Stray Dog (Misawa)

In 1971, outside the American military base in Misawa, Aomori Prefecture, Daido Moriyama was walking down an unpaved road in the harsh morning sunlight when he crossed paths with an alert, menacing stray dog.

He quickly raised his Leica M, snapped one handheld shot without breaking stride, and captured the menacing, watchful glance of the animal over its shoulder. With coarse film grain, harsh contrast, and intense psychological tension, the dog came to symbolize Moriyama himself and the untethered spirit of post-war Tokyo street photography.