Tokyo-based photographer Irwin Wong’s The Obsessed: Otaku, Tribes, and Subcultures of Japan seeks to explore Japanese subcultures across various regions. With profiles on 40 individuals (including DJ Sumirock, the world’s oldest professional club DJ, and Kobayashi Hideaki, the “Sailor Uniform Grandpa”) as well as groups of people with a shared passion (like the Tanganmen who wear one-eyed masks), the book features interviews, essays and plenty of bright and bold images. It’s an examination and celebration of those who pursue a hobby or a dream with a level of enthusiasm and dedication that (for many) transcends pragmatism.
The Obsessed: Otaku, Tribes, and Subcultures of Japan
$60
