DEAR OLD DAYS
First published in 1983, Dear Old Days captures China at a moment of quiet transition, just a few years after the end of the Cultural Revolution. Commissioned by Konica (then Konishiroku Photo Industry), photographer Ryoji Akiyama traveled extensively across China in 1981–1982, visiting cities from Beijing and Chengdu to Hainan Island, Harbin, Urumqi, and beyond. With the support of the China Photographers’ Association, he documented the lives of children whose innocent expressions now serve as timeless witnesses to a society on the cusp of profound change.
In the 1990s, as China underwent dramatic social and economic transformation, these images gained a new resonance. Every detail the children’s clothing, schoolbags, buildings, and even the everyday objects around them became a trigger for nostalgia, evoking personal memories for an entire generation. The original 1983 edition has long been out of print, and when rediscovered online in 2010, single copies fetched up to $700 at auction. Collectors and admirers alike eagerly anticipated a reprint.
In 2019, Seisodo brought Dear Old Days back into circulation, faithfully reproducing the original pagination, bilingual Chinese-Japanese text, and photographic content. A newly selected cover and a special interview with Akiyama enrich this edition, offering insight into the artist’s vision. Upon release, the reprint sold out immediately in China, drawing crowds of over 500 people to book launch events in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Chengdu. Media attention followed, including an online campaign to locate the children featured in the photobook, some of whom were identified and reunited with Akiyama at events, a story later broadcast by NHK.
Unlike much of the mainstream portrayal of children in photography, which often focuses on hardship, Dear Old Days celebrates childhood itself: a world of play, learning, and unconditional care. This work stands as both a visual archive and a philosophical reminder to honor the innocence of children, a triumph of photographic storytelling and an instant classic in contemporary photobooks.
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Language: Chinese & Japanese
Format: Hardcover | 132 pages
Dimensions: 260 x 250mm | 745g
Publication Year: 2022 | Fifth Edition
ISBN: 978-4-909787-01-9
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