Jiro Konami is a Tokyo-born Japanese photographer whose work moves fluidly between Tokyo and New York, between the public chaos of youth and the quiet intimacy of home. His photographs speak in a language of mood, texture, and instinct, capturing the present moment in a way that feels real to his experience—flashes of life that span personal portraiture, nightlife, and street culture. Known for his diaristic approach, Jiro’s lens has documented the energy of Japan’s underground youth movements, New York’s creative subcultures, and the tender domestic moments of his own family. His imagery lingers because it feels personal: the closeness to his subjects, the care behind the camera, and the sense that he isn’t simply observing but offering something of himself. Over the past decade, Jiro has published acclaimed photobooks and exhibited internationally, building a body of work that bridges raw immediacy with quiet reflection. His camera is less about documenting a scene than translating a state of mind—fast, then slow; loud, then quiet; alive, then uncertain.
Issue 11 of Living Proof Magazine features a Photo Essay from Kiro Konami.
Let’s start like this, what part of Japan are you originally from?
I’m from Hachijojima, Tokyo, a beautiful island located south of Tokyo.
As a young person, what were your surroundings like, and how do you believe your surrounding environment influenced the person you are today?
I grew up in a place surrounded by nature—mountains and oceans. I was wildly looking for something fun from scratch. That stance still hasn’t changed for me.
What was life at home like? In terms of your approach to work, art and life, how much of your philosophy comes from what it was like for you growing up at home with your family?
My father was an art teacher. I used to watch him painting at home and making things like chairs and plates. He made many of the things we needed in daily life by himself. I also remember him going to the ocean to paint the view. Back then, my role was just to help him, but now I really admire that way of living. I think it’s wonderful to create the things you need and live a life surrounded by what you love.
What were your interests prior to picking up a camera?
I was a soccer kid.
Can you recall the first time you became aware of photography as a medium and avenue for artistic expression? What about it attracted you to picking up a camera?
The first time I grabbed a camera was when I was 17. My girlfriend was taking photos. It felt very normal—just part of daily life—to be photographed by her. She took pictures of everything around her, and also selfies. I felt nothing special in that routine. But when I looked back at those photos she took after she has gone to heaven by sickness, I literally saw that the pictures had stopped time, and those moments became eternal. That was my first photography experience. From that point, I grabbed cameras and dove into the deep sea.
What artists, scenes and other phenomena from life influence your work and serve as a source of inspiration?
If I name a few, the photographers who lived through the formative eras from Japanese subcultures in 1968, such as Daido Moriyama, Eikoh Hosoe, Nobuyoshi Araki and Takuma Nakahira. I was greatly influenced by those Japanese artists for sure. Ryan McGinley, Dash Snow and Dan Colen’s works in early 2000s NY. Ryan’s photos—full of speed and motion—made a big impact on me.
Let’s speak a bit on your ideas and process on making a photograph. What is going through your mind when shooting an intimate portrait?
I sincerely jump into their eyes. I always maneuver the timing when I shutter the camera by reacting not only my reactions but the subject’s reaction too. I sense instantaneously and respond to them. When all goes well, you will get great portraits as result.
Is there a specific look, feeling or emotion you are aiming for?
Nothing special. Everything I see.
What was the idea behind “Looking at my father”? Can you tell me about some of the emotions involved when making that project?
I was 18 when I started to take photos. I was thinking what I wanted to take and I came up with my father. I haven’t gotten a chance to see my father for three years because I had moved from Hachijojima to Tokyo at the age of 15. My father was 68 when I was 18. I thought there was a little time left for him since he was sick. What does my father mean to me? I went to see him and started to take photos of him. I felt in need of keeping a record of him in my memory. I shot him till he passed away. My father and I faced each other through the lens for eight years. The experience became the foundation of facing humans through the camera and taking photos of them. Most likely, I was able to experiment the process to develop photos and print them. And I got to do that with the best subject. It was a very good time—one that allowed me to reflect on what photography is and what my father meant to me.
What prompted you to move to New York? What would you say are the greatest differences between life in New York and life in Japan?
I was working in Tokyo till I was 30 years old. Since I started to take photos when I was 18, I did many photo gigs, exhibitions and published photo books. I felt I had completed a phase, and started to realize: the chance that I could expect to change myself wouldn’t be so much, when I saw myself in ten years. Taking photos of Tokyo was very attractive to me but I started to lose the freshness working there. I decided to move to New York as it was my new challenge. I’ve gotten to know New York’s downtown scenes when I was a teenager. I knew that there are so many photographers in New York and I’m thinking that New York is the right place to strive. I was looking for some stimulation.
New York and Tokyo, the cities themselves are very similar I think. But Tokyo is kinder than New York and very indulgent. People aren’t stoic enough in how they live. They care about others way too much and you could buy anything cheaper. Just living in New York is tough. That’s why we end up thinking so much and feel like we’re running out of time. I believe that New York is the city where we could be as stoic as needed to achieve what we want.
*Full interview available only in-print.
This story for the release of Issue 11 of Living Proof Magazine. Now available on our Patreon and Online Shop.
