A collection of 364 photographic prints (various dimensions), pasted on thick cardstock sheets (all 318 x 234 mm.), taken by architectural historian Yutaka Kondō (1909-94) between 1938 and 1955, closely documenting the architectural details of notable temples and shrines in Kyoto & Nara.
Many photographs have manuscript notes on the reverse, and all the sheets have concise ms. captions noting the building depicted and the date the photograph was taken. [Kyoto & Nara]: ca. 1938-55.
A rich archive documenting culturally significant temples and shrines in Kyoto and Nara; Kondō was one of the foremost experts on historic architecture, and he wrote several influential books on the subject. According to a memorial written by one of his colleagues, when sites were being refurbished, Kondō was the first to be consulted by officials to ensure the original designs were properly followed and traditional construction techniques were employed.
For decades he ambled the streets of Kyoto, photographing architectural points of interest, keeping assiduous records of when and where images were taken. This almost daily routine resulted in a collection of 80,000 photographic negatives, which was donated to the Kyoto Prefectural Library and Archives.
Our collection comprises 364 of his photographic prints, all mounted on cardstock, with his handwritten notes on both in many cases. The mix of exterior and interior photographs provides a thorough understanding of these structures and their distinctive features. For example, he exhaustively documented Hōryūji 法隆寺 in Nara as it was being restored in 1954-55 with 151 photographs, showing the various buildings, gates, roofs, ornamental beams and supports, joints, door ornaments, doors, corridors, religious relics, excavated carved stones, wooden altar, ceiling interiors, golden sarcophagus, facades, various decorative motifs, roof tiles, windows and window shutters, ceiling paintings, statues, etc.
The full list of sites Kondō photographed in this collection is:
Higashi Honganji-18 photographs, taken ca. 1939-52
Nishi Honganji-31 photographs, ca. 1951-53
Hōryūji (Nara)-151 photographs, ca. 1938-55
Yakushiji (Nara)-44 photographs, ca. 1951-53
Tōshōdaiji (Nara)-46 photographs, ca. 1939-51
Kitano Tenmangū-38 photographs, ca. 1951-52
Hōkaiji-20 photographs, 1951
Kōshōji-4 photographs, 1951
Rokuonji (or Kinkakuji)-1 photograph, 1955
Chion-in-1 photograph, n.d.
Kyō’ō gokokuji-1 photograph, n.d.
Kiyomizu-dera-2 photographs, n.d.
Dōshisha-1 photograph, 1950.
Kyōto National Museum-6 photographs, ca. 1951-53
This is a precious architectural archive concerning the preservation of some of the oldest and most sacred temples and shrines in Japan, assembled by one of the country’s leading experts. An envelope with a handwritten message to Kondō suggests that he loaned these annotated photographs to Kinkiyūsei Kyoku Kenchikubu, the architectural division of Japan Post in the region of Kansai. This office was responsible for the construction, maintenance, and restoration of historical sites; it must have solicited the historian to draw from his vast archive of architectural photographs.
Sporadic foxing and stains to the cardstock and some of the prints.
❧ Kondō’s collection of negatives has been integrated into Ritsumeikan University’s “Archiving the Space of Kyoto Across Place and Time,” organized by professors Keiji Yano and Naomi Kawasumi (accessed August 2025). Beware: the link to “Photo materials by Yutaka Kondo (beta version)” is corrupted.
Kiyokazu Kagawa, “To the Memory of Professor Yutaka Kondo,” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians of Japan, Vol. 24 (1995), pp. 130-31.
Price: $5,500.00
Item ID: 11041
