Saru

A new series by Masao Yamamoto exploring Japanese monkeys from Jigokudani, Nagano, created over more than two decades. About FIFTY ONE TOO is pleased to present Saru, a new series by Masao Yamamoto, on view from November 28, 2026 to February 6, 2027. Created over the course of more than two decades, Saru (the Japanese word for "monkey") centres on the Japanese monkeys that inhabit the mountainous region of Jigokudani, in Nagano, Japan. Through these repeated encounters, Masao Yamamoto has assembled a body of work that moves beyond the conventions of wildlife photography. Rather than documenting a species or describing an environment, he turns his attention to gestures, postures and moments of closeness whose meaning remains open. The animals appear alongside one another, immersed in hot springs or absorbed in moments of rest. The focus thus shifts from the photographed subject to the very quality of its presence… Read more Toggle Photography