Santa Fe Rie Miyazawa Photo By: Kishin Shinoyama 1991 72
More pragmatically, the "72" is often used in search queries to filter the 1991 original printing from later reprints. The original Santa Fe book was a massive 37cm tall (A4 variant) art book. The sheer size (72 square cm in some measurements) forced the viewer to confront the image without the ability to look away.
The book's release was anything but quiet. One month before its launch, a full-page newspaper ad featuring a nude photo of Miyazawa appeared in Japan's two largest newspapers, Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun . The shockwaves were immediate. The publisher, Asahi Press, received an estimated 1,000 phone calls per minute, totaling over 300,000 on the day of the announcement. Public broadcaster NHK dropped Miyazawa from one of its programs in response to the backlash. Santa Fe Rie Miyazawa Photo By Kishin Shinoyama 1991 72
The book was shot over three days in late May 1991 in Santa Fe, New Mexico—a location chosen by Shinoyama for its status as a "creative mecca". Cinematic Backdrop More pragmatically, the "72" is often used in
He had famously photographed the stones of Angkor Wat, the sprawl of Tokyo, and the naked bodies of Western models. But Shinoyama’s masterstroke was his understanding of the Japanese kashu (idol singer) system. He didn't just photograph celebrities; he deconstructed them. His philosophy was simple: great photography requires a great subject, perfect lighting, and the courage to strip away artifice—literally and metaphorically. The book's release was anything but quiet
: The book was so massively influential that the physical location of Santa Fe, New Mexico instantly became a famous, highly desired travel destination for the Japanese public. 🏷️ Book Details
The impact of the book was instantaneous and cataclysmic. Despite being banned by the public broadcaster NHK, which promptly canceled its contracts with Miyazawa, Japanese society could not look away. The public, and notably the media watchdog NHK, expressed outrage, but the public's curiosity was overwhelming. The book flew off the shelves, selling an astonishing (with some estimates approaching nearly 2 million) in just a few months.
