Last updated: 27 October 2026
Daido Moriyama is the Japanese street photographer whose grainy, high-contrast pictures of Tokyo came out of the Provoke movement. Here you will find our take on his work, his 2026 shows in Paris and Vienna, and where to buy his books in the UK.
Our take on Daido Moriyama
Moriyama was born in Osaka in 1938 and moved to Tokyo in 1961, where he still lives and works. Tate called him “the most celebrated photographer to emerge from the Japanese Provoke movement” when it paired him with William Klein at Tate Modern in 2012.
His best-known picture, Stray Dog, Misawa, Aomori (1971), shows a mongrel looking back over its shoulder, shot rough and close. Books matter as much as prints to him: Farewell Photography and The Hunter both came out in 1972, and his self-published Record is still running.
In 2026 the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris built a show around his writing and books rather than a run of greatest hits. The most practical way to own his work in the UK is a book: Thames & Hudson’s 440-page Moriyama: Quartet is £65.
Daido Moriyama: the essentials
- Born in Osaka in 1938; based in Tokyo since 1961, according to Tate.
- Trained as a graphic designer before turning to photography.
- Associated with Provoke, the late-1960s Japanese photography magazine, and known for grainy, blurred, high-contrast street pictures.
- Key books include Farewell Photography and The Hunter (both 1972).
- Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Center of Photography.
Daido Moriyama exhibitions
- Daido Moriyama: Love Letters to Photography, Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris, 20 May to 4 October 2026.
- Daido Moriyama: Retrospective, Foto Arsenal Wien, Vienna, 31 January to 10 May 2026, with more than 200 photographs.
- William Klein + Daido Moriyama, Tate Modern, London, 10 October 2012 to 20 January 2013.
- No UK show is on at the moment.
Where to buy Daido Moriyama in the UK
We found no prints on open sale in the UK when we checked. The best way in is a book:
Daido Moriyama FAQs
Who is Daido Moriyama?
A Japanese photographer, born in Osaka in 1938, known for grainy black and white pictures of Tokyo’s streets and for his photobooks.
What is Daido Moriyama’s most famous photograph?
Stray Dog, Misawa, Aomori (1971), a dog looking back over its shoulder.
Can I buy a Daido Moriyama print in the UK?
We found none on open sale when we checked. His books are easier to find; Moriyama: Quartet is £65.
Has Daido Moriyama shown at Tate?
Yes. Tate Modern paired him with William Klein from October 2012 to January 2013.
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Main image: Daido Moriyama, Tokyo, 2010. Photo: Sebastian Mayer via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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