Kingpouge Laika 12 78 Photos Photography By Hiromi Saimon [new] 【SAFE | 2027】

The subject of these 78 photos is a singular stray dog—presumably named "Laika" by the artist—observed in the back alleys of Ueno and Asakusa during the winter of 1978.

Hiromi Saimon Format: Photobook / Zine (presumed limited-run, self-published or small press)

Unlike the globally recognized names of Nobuyoshi Araki or Daido Moriyama, Hiromi Saimon exists in the spectral margins of the Japanese photo world. Active primarily between the mid-1970s and early 1980s, Saimon was known for gritty, high-contrast black-and-white street photography, with a specific obsession: the urban animal. kingpouge laika 12 78 photos photography by hiromi saimon

Because it is a Kingpouge book photographed by Hiromi Saimon, it is not a drawn comic. It is a bound book of real photography . Saimon would photograph a real model dressed as "Laika" in the Kingpouge school uniform. The book would feature nude or semi-nude modeling posed to look like an erotic manga, sometimes with comic book sound effects or speech bubbles overlaid onto the photographs.

Hiromi Saimon gained recognition for her distinct visual style that blends soft lighting with sharp, intimate focus. Her work is frequently featured in: Artistic Photo Books: The subject of these 78 photos is a

Given the scarcity of information, I will structure the article as follows:

The curated photobook features exactly 78 photos , chosen out of thousands of frames taken over several months. Because it is a Kingpouge book photographed by

: Laika is depicted in a haunting image, surrounded by antique dolls and mannequins. Saimon's use of shadows and muted colors creates a sense of unease and foreboding, as if Laika has stumbled into a creepy dollhouse.

The number 12 might refer to the ISO rating of a very slow film, or 12 exposures per roll. 78 could be the year 1978 (late Showa era), evoking the gritty street photography of Daido Moriyama or Nobuyoshi Araki’s more chaotic moments. Yet Saimon avoids direct homage; the work is too raw and inwardly focused to be derivative.

After the series was completed, Saimon supposedly had a falling out with his gallery in Ginza. He locked the 78 negatives in a metal box and moved to a fishing village in Hokkaido. For thirty years, "Kingpouge" was a rumor.