to pick up on the trend, leaping to the usual assumption that it was just another “wacky Japan” story, even though Maeda had essentially imported it from overseas. As his work shows, body modification is very international and should not be used to create stereotypes about a certain culture.
In more recent years, Maeda has focused on reviving Jomon-period tattoo culture in Japan.
Check out the Pinakotheca Books website for such examples of photography books, erotic books and magazines, and adult manga.
