Motoichi Kumagai facts for kids

Motoichi Kumagai (熊谷 元一, Kumagai Motoichi, 12 July 1909 – 6 November 2010) was a talented Japanese photographer and illustrator. He was famous for his pictures and drawings of everyday life in the countryside and at school.

Kumagai created many children's books and books filled with his amazing photographs. His work was so good that he won several awards. The first big award he received was a photography prize from the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper in 1955.

Sometimes, his name is also spelled as Motokazu Kumagai or Motoiti Kumagai.

His Life Story

Motoichi Kumagai was born on July 12, 1909. His hometown was a village called Ōchi (会地村, Ōchi-mura). This village is now part of Achi in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. His first name, 元一, is usually written as "Motoichi". But you might also see it as "Motoiti" or "Motokazu".

From 1930 to 1933, Kumagai worked as a teacher. He loved working with children. His very first work for kids was published in May 1932. It appeared in a magazine called Kodomo no Kuni.

In 1936, he bought a special camera called a Pearlette. It was a simple camera, but he used it to take pictures of village life. Two years later, his first collection of photographs was published by Asahi Shinbunsha.

In 1939, Kumagai moved to Tokyo. He worked there as a government photographer. He even traveled to Manchukuo three times for his work. After World War II, he went back to his village and continued teaching.

In 1955, he published a book of photographs about school life. This book was published by Iwanami Shoten. It was so good that it won a photography prize from the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.

Kumagai created many books. Some were for children, and others were collections of his photographs. His photographs are kept in a special place called the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. A whole book in the Nihon no Shashinka series is about his work.

He received many awards and honors, especially after 1990. His hometown of Achi even opened a gallery just for his work. It's called the Kumagai Motoichi Shashin Dōgakan.

Motoichi Kumagai passed away on November 6, 2010. He was 101 years old. He died peacefully in a nursing home in Tokyo.

What He Created

Motoichi Kumagai was a very busy artist. He worked as an illustrator, a writer, and a photographer. He created many books that showed the beauty of rural Japan and the lives of its people.

As an Illustrator

Kumagai illustrated many books for children. He drew pictures for stories and educational books. Here are a few examples of the books he illustrated:

• Gakkō Ehon: Shūshin no Maki (学校ヱホン 修身ノ巻) (1936)
• Itachi to Kodomo (いたちと子供) (1941)
• Ujigami-sama (氏神さま) (1942)
• Yama no Mura (ヤマノムラ) (1942)
• Furusato no Ehon: Fuyu no Maki (ふるさとの絵本 冬の巻) (1946)
• Shizen no Naka de (自然の中で) (1969)

As an Illustrator and Writer

Kumagai also wrote and illustrated some of his own books. These books often shared stories and observations from his life. Some of his works where he was both the illustrator and writer include:

• Warabe-uta (わらべうた) (1966)
• Nihon no Kaki no Ki (二ほんのかきのき) (1969)
• Kaiko (かいこ) (1976)
• Tanabata Matsuri (たなばたまつり) (1985)
• Jiicha no Kodomo no Koro (じいちゃの子どものころ) (2005)

As a Photographer

Kumagai is especially known for his powerful photographs. He captured everyday life in Japanese villages, schools, and farms. His photos tell stories without needing words. Here are some of his famous photography books:

• Ōchi-mura: Ichi Nōson no Shashin Kiroku (会地村 一農村の写真記録) (1938)
• Kaiko no Mura (かいこの村) (1953)
• Ichinensei: Aru Shōgaku Kyōshi no Kiroku (一年生 ある小学教師の記録) (1955)
• Mura no Ichinen (村の一年) (1993)
• Kumagai Motoichi Shashin Zenshū (熊谷元一写真全集) (1994)

Other Works

Beyond his main photography and illustration work, Kumagai also wrote other books. These often focused on rural life and culture. Some examples include:

• Mura no Fujin Seikatsu (村の婦人生活) (1954)
• Nōka no Shiki (農家の四季) (1961)
• Mura no Shashin Sensei (むらの写真先生) (1968)

Awards and Honors

Motoichi Kumagai's work was recognized with several important awards:

• He won a photography prize from the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper in 1955. This was a big honor for his work.
• He received various other honors, especially from the 1990s onwards. These awards showed how much people appreciated his unique way of capturing life through his art.