Since the 1980s, photographer Bruce Osborn has shot over 3,500 portraits of Japanese parents and their children in his signature minimalist, black and white setup for his Oyako series. It’s some of the most diverse and engaging portraiture that we’ve come across: rockin’ duos where we can’t tell who is the mum and who’s the daughter; stone faced sushi chef father checking the food of his sushi chef son; beaming housewives with their musician sons; a young schoolgirl with her completely tattooed parents in tow. The series is so dear to Osborn’s heart, that he founded Oyako Day — a day celebrating the parent child bond which takes place annually on the fourth Sunday of July, and is now in its 10th year. Osborn tells us that an Oyako photo book and a documentary film about Oyako Day are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Meanwhile, see some of these portraits in our slideshow below, unless you’re near the Shizoka City Museum to catch the exhibition.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. Father: Mitsuaki Ohwada / tattooist. Mother: Akie Ohwada / housewife. Daughter: Keiko Ohwada / elementary school student.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. Mother: Sheena / singer. Daughter: Junko Ayukawa / high school student.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. (1988) Father: Tadanori Yokoo / artist. Daughter: Mimi Yokoo / artist. (1995) Father: Tadanori Yokoo / artist. Daughter: Mimi Yokoo / artist.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. Father: Jisaku Yamada / sushi chef. Son: Eiichi Yamada / sushi chef.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. Father: Yuzo Suenaga / pet shop proprietor. Daughter: Mai Momonoki / porno actress.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. Father: Yujiro Nakamura / theater group leader. Daughter: Rika Matsumoto / acting school student.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. (1984) Father: Mitsunari Kida / sumo wrestler. Son: Tsuyoshi Kida / preschool student. (2000) Father: Mitsunari Kida / restaurant owner . Son: Tsuyoshi Kida / sumo wrestler.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. (1982) Mother: Yae Nakano / housewife. Son: Shigeru Nakano / musician. (2003) Mother: Yae Nakano / housewife. Son: Shigeru Nakano / musician.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. Father: Taijun Kagenaka / Buddhist monk. Son: Akira Kagenaka / Buddhist monk.
Photo credit: Bruce Osborn. Father: Shizuo Ishii / company executive. Son: Yosuke Ishii / skater.