Endo, Ayaka: Kanoko (signed limited edition)

“Ayaka Endo: Kanoko” is the latest entry in a series of publications created by Japanese designer Satoshi Machiguchi that pair the work of photographers with short-stories by figures from Japan’s literary world, following books like “Sakiko Nomura: Ango” (Sakiko Nomura x Sakaguchi Ango), “Daido Moriyama: Odasaku” (Daido Moriyama x Sakunosuke Oda), and “Daido Moriyama: Terayama” (Daido Moriyama x Shuji Terayama).
For “Kanako,” Machiguchi decided for the first time to use a short-story written before the Second World War: “Sushi” by writer Kanako Okamoto (mother of artist Taro Okamoto) meets new photographs taken by Ayaka Endo, whose subdued, highly unique photographic approach seems to imbue the world with more mystery and fascination rather than take any away.

“When I was editing and designing the first book in this series, I never thought it would come so far. There was something I was tempted to test – could the written text and images coexist without the text explaining the images or the images illustrating the text? As I worked on the spreads, I noticed the rhythm of text and image taking shape before the content. Going back and forth – reading the text, viewing the images – the words transformed into something different, the photographs took on a new dimension.”
― from Satoshi Machiguchi’s afterword

Title: Kanoko
Publisher, Year: Bookshop M, 2026
Author: Satoshi Machiguchi
Photographer: Ayaka Endo
Format: Softcover, Slipcase
Size: 210 × 148 mm, 240 pages
Edition: Limited edition of 500