Sakaguchi Ango 

Scraps of paper and empty cigarette boxes are strewn about the room. Clothes have been discarded on a futon that is left unmade on the floor.... Amidst it all is the sharp gaze of Sakaguchi Ango, the novelist who dominated the literary scene just after World War II with works such as Darakuron (Theory of Depravity) and Hakuchi (The Idiot). The location of the shoot was Sakaguchi’s own workspace. According to Hayashi Tadahiko, who took the photograph, the room was covered with one centimeter of dust. Hayashi took many such portraits of Japanese literary figures. Rather than being simple shots of faces, his portraits are characterized by their inclusion of places familiar to his subjects, like workspaces or favorite restaurants. In this way, Hayashi captures the strong personalities and qualities of his subjects. Even a single photograph like this can prompt viewers to conjure myriad stories. This is the charm of Hayashi’s work.
(OSAWA Sayoko)