Masahisa Fukase was born in the town of Bifuka in Nakagawa District, Hokkaido, in 1934. He graduated from the Nihon University College of Art’s Photography Department in 1956. Fukase became a freelance photographer in 1968 after working at the Nippon Design Center and Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publishers. His major collections include Yugi (English: Homo Ludens) (Chuokoronsha, 1971), Yoko (Asahi Sonorama, 1978), and Karasu (English: Ravens) (Sokyusha, 1986). His major group exhibitions include “New Japanese Photography” (New York MoMA, 1974), “Black Sun: The Eyes of Four” (Oxford Museum of Modern Art, 1985), “By Night” (Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, 1996), and “OUT OF JAPAN” (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2002). Fukase has also held countless other solo exhibitions. He is also the winner of prizes such as the 2nd Ina Nobuo Award in 1976 for his exhibition “Karasu” as well as the Special Award at the 8th Higashikawa Photography Awards in 1992. Fukase passed away in 2012.