Miyako Ishiuchi's book, 1947, (published in 1990), is just one of the Japanese photography books not listed in any serious compilation — until now.

The pleasures of list-making are the new discoveries that can be found. The dangers in list-making are the glaring omissions (by taste or ignorance) that are pounced on by those who are passionate and knowledgeable about a subject. So, without further ado, we introduce the "starter" list of 64 essential Japanese photo books here, compiled by photo historian Ferdinand Brueggemann.

So now, dear readers, your mission is to help fill in the gaps with your favorites (and why they are important). Send in your comments, corrections, and critiques. We will add your input to the "ultimate" list. Enjoy!