Santa Fe Rie Miyazawa Photo By Kishin Shinoyama 1991

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The publication of on November 13, 1991, remains a watershed moment in Japanese visual culture. Photographed by Kishin Shinoyama and featuring actress Rie Miyazawa

Enter Rie Miyazawa. She was 17 years old at the time of the shoot. A porcelain-featured idol who had captured the nation’s heart as a teenager, Miyazawa was the girl next door. She was a regular on variety shows, a singer, and an actress. In the conservative hierarchy of Japanese entertainment, she was untouchable, pure, and "safe." santa fe rie miyazawa photo by kishin shinoyama 1991

In later interviews, Shinoyama defended the work with characteristic bluntness. He claimed that the trip to Santa Fe was a "graduation ceremony" for Miyazawa—a transition from girl to woman. He argued that the nudes in Santa Fe were not pornographic because they lacked "lewdness." They were anatomical, anthropological, and artistic. " " The publication of on November 13,

Let’s rewind the film.