Werner Bischof first travelled to Japan in 1951, on his way to photograph the war in Korea. Captivated by the country, he extended his stay for almost a year, immersing himself in Japanese culture. Its aesthetics resonated deeply with his own photographic language and his sensitivity to nature, beauty and form.

This photograph was taken in the winter of 1951, during a visit to the garden of the Meiji Shrine with his wife Rosellina. As snow was falling, Bischof suddenly ran off and disappeared into the landscape. A few minutes later, he returned out of breath and told her: “I have just taken the picture of Japan!”

Even before developing the negative, Bischof understood that he had created an image of particular significance – one that seemed to encapsulate the country he had spent months trying to understand.