A Day in the Life of Japan

A Day In The Life

by Rick Smolan, David Elliot Cohen

Extraordinary pictures of ordinary events capture twenty-four hours of Japan on June 7, 1985

Genres: Photography, Japan, Nonfiction, Travel, Art, Picture Books, Asia

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1985

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

After wandering around Dayton (a small city near where I live) for an hour I snuck in the community college library and found this gem.

Though this collection of photographs was photographed in 1985, I still find that many of the images could still be found around Japan today. I was sad to see that there weren't more images of Miyajima. Anyway, I'd love to own this one, note to self.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

World-class photography that even captures Japan's oft-ignored underworld. Minus points for occasionally promoting government propaganda about the country, but this was such a fantastic collection that I went ahead and bought half the other books in the series.

[Smiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Browsing through its fascinating photos and their captions in this book is simply amazing, that is, it’s like taking a trip all over Japan in a day. However, its reader has to keep in mind that it’s a collections of photos taken by 100 of the world’s leading photojournalists on one day, June 7, 1985.

[Lindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the photos may be old (from 35+ years ago), they are beautiful and provide a glimpse at life in Japan in 1985. Every picture comes with a description or story behind it. Some things have changed since then, but much of it is still the same.

[Margarite Baltruweit · Rating 5 out of 5]

On June 7, 1985, 100 photographers from around the world set out to cover Japan. This is the first such coverage of a non-Western, non-English-speaking country.

[Luigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great concept, great book

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, A Day in the Life of Japan made me look at my own phone habits and feel a little called out. Rick Smolan lays out how apps are built to keep you hooked, and the part about autoplay and endless scroll made me realize I lost most of a Sunday to a feed. It leans on a few worst-case examples to make its point. You might roll your eyes at the alarm bells, but it'll make you rethink how much of your attention you're handing over for free.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished A Day in the Life of Japan and honestly felt tired in the best way, like after a long hike. Rick Smolan stretches the story across decades, and the scene where two old friends meet at a bus station and can't think of a thing to say carried more weight than any big speech. The timeline hops around, which cost me some momentum. Who this is for: readers who like life-sized, quiet stories. Who should pass: anybody who wants plot twists every ten pages.