Japaness U/W magazine "Marine Diving" ex-publisher AKIRA TATEISHI passed away.

AKIRA TATEISHI

ＰＲＯＦＩＬＥ

 

 

Akira Tateishi was born in Chiba, Japan in 1930.

He attended the Faculty of Art at Chiba University in 1952 and had a passion for painting for which he won many national awards.

 

In 1956 Tateishi began scuba diving in search for new motifs for his paintings. This prompted him to make a camera housing so that he could photograph what he observed under water. Soon, however, his underwater photography took on an artistic quality, offering Tateishi a new avenue of expression.

 

He held his first exhibition of underwater photography in 1957 and that same year was the cinematographer for an underwater motion picture documentary entitled  "Umi wa Ikite Iru (The living sea)". Spurred by his successes, Tateishi decided to merge his love of art and his passion for the ocean and founded the Marine Art Center in 1958. In same year, he received a prize from Shinseisaku-kyoukai.

 

He made his first underwater 16mm movie "Kaitei no Doubutsu"(Underwater Animals) in 1959 and the following years went on to make more (a complete list of all his works is enclosed at the end of this profile). At the same time, Tateishi continued to broaden his professional horizons, he tried ice diving in Lake Yamanaka, Japan in 1964, filmed the crash of an Air Nippon flight off Haneda Airport in 1966 and in April of the same year, designed an underwater camera housing which he called TATEISHI BRONICA Ⅰ.

 

As a consequence of his growing recognition and influence in his field, in 1967 Tateishi was requested by the Prime Minister's Office and the Underwater Marine Park Center to scout and recommend suitable sites for the underwater Marine Park in Okinawa. His continued interest in the technical aspects of underwater photography led to the successful design of the TATEISHI BRONICA MARINEⅡ.

 

Among his more interesting assignments during the period 1967/68 were the filming of the wreck of the World War Ⅱship "Kumano" in the Philippines and the making of the commercial film "The Sea of Okinawa" commissioned by the Ryukyu Government ( Ryukyu is the ancient name of Okinawa when it was an independent country) along with another promotional film"Okinawa wo tazunete".

 

In 1969 Tateishi further diversified his activities when he started Japan's first scuba diving magazine MARINE DIVING and to further promote underwater Photography, worked regularly with the magazines ASAHI, ASAHI CAMERA AND ASAHI GRAPH. Some of his better-known works to be published in these magazines included his photographs from the Maldives and the Marine Park. Concurrently, he remained busy with a number of film projects for television.

 

In April 1971, the TATEISHI BRONICA MARINEⅡ went on sale and during the same year Tateishi held an exhibition entitled "The Art of the Coral Reef" at the Fuji Photo Salon in Ginza. He was also invited to the Coca Cola Bottler's event at Heron Island(Great Barrier Reef) in Australia and worked on promotional film for Quantas Airways and the Philippines Airlines(which he filmed in San Boanga).

 

In 1972, Putnam published a book of photographs entitled "The Coral Reef" with text in English, French, Spanish and Italian and Tateishi was the only Japanese photographer featured in this book. In the following years and on his own account, Tateishi published two books titled "Umi no Sakana"(Fishes of the Sea) and "Okinawa no Sangosho"(Coral Reefs in Okinawa) along with a book on photography called "Aoi Sekai no Nakamatachi". At the same time he continued to exhibit his works regularly at various salons in Ginza, Harajuku and Ueno (all in Tokyo).

 

In 1975 Tateishi tried Sink Hall diving in Australia and appeared on the popular TV program "11 PM" to present this activity to viewers in Japan. His influence on the technical evolution of underwater photography was further enhanced with the appearance of the TATEISHI CANON MARINE 16M. He also became involved in technical training by conducting a course of underwater photography at the Asahi Culture Center and giving lessons as an instructor.

 

In 1978 he started the Beach Resort magazine,’’UMI TO SHIMA NO TABI’’, the best beach and resort magazine. In the same year, he visited to Maldives. And he had been often introduced Maldives where was unknown place to Japanese yet in the Travel Diver and Marine Diving.

 

As a result of all these achievements Tateishi came to be recognized as a leader in his field and had the honour of having his works displayed in the Tokyo Museum in 1976.  His Marine Art Center (which he founded in 1958) was converted into joint stock cooperation in 1977.

 

In 1983, he published ‘’I LOVE DIVING’’, the Japan’s first scuba diving magazine for beginner diver, and in 1988, he started ’’MARINE PHOTO’’, the Japan’s first magazine for underwater photography.

 

In 1993, he started to organized the World’s Beach Resort Fair (which is existing as the ‘’Marine Diving Fair & Beach Resort Fair’’ )’’.

 

In 2004, at Cayman islands, Tateishi inducted into ‘’International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame’’ which was given to the people who have been leading the scuba diving industry in the world.

 

In 2005 he was honored by commission for Cultural Affairs for his longtime distinguished underwater photography.

And in 2006, he received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays.

 

In 2007, he received 2007 Special Award of Recognition for Outstanding Service to the Public in the Field of Tourism from the Republic of Maldives.   

 

For more than five decades Akira Tateishi has helped focus national attention on underwater photography through movies, television, newspaper and magazines.

 

In 2011, he retired from the position of president of Marine Art Center Co., Ltd., but he still worked as one of world’s leading photographers.

 

On September 9, 2012 at the age of 82, he passed away.

 

# Information from Marine Diving