'Sanrizuka Document 1966-71' by Tadao Mitome

Highly regarded as Mitome’s masterpiece, this photobook, designed by Kiyoshi Awazu and gravure printed, unfolds not unlike a Kurosawa movie. It depicts the frenzied Sanrizuka battles over the building of Narita airport that pitted tens of thousands of farmers and students against the police. This book depicts the building of towers, tunnels, the battles, and the daily lives of the farmers.

Source: Martin Parr and Gerry Badger “The Photobook: A History Volume III”, London, Phaidon, 2014.
Manfred Heiting and Kaneko Ryuichi “The Japanese Photobook 1912 - 1990” Gottingen, Steidl, 2017.

“The protest books listed are a diverse genre, they started out documenting the anti-American treaties, then later in the 1960s the students came out with books against the Vietnam War. They’re also diverse in format, and the ones listed are among the rarest and most interesting.

Some are anonymous, the students' faces are covered to avoid identification. Others are taken by known photographers, such as the books listed by Hitomi Watanabe, and ‘Sanrizuka’ by Tadao Mitomi, the copy here has the rare obi. The book is designed and edited by the brilliant designer Kayoshi Awazu. And is a record of the struggle against the building of Narita airport Tokyo in the late 60s and very early 70s.” - Diana Stone

Size: 23.7 x 17.7cm
No. of Pages: 192
Cover Type: Photo-illustrated boards in printed dust jacket complete with rare Obi
Edition: 1st Edition
Condition: Near fine, wear to book edges, wear, creasing, scuffing and touch of loss to obi edges. Slight foxing to bookend and text pages
Publisher: Shinsensha, Tokyo, 1971