A Japanese photographer's intimate documentation of his wife leaving for work each morning has gained widespread attention on social media, with viewers universally praising the same striking element: her impeccable sense of style. The photographs, taken by renowned artist Masahisa Fukase in the 1970s, capture his then-wife Yoko Wanibe from their fourth-floor apartment window as she headed to work below.
Fukase, born in 1934 in the small town of Bifuka, Hokkaido, moved to Tokyo in the 1950s to pursue his education while maintaining a deep connection to his hometown roots. The photographer developed a reputation for creating numerous projects that offered original interpretations and insights into domestic life. His series "From Window" has recently experienced a resurgence of interest and popularity, even attracting viewers who were previously unfamiliar with Fukase's work.
The photographs, taken throughout the 1970s, were shot from an elevated perspective that deliberately created a sense of separation between the photographer and his subject while still maintaining the intimacy of domestic life. This unique angle served as both an artistic choice and a metaphor for the emotional dynamics within their relationship. The couple had married in 1964, but their marriage ultimately ended in separation by 1976.
Gallerist Michael Hoppen, who is an admirer of Fukase's work, explained to Dazed magazine that "Yoko appeared in many guises" throughout the photographer's portfolio. Her presence extended beyond these window photographs to include "intimate scenes of their domestic life, subversively staged wedding pictures, a dramatic shoot in an abattoir and even a formal death portrait." This range demonstrated the complex and multifaceted nature of their artistic collaboration.
The window series reveals a fascinating blend of emotions and attitudes captured through Fukase's lens. Some images showcase playful contentment, with Yoko displaying spontaneous gestures such as sticking out her tongue or kicking out her leg in moments of apparent joy or humor. However, other photographs reveal a more complex emotional landscape, capturing instances where she appears bored, uninterested, and emotionally detached, suggesting the underlying tensions in their relationship.
When a carousel of these images was recently shared by the Instagram account History Photographed, social media users became immediately captivated by Yoko's remarkable fashion sense. The account's caption provided context, explaining: "From the 1974 series From Window, photographer Masahisa Fukase captured his wife, Yoko, every morning as she left their apartment for work. Taken just two years before their divorce, the series is a poignant and obsessive visual diary of their deteriorating relationship, with the window frame acting as a metaphor for the growing emotional distance between them."
Yoko's outfits serve as a comprehensive visual diary of 1970s fashion, featuring an impressive array of period-appropriate styles including flared jeans, knee-high boots, mini skirts, tailored suits, and various other trendy pieces of the era. Her fashion choices have struck a chord with contemporary viewers, with numerous Instagram users expressing their desire to wear these same looks today, demonstrating the timeless appeal of her style.
The social media response has been overwhelmingly focused on Yoko's fashion sensibilities. Comments have poured in praising her style, with users writing enthusiastic responses such as "Can we talk about her fashion!!!!????" and "She was a fashion icon." Other viewers have commented "Fashionable and has personality," "Very stylish!" and "I would wear every outfit right now." The consensus among commenters has been remarkably consistent, with many expressing amazement that these photographs were taken in 1974.
Additional comments have reinforced the admiration for Yoko's timeless style, with users writing "Super stylish..omg," "Her fashion sense is impeccable," "Style icon," and "The fashion we want back." The enthusiasm has been particularly evident in comments like "I want every single one of those fits!" and "Her style is immaculate," demonstrating how her 1970s wardrobe continues to inspire fashion enthusiasts nearly five decades later.
The photographer's life took a tragic turn in 1992 when Fukase suffered a serious accident, falling down a flight of stairs and sustaining a traumatic brain injury. This injury left him in a coma, a condition that persisted for twenty years until his death in 2012. Despite this tragic ending, his artistic legacy continues to captivate new audiences, with the "From Window" series serving as both a documentation of 1970s domestic life and a poignant artistic statement about relationships, distance, and the passage of time.
