Akio Nagasawa, 2014
Kikuji Kawada
Hardcover in specially made box, 190 pages
5.91 x 8.86 inches

Edition of 600, signed and numbered copies

One of the most sought after and coveted photo-books in the history of Japanese photography, “Chizu” (The Map) was published on August 6, 1965, which marked the 20th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.

Due to its status of “ultimate photobook-as-object”, its scarcity and considerable price, two publishers have since re-issued their own versions. This second reprint, a facsimile of the original book/box/slipcase, offers an incredible opportunity to experience Kikuji Kawada’s dense photographs referencing post-war Japan and the object he made with noted graphic designer Kohei Sugiura.

The interactive layout makes a participant of the viewer as pages are unfolded and closed revealing abstract “stains” on the interior walls of the Atomic Bomb Dome, layers of imperial history, American detritus, scraps of industry, and other echoes of the present.