Shiro Shirahata was born on February 23, 1933, in the village of Hirosato, today part of the city of Otsuki in the Yamanashi prefecture in Japan. After five years apprenticeship with Koyo Okada, a famous Japanese photographer of the Fujiyama and two years practical work, he started in 1958 as an independent photographer, working at first by preference in the Southern Japan Alps.
At the age of 33 he participated for the first time in a climbing expedition, achieving five first ascents in the Hindu Kush. Four years later, after an expedition to the Punjab, he reached 8000 m as a member of a larger expedition to Makalu. Further expeditions see him in the Pamir and the Peruvian Andes
He then organised almost every year extensive photographic trips: to Garhwal and other mountains in India, to the European Alps, the Rocky Mountains, the Nepal Himalaya (Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Everest and Kangchenjunga groups, Jugal and Ganesh Himal, Western Nepal), the Karakorum (Hunza, Batura, Baltoro, Biafo, Hispar, Minapin and Shimshal), to Nanga Parbat, to the Northern Hindu Kush and the Hindu Raj.
His long journeys and expeditions resulted in many publications and exhibitions (see list). He gained international reputation for his books on the Japanese Alps, the European Alps, the Nepal Himalaya, the Karakorum and the Rocky Mountains, which were translated into as many as seven languages. In 1978 his book The Alps appeared in seven languages, and in 1983 the book Nepal-Himalaya was published simultaneously in seven countries. This was followed in 1986 by the book The Beauty of South Korea in four volumes. In addition he held more than twenty photo exhibitions throughout Japan.
In 1976 the French National Museum in Paris purchased a collection of his pictures, and in 1977 Shiro Shirahata was honoured by the Japan Photographic Association for his books My Southern Alps, Oze and Fuji San. In 1987 he received the Culture Award of the Yamanashi prefecture and, in addition, the Maeda Prize. In 1990 he was presented with the Noguchi Culture Award.
In 1984 his home town honoured him by opening the Shiro Shirahata Museum for Mountain Photography. Four years later he donated the Shiro Shirahata Prize for Mountain Photography, which was awarded in 1989 for the first time. 1991 saw the opening of the municipal Shiro Shirahata Memorial Hall and of the Shiro Shirahata Museum at Otsuki. In 1997 the Shiro Shirahata Museum at Niigata was inaugurated and dedicated to the Mountain World.
Shiro Shirahata is president of the mountain photography club Shiroi Mine and member of the Japan Photographic Association, the Japan Alpine Club and the Japan Rock Climbing Club.
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| Expeditions: |
| 1966 |
Hindukush, Afghanistan: Five first ascents and a second ascent
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| 1969 |
Punjab Himalaya (India): Ascent of Deo Tibba Peak (6001 m)
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| 1970 |
Makalu, Nepal Himalaya: Reaches 8000 m
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| 1976 |
Pamir: Ascent of Pik Kommunismus (7495 m)
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| 1979 |
Peruvian Andes: Ascent of Huascaran (6768 m)
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Photographic expeditions and journeys
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| 1971 |
Photographic journey through the European Alps
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| 1974 |
Photographic journey to Garhwal Himalaya and other mountain regions in India
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| 1975 |
Photographic journey to the Alps and the Nepal Himalaya
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| 1978 |
Photographs again in the Alps
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| 1980 |
Photographs in the European Alps and in Spain
Ascent of Rosh Peak (5663 m) in the Annapurna group and of Island Peak (6189 m) in Khumbu Himal
Photographs the Annapurna Inner Sanctuary and the whole Khumbu Himal
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| 1981 |
Photographs the Kangchenjunga group, Rolwaling, Jugal, Ganesh and Khumbu Himal
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| 1982 |
Photographs Ganesh Himal, Manaslu and Annapurna
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| 1983 |
Photographs the whole Dhaulagiri group as well as the mountains of Western Nepal: Kanjiroba, Api, Nampa and Saipal
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| 1984 |
Photographs the Annapurna group and Khumbu Himal
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| 1985 |
Photographs landscapes and historical sites in South Korea
Photographs in the European Alps
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| 1986 |
Photographs in South Korea
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| 1987 |
Photographs the whole region of the Baltoro and Godwin Austen Glaciers in the Karakorum
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| 1988 |
Photographs the Hunza and Batura Group in Karakorum, Nanga Parbat and the Hindukush
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| 1989 |
Photographs the Baltoro, Biafo, Hispar and Minapin Glaciers, the Haramosh Group and the Shimshal Glacier, the Northern Hindukush and the Hindu Raj
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Exhibitions
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| 1960 to 1985 |
Twelve individual exhibitions, e.g. Fuji San, Southern Alps, Oze, Northern Alps, European Alps, Nepal Himalaya in the Fuji Photo Salon (Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka) and other galleries. Takes part in many group exhibitions
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| 1986 |
The World of Shiro Shirahata exhibition in the Art Museum of the Yamanashi prefecture. The Beauty of South Korea in the stores of the Odakyu chain.
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Most important publications
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Southern Japan Alps in Colour (Yama-Kei)
Oze in Colour (Yama-Kei)
My Mountains (Yama-Kei)
Northern Japan Alps (Yama-Kei)
Famous Mountains of the Japan Alps (Yama-Kei)
The Alps (Yama-Kei, 1978)
Karakoram: Mountains of Pakistan (Yama-Kei,1990)
Shiro Shirahata‘s Mountains (Yama-Kei)
Southern Japan Alps (Asahi Shimbun Sha)
Oze (Asahi Shimbun Sha)
Fuji San (Asahi Shimbun Sha)
Photography in the Showa Period (Asahi Shimbun Sha)
Fuji San (Kokusai Joho Sha)
Fuji San (Yamanashi Nichinichi Shimbun Sha)
Southern Japan Alps (Yamanashi Nichinichi Shimbun Sha)
Hymn to the Alps (Shuei Sha)
Mountains in Glow (Kodan Sha)
Beauty of South Korea: Tracing the History (Kumon Shuppan)
Beauty of South Korea: The Search for Tradition (Kumon Shuppan)
Famous Mountain Landscapes of South Korea (Kumon Shuppan)
Pilgrimage to old Temples in South Korea (Kumon Sha)
Mountain Flowers (Nippon Camera Sha)
Nepal Himalaya (Tokyo Shimbun Sha, 1983)
Travelling with the Camera (Shin Nippon)
Shiro Shirahata views the Japan Alps (Shuppan Sha)
Mountain Life (Daiwa Shobo)
Mountains and Photography: My Life (lwanami Shoten)
The Rocky Mountains
Majestic Splendour: Portraits of the Rocky Mountains
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| Membership |
President of the Mountain Photo Club Shiroi Mine
Member of the Japan Photographic Association, the Japan Alpine Club, the Japan Rock Climbing Club et al.
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| Current Address |
# 503 Syoseiso
3 Funamachi, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 160-0006
Japan
Tel: +81 333 57 20 10
Fax: +81 333 55 06 86
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