9 Japanese Photographers You Should Follow in 2026

I work as a photographer and retoucher at FixThePhoto. I’ve always admired the creative depth of Japanese photography. I particularly like the approaches and techniques of Daido Moriyama, Nobuyoshi Araki, Rinko Kawauchi, and other legendary Japanese photographers. They push me to think outside the box and bring more purpose to my own work behind the lens.

Japanese photography attracts me with its emotional depth, clean aesthetic, and ability to seize the moment. Such elements have affected my own shooting methods. In this article, I’ll introduce several famous Japanese photographers I look up to.

There’s something quietly powerful about Japanese photography. It doesn’t rely on drama or complexity, but draws you in with simplicity and emotions. Talented Japanese photographers know how to strip a scene down to its emotional core. Thus, every shot is thoughtful and full of life. Curious how they do it? Here’s an overview of the key principles behind their work and tips for using them when taking images.

Born in 1940, Nobuyoshi Araki is one of Japan’s most talked-about photographers. He started out in advertising after finishing school at Chiba University in 1963 but quickly made a name for himself with bold, intimate, and sometimes controversial images. His photos shine a light on love, sex, death, and everyday life, especially in Tokyo. His use of nude photography themes and Kinbaku (Japanese rope art) gives his work a poetic yet provocative edge.

Araki Japanese photographer earned worldwide fame for fearlessly capturing themes that many shy away from. He’s created more than 500 photo books. His honest and emotional photos often stirred up controversy but also moved people deeply. In his iconic series “Sentimental Journey”, he photographed his honeymoon and later, the heartbreaking moments of his wife’s illness and death. Even after going blind in one eye, Araki kept doing what he loves.

Rinko Kawauchi was born in 1972 in Shiga, Japan. She is one of the best Japanese photographers known for her gentle and poetic vision. She burst onto the international scene in 2001, publishing three photo books simultaneously - Utatane, Hanabi, and Hanako. Her work has won her several awards, including the highly respected Kimura Ihei Award.

Rinko Kawauchi takes a calm and watchful approach to everyday life. She photographs simple subjects like bugs, sunlight, hands, and water. Besides, she is good at flower photography. Her pictures, often in gentle pastel tones, encourage us to slow down and think. Rinko is inspired by Japanese traditions like Shinto, which sees something special in ordinary things.

Born in 1938 in Osaka, Daido Moriyama is a famous Japanese photographer feted for the bold and gritty shots that capture the heartbeat of urban life. Influenced by postwar Japan, American pop art, and the “Provoke” movement, his photos question the usual rules of beauty and photography. Moriyama turned photography on its head with his groundbreaking book “Farewell Photography” (1972), which remains a classic in photography history.

You can easily differentiate his style - high-contrast black and white shots, often grainy and out of focus, capturing fleeting, busy moments on Tokyo’s streets. His photos show a deep curiosity about the broken and sometimes lonely side of today’s world. He isn’t chasing flawless images. This Japanese street photographer goes with the flow, using imperfection and instinct to create pictures that burst with life. I love how he makes ordinary street life look like it is a frame from a movie.

Hiroshi Sugimoto, a Tokyo native born in 1948, is a master of photography who blends sharp technique with big philosophical questions. When he moved to the U.S. in the 1970s, his career took off. He became well known for shooting with a large-format 8×10 camera for photography and using very long exposures. Thus, his images were rich in detail and almost outside of time.

Some of Sugimoto’s most famous series are called Seascapes, Theaters, and Dioramas. They touch upon important themes like time, memory, and perception. His work stands out for its mix of technical precision and spiritual depth. It’s no wonder his photos have been shown in top museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Together with my colleagues from FixThePhoto, I marvel at how his images are both visually stunning and rich with ideas.

Born in Tokyo, Ulysses Aoki is one of the most popular contemporary Japanese photographers. She photographs everything from street scenes to fashion portraits. He picked up photography during his student days and quickly stood out for his honest, artistic take on urban life. I love how his work walks the fine line between precision and natural flow.

Aoki aptly uses colors to create images that reflect Tokyo’s heartbeat and texture. His standout project is called Density. The photos are dedicated to the city’s constant transformation. This portrait photographer has teamed up with top brands like Leica and Uniqlo, and also uses his voice to push for greener art practices, speaking on global panels for UNESCO and other organizations.

Tatsuo Suzuki is a Tokyo native born in 1965. He made a splash in the urban photography world with his gritty, high-contrast black-and-white images. He got into photography in his late 30s, proving it's never too late to chase your passion. What I admire most is that his shots are bold, in-your-face, yet thoughtfully composed.

Influenced by the Provoke movement, Suzuki focuses on emotion over accuracy, much like Daido Moriyama. His street photos are raw and up-close, full of tension and motion. This bold style caught the eye of global audiences, so currently Tatsuo Suzuki is recognized as one of the best Japanese street photographers. He took part in many exhibitions and online platforms. He also briefly worked with Fujifilm as an X-Photographer.

Shin Noguchi is a Tokyo-born photographer from 1976. Living in both Kamakura and Tokyo, he focuses on the quiet charm of daily life. His work is all about finding blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments. This street photographer knows how to capture unexpected beauty, emotion, and humanity on the streets. He skillfully uses light and color to turn simple city scenes into visual stories that strike a chord with the audience.

In 2014, Shin Noguchi won First Prize at the MAP Toulouse Photo Festival. Since then, his work has been featured in The Guardian, The Independent, and by Leica. His series, like Something Here, shows a poetic side of street photography. His photos are carefully framed but never staged. I particularly like how his images connect emotionally. Everyday moments become scenes that speak straight to the heart.

Kohki Yamaguchi was born in Tokyo and educated in Sydney. He is known for his flexible style and global outlook. Since 2017, he’s worked in many genres, including portraits, street, architecture, and landscapes. His images have a special rhythm. His photo tells a clear story, blending control with creativity and color with calmness.

In 2016, Yamaguchi had a life-changing moment while looking down on Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. That’s when his passion for photography was born. He began sharing photos on Instagram and other social media for photographers, and quickly gained a following. His series Density and portraits reveal his natural eye for color and atmosphere. He’s teamed up with top brands like BMW and Uniqlo, blending honest storytelling with a polished look.