Daido Moriyama / Odasaku

Odasaku is a 2016 photobook by Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama that pairs his photographs of Osaka with the short story "Keiba" (or "At the Horse Races") by novelist Sakunosuke Oda. The project is a collaboration that was designed to create a new layer of expression for both artists' work, with graphic designer Satoshi Machiguchi integrating the images and text to reflect the connection between Oda, his work, and his hometown of Osaka. The book also resulted in a portfolio of silkscreen prints. 

"Saying farewell to Odasaku...

I go to the Jiyuken Restaurant and eat the famous curry. I stroll the backstreets near Hozen Temple. I see a large red lantern emblazoned “Sweet Soup for Married Couples”, which puns on the title of one of Odasaku’s storie. When I think about it, I’ve been obsessed by Odasaku for a long time now. From Namba I walk through Sennichimae and climb Yuhi Hill. Just as Odasaku said goodbye to his youth while walking down Kuchinawa Hill, so I break free of him while descending it too. I will not walk up and down this hill again. To draw the curtain on him, I’ll gaze at Ikukunitama Shrine one last time."

Language: English
Size: 21 x 19 cm, 180 pages
Binding: hardcover
Publisher: Bookshop M, 2016