This paper argued the relationship between Photography and "Japaneseness" on Modern Architecture. Especially, it focus on Photography movement called "New Photography" or "Shin-ko Shashin" and two Photo Books, "Composition of the Present (1930)" and "Composition of the Past (1929)," whom one Japanese Architect, Kishida Hideto (1899-1967), published.

First section argues "Shin-ko Shashin" movement in Japan. From late 1920s to early 1930s, "Shin-ko Shashin" movement became popular. Two leading critics of "Shin-ko Shashin" movement, Itagaki Takao(1894-1966) and Ina Nobuo (1898-1978), proposed "Kikai-Bigaku" or "Aesthetics of Machine," and they noticed that photography has the potentiality as representation of modernity in the modern culture, and Camera's mechanic eyes would materialize its potential.

Second section shows the interaction between architecture and photography. Kishida attended a publishing circle called "Kosei-sha-Shobo." As a publishing company, "Kosei-sha-Shobo" was short life, but some important artist and architects, for example, Horiguchi Sutemi, Yoshida Kenkichi, was found in the listed names of editors. Itagaki's name was also listed as an editor. This company published two journals titled "Kenchiku-Jicho" and "Kenchiku-Kigen." It is important for us that "Kenchiku-Kigen" 2nd issue named "Kikai-Bi- Tokushu," because Kishida probably lead editorial process and making page layout on this issue. This issue gave strong effect to Itagaki's thought. But Kishida's page layout was affected by Russian Constructivism.

One of the famous scholars in the Russian Avant-garde, Moholy-Nagy, too kone pictures entitled "Balcony." Nagy turned camera up to one Bauhaus style building. As seen long time, we feel strange sense because architecture line in the photography was wryness. But Nagy said this photo type showed us "optical truth of perspective composition." Kishida also thought, as Nagy said, the optical truth was visual truth and without using camera, we could not share the perspective.

Third section discussed "Japaneseness" on modern Japan architecture. Kishida was strongly affected by "New Photography" movement in Europe and then changed his view toward traditional architecture through the composition. In the "Composition of the past," Kishida tried to find the connection of architectural form from past to present. The reason was "Japaneseness." In the 1920s and 1930s, Japanese architects often discussed "Japaneseness" on architecture. Even now, "Japaneseness" represents as simplicity and clarity, harmony with nature, non-decoration, left-right asymmetry, and careful the beauty of material. As some scholar like Fujioka Hiroyasu and Inoe Shoichi shows, such representation was historical construction. Additionally, Kishida's idea was important to understand and to connect architecture and social situation in 1930s Japan.

From 1929 to 1932, Itagaki, Ina and Kishida manifested modern age was represented by machines and new art was expressed by "Aesthetics of Machine." They realized artificial gaze using camera showed truth of visual perspective. In other words, artificial eye shows us reality rather than Human' eye. Kishida's two photo books intended that "Compositon of the Past" is for coeval, "Composition of the Present" for new aesthetic. Japaneseness would be often argued using composition but composition was made by camera. Therefore, without camera or photography, it is difficult to establish the discussion of Japaneseness on architecture in 1930s.