Naoya Hatakeyama and the photographic representation of Post-Tsunami landscapes in Japan

This article investigates the role that art photography of in relation to the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. The article focuses on an ethical and moral debate that emerged amongst Japanese photographers who questioned how the disaster and its aftermath can be, or should, be represented in a photograph. At the forefront of this debate was the photographer Naoya Hatakeyama whose personal connection to the region turned him into a quasi spokesperson for his profession. Through a close reading of his photographic works, the article situates post-tsunami photography in relation to wider photographic trends in Japanese visual culture.