About Sokyusha

Sokyusha is one of Japan’s most respected photobook publishers and bookstores, known for its deep engagement with the art and culture of photography. It was founded in Tokyo in 1986 by editor and publisher Michitaka Ota, with a mission to champion distinctive photographic voices through thoughtfully produced photobooks and a curated retail space. 

From the beginning, Sokyusha has balanced a reverence for the medium’s masters with a commitment to new and emerging photographers. The publisher’s catalogue includes seminal works by legendary figures such as Masahisa Fukase, Daidō Moriyama, Michio Yamauchi and Miyako Ishiuchi, whose photobooks have helped define both Japanese and international photographic histories. Notably, Fukase’s Ravens, first published by Sokyusha in 1986, is often cited as one of the most influential photobooks of the late twentieth century. 

In addition to publishing and distributing major titles, Sokyusha’s Shinjuku shop in Tokyo has become a pilgrimage site for photography lovers from around the world. The space serves not only as a bookstore but also as a gallery where rotating exhibitions introduce readers to contemporary photographic work and deeper perspectives on the culture of image-making. (Website, X)