The Photographer - Sukita

In 1973, bowie finally visited japan having studied their culture from afar for 8 years. in those days, Bowie disliked flying, so he arrived in Yokohama via passenger ship from Los Angeles. His return trip to the UK consisted of a ferry to Nakhodka in Russia, then a rail journey to Paris on the Trans-Siberian Express. In 1980, he considered moving to his favorite city, Kyoto, but said in an interview, “I’m not quite sure where to go next,” he said. “The East beckons me—Japan—but I’m a bit worried that I’ll get too Zen there and my writing will dry up.” Although he didn’t settle there, Bowie would return many times to Japan for inspiration.

the most profound Japanese influences on Bowie’s artistic trajectory were a photographer, a fashion designer, a kabuki actor, and a writer: Mayayoshi Sukita, Kansai Yamamoto, Tamasaburo Bando, and Yukio Mishima. Sometimes his encounters were by chance, other times, bowie sought out his inspirations in a very targeted manner.

The Photographer

“It was 1972 and I had traveled to London because I really wanted to photograph T.REX. At that time, I wasn’t even aware David Bowie existed. After finishing the shoot with T.REX, I saw a poster of Bowie in the street and instantly became intrigued. It was black-and-white and showed him performing an impressive high kick (the photo was used on the sleeve of The Man Who Sold the World). I didn’t realize it was a poster of a rock star. I just remember thinking “What is this?” Later I did some research and discovered it was promoting a concert for Bowie and Lou Reed. Having been inspired by this poster, I decided that I really wanted to photograph Bowie and raced to the Royal Albert Hall. Clutching my portfolio, I was just about to ask if I could work with him when he noticed my photos and thankfully agreed to do a photo session with me. That was my first achievement in London.”

london concert poster

1972 london

In 1973, Sukita was there to welcome Bowie upon his arrival to Japan  and would accompany him on numerous subsequent visits over the span of 40 plus years. 

1973 tokyo

Sukita was born in a small coal-mining town in the north region of Kyushu, Japan, in 1938. Although his father was killed on the front line in China during World War II when sukita was only 7, he has memories of his father taking photographs. Sukita’s uncle would take him to the movies. As a teen, sukita would bicycle 100 km to see imported American films starring Brando, Dean, and rock and roll. Between 1970 and 1971 he visited New York frequently, especially to see the mix of art, film and music that surrounded Andy Warhol.

In April 1977 Sukita took the iconic cover shoot for Bowie’s “Heroes” album, his most famous photograph of David Bowie. “In 1977, David came to Japan to promote Iggy Pop’s new album that he had produced. He didn’t come to Japan to tour, so he actually had some free time. I asked if he would mind doing a session with me, and he agreed to come to my Tokyo studio. I photographed Bowie for one hour and Iggy for one more. I chose 10-20 photos that I liked from that day and sent them to Berlin, where Bowie was living at the time. It was several months later when I got the call to ask for permission to use the photo on the cover for Heroes. He had chosen my favorite photograph from that day, so of course I agreed immediately.”

1977. photo in tokyo for cover of album recorded in berlin

“I think he definitely influenced my portrait work. In the ’60s, before I photographed Bowie, I worked as a photographer for men’s fashion. After taking Bowie’s picture in ’72, I had many opportunities to photograph him; but his performances, his fashion … David Bowie had an amazing aura in front of the camera. Since that first session in ’72, I continued to capture him on several other occasions. But to be honest, I don’t think I really understood Bowie that first time. In ’77, when I shot the photo for Heroes, I was desperate to capture his unique aura and his quick movements. My real memory of that day is watching him change his pose continuously and feeling like I had to keep taking as many photos as I could so as not to lose the moment. After that day, I took a lot of other people’s portraits; but I never asked them to do this pose or that pose. I always try to capture the artist’s own movements and gestures by keenly observing their worldview. So I believe he changed the way I take photos of people.”

Over the years bowie would ring sukita up when he arrived in japan. That’s why his trips around Kyoto are so well documented.

“There is an instrumental piece called “Moss Garden” on the Heroes LP, about the Saihō-ji temple in Kyoto. David loved Kyoto and had visited there many times, so I think he was inspired by his trips when he was writing that song. Saihō (‘moss’), just like grass, takes a very long time to grow. When you go to London, you see beautiful lawns; and just like the saihō in Kyoto, you feel this “passing of a long time.” I think David wanted to express, in his own way, the “passing of a long time’’ that he had felt from Saihō-ji, Kyoto, and from Eastern culture in general. The song ends with the distant sound of a jet. And when I hear that, I get this feeling that he wanted to convey his journey back to the present, after a long journey back from time itself.”

saiho-ji