Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue
nobuyoshi araki
portrait
by CHIKASHI SUZUKI
text
by OLIVIER ZAHM
When I asked longtime Purple contributor and photographer Chikashi Suzuki to send a self-portrait for this issue, he instead sent portraits of other artists he admires in Tokyo — demonstrating the typical Japanese work ethic that prioritizes work over ego. We chose these striking portraits of Nobuyoshi Araki at his favorite bar, Rouge, in Shinjuku, when the cult photographer began losing sight in his right eye.
Thirty years ago, a young Chikashi came straight from Tokyo and knocked on Purple’s door, saying he loved the magazine and wanted to assist photographer Anders Edström (see his pictures from Japan in this issue).
I asked him to show us his own work, and a week later, we commissioned him to shoot Martin Margiela’s fall/winter 1997–1998 collection. Since then, Chikashi has become an integral part of Purple, contributing to nearly every issue and serving as the magazine’s key contact in Tokyo.
Beyond fashion stories, he has documented Tokyo’s creative scene with portraits of the most interesting actors, artists, and designers. There isn’t a great show, art event, or underground project in Tokyo that Chikashi hasn’t captured. Renowned for his instinctive photographic eye and deep respect for artists, he has earned a reputation as one of the most significant photographers of his generation.
