Japan Erotics: By Yasushi Rikitake -11363 Photos- -rikitake.com- 67 |work|

Where a romantic comedy uses obstacles for laughs, a romantic drama weaponizes them for catharsis. Think of the difference between When Harry Met Sally (comedy) and The Notebook (drama). Both deal with timing and class, but one ends with a punchline; the other ends with two elderly lovers dying in each other’s arms.

Internal flaws or external circumstances must realistically threaten the relationship. Where a romantic comedy uses obstacles for laughs,

It is impossible to discuss the legacy of Yasushi Rikitake without addressing the legal and moral issues surrounding his early career. As noted by both Japanese Wikipedia and Baike (Chinese encyclopedia), the majority of his work featuring young models was rendered following the enforcement of modern child protection laws. Yet, because of the internet’s refusal to forget,

Yet, because of the internet’s refusal to forget, the file name lives on: narrow studio in Tokyo’s Meguro ward

The year was 2004. In a quiet, narrow studio in Tokyo’s Meguro ward, the air smelled of ozone from heavy studio lights and freshly brewed green tea. Yasushi Rikitake didn’t operate like the high-glamour fashion photographers of Ginza. He was a systematic archivist of the human form.