Hiroh Kikai
Japan
Kikai was born in 1945 in the Yamagata Prefecture. After graduating with a degree in philosophy from
Hosei University, he underwent various occupations including a truck driver, a crewmember of an
ocean-going tuna fishing boat, and a photographic developer before making his decision to pursue a
career as a photographer. Since 1973, Kikai has continued to photograph people he encountered in
Asakusa. Numerous publications have been released featuring the series of portraits spanning over 45
years that he had taken there such as, Otachi no shozo: Senso-ji keidai / Ecce homo: Portraits of kings
(1987), Ya-Chimata: Otachi no kairo / Ya-Chimata: A gallery of kings (1996), Persona (2004), and
PERSONA: Saishusho / PERSONA: The Final Chapter (2019). In 2004 he received the 23rd Domon Ken
Award for his published collection of photographs PERSONA. Kikaiʼs selected solo exhibitions include, “
Persona” (Domon Ken Photography Museum, Yamagata Prefecture, 2004), “Tokyo Portraits” (Tokyo
Photographic Art Museum, 2011), and “Persona: The Final Chapter” (Irie Taikichi Memorial Museum of
Photography Nara City, 2019). His works are also housed in the permanent collection of the Interna-
tional Center of Photography (NY).