Young Samurai

"Young Samurai" was Tamotsu Yato's first publication and is an extensive photo-essay on Japanese male bodybuilding in the mid-60s. It was published in 1967, simultaneously by Grove Press in the US and by Bijutsu in Japan under the title of "Taido" (The Way of the Body). Aside from 64 (not including the frontispiece) full-pages of photographs by Yato, "Young Samurai" contains an introduction by Yukio Mishima, an essay by Hitoshi Tamari - the Managing Director of the Japan Bodybuilding Association, a photographer's note by Yato, a complete index to the photographs including names of models, locations and dates of events, and is completed by an index to the models themselves, listing their age, place of residence, vocation, the number of years they've been weight training, body measurements and other sports practiced.