Title: The Whiteness of a Whale

Photographer: Zhao Renhui & Satoshi Kataoka

Date of publication:  2010

Place of publication: Singapore

Edition size: 500

Language: English

Dimensions of book: 170 x 240 mm

Number of pages: 24

Retail price: $20 SGD

Summary of Project:

“Omishima is a fishing village in the southwest of Japan which in its heyday was home to about 6,000 people. Omishima residents were ofter referred to as The Whale People or kujira no hitobito; the people who lived among whales. The Whale People got their name because of their obsessive and bizarre worship of all things whale-related. Huge temples in the shape of whales were erected and statues of flukes – a whales upright tail – can still be seen along the coast. Huge whale statues are built everywhere. They had elaborate rituals which allows them to observe, touch and be with the whales.” – Zhao Renhui