astronomy

Nobuyoshi Araki

Nobuyoshi Araki is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nobuyoshi Araki rather than just read about it. In short: Nobuyoshi Araki (荒木経惟, Araki Nobuyoshi; born May 25, 1940), professionally known by the mononym Arākii (アラーキー), is a Japanese photographer and contemporary artist. Known primarily for photography that blends eroticism and bondage in a fine art context, he has published over 500 books.

Key takeaways

Nobuyoshi Araki belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nobuyoshi Araki to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nobuyoshi Araki from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nobuyoshi Araki (荒木経惟, Araki Nobuyoshi; born May 25, 1940), professionally known by the mononym Arākii (アラーキー), is a Japanese photographer and contemporary artist. Known primarily for photography that blends eroticism and bondage in a fine art context, he has published over 500 books.

Early life and education Araki was born in Tokyo on May 25, 1940. He studied film and photography at Chiba University from 1959, receiving a degree in 1963. He worked at the advertising agency Dentsu, where, in 1968, he met his future wife, the essayist Yōko Aoki.

Art career Araki is one of the most prolific Japanese artists. Many of his photographs are erotic, straddling a line between art and pornography. Among his photography books are Sentimental Journey (1971), and Tokyo Lucky Hole (1990). Sentimental Journey "1972–1992" is a diary of life with his wife Yōko, who died of ovarian cancer in 1990. The first part of Sentimental Journey shows the couple embarking on married life—their honeymoon and sexual relations. Pictures taken during Yoko's last days were published in Winter Journey. Parr and Badger include four of Araki's books in the first volume of their photobook history: Zerokkusu Shashincho 24 (Xeroxed Photo Album), Senchimentaru na Tabi (Sentimental Journey), Tokyo Lucky Hole, and Shokuji (The Banquet). Araki contributed photography to the Sunrise anime series Brain Powerd. In 1981, Araki directed High School Girl Fake Diary (女高生偽日記, Jokōsei nise nikki), a roman porno film, for the studio Nikkatsu. The film was a disappointment to Araki's fans and to fans of the pink film genre. The Icelandic musician Björk is an admirer of Araki's work, and served as one of his models. At her request, he photographed the cover and inner sleeve pages of her 1997 remix albumTelegram. More recently, he has photographed pop singer Lady Gaga. In 2004, an American director, Travis Klose, released a documentary about Araki called Arakimentari, which discusses the artist's lifestyle and work. Araki was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008; he underwent successful surgery to remove the tumor. In 2010, Araki's cat, Chiro, died of old age. In October 2013, Araki lost vision in his right eye due to a retinal artery obstruction. The 74-year-old artist used the experience as an inspiration to exhibit Love on the left eye, held on 21 June 2014 at Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo. Commissioned by Italian luxury label Bottega Veneta, Araki photographed Saskia de Brauw and Sung Jin Park in Tokyo for the brand's spring/summer 2015 campaign. For the European Cultural Centre Araki made in 2018 the limited special edition photo series : “Monstrous Paradise”, representing Araki’s feelings about life in Tokyo.

Controversy Araki is known for his intimate access to models. When asked about this in 2011, he bragged that he gained access through sex. In April 2018, Kaori, a model who posed for Araki from 2001 to 2016, wrote a blog post about her relationship with Araki in which she accused him of financial and artistic exploitation. Kaori stated that "she worked without a contract, was forced to take part in explicit shoots in front of strangers, was not regularly paid and that her nude images were often used without her consent." In 2017, when she requested that he stop republishing or exhibiting some photographs of her, Araki wrote to Kaori, warning that she had no rights. She states that the experience led to psychological trauma and ill health. Kaori stated that the Me Too movement had encouraged her to speak out. The accusations have raised questions about the power dynamics between a photographer and his subject. In order to raise awareness of Kaori's claims, the activist group Angry Asian Girls Association protested the opening of an exhibition of photographs by Araki at C/O Berlin December 2018.

Awards 1964: Taiyō Prize for photo reportage, Japan. 1964: Sun Prize, Japan. 1990: Shashin-no-kai Prize from the Photographic Society of Japan 1991: 7th Higashikawa Prize. 1994: Japan Inter-Design Forum Grand Prix. 2008: Austrian Decoration for Science and Art. 2012: Top Prize at the 6th ANGO Awards. 2012: 54th Mainichi Art Award. 2017: Araki was shortlisted for the European Cultural Centre Art Award.

Publications

Zerokkusu Shashincho 1–25 = Xeroxed Photo Album 1–25. A series of books self-produced using a photocopier, published from 1970 onwards, each in an edition of 70 copies. Senchimentaru na Tabi. = Sentimental Journey. Senchimentaru na Tabi. Tokyo: self-published, 1971. Title and text in Japanese. 100 black and white photographs. Sentimental Journey. Tokyo: Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2016. ISBN 978-4-309-27700-4. Facsimile edition. With an introduction in Japanese and English by Araki. Housed in a slipcase with a postcard. Tokyo Lucky Hole. Tokyo Lucky Hole 1983–1985 Shinjuku Kabuki-cho district. Tokyo: Ohta Shuppan, 1990. 272 pages. Tokyo Lucky Hole. Cologne: Taschen. With texts by Akira Suei and Akihito Yasumi translated into English, French and German. 704 pages. 1997, ISBN 9783822881897; 2005, ISBN 9783822846810; 2015, ISBN 9783836556385. Shokuji = The Banquet. Tokyo: Magazine House, 1993. 32 black and white and 28 colour photographs. With a text by Araki. Self, Life, Death. New York: Phaidon, 2005. Edited by Akiko Miki. ISBN 9780714845555. Photography for the Afterlife. Tokyo: Heibonsha, 2014. ISBN 978-4582278118. With an essay by Mario Perniola, "Araki's Hell". Tokyo. Munich: Pinakothek der Moderne; Only Photography, 2017. 28 diptychs. With essays. Edition of 300 copies. Araki by Araki (in English, French, and German). Cologne: Taschen. 2014. ISBN 978-3836551120. OCLC 917170400. A 560-page retrospective survey of Araki's body of work selected by the artist. Monstrous Paradise. Personal Structures Art Projects #11. European Cultural Centre, 2018. ISBN 978-90-829434-0-5.

Films

Films by Araki High School Girl Fake Diary (女高生偽日記, Jokōsei nise nikki) (1981) Ai no Shinsekai (愛の新世界, Ai no Shinsekai) (1994) Flower Rondo 3 (2002) – documentary short Flower Rondo 4: Kakyoku (2003) – documentary short Painting Flowers in the Sky Over the Balcony (2004) – documentary Fuyuharu (2004) – documentary short

Films about Araki A Live DVD Araki Overseas 1997 – 2000 (2002) – documentary Arakimentari (2004) – documentary directed by Travis Klose and produced by Troopers Films (Regis Trigano and Dylan Verrechia).

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nobuyoshi Araki

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nobuyoshi Araki claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nobuyoshi Araki before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nobuyoshi Araki ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nobuyoshi Araki

In research: Nobuyoshi Araki appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nobuyoshi Araki in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nobuyoshi Araki is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1940 births, Artists from Tokyo, BDSM photographers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nobuyoshi Araki outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nobuyoshi Araki in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nobuyoshi Araki means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nobuyoshi Araki out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nobuyoshi Araki in simple terms?

Why does Nobuyoshi Araki matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nobuyoshi Araki?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nobuyoshi Araki.