The 56th GRist is Kohnosuke Sakazaki!

Mr. Sakazaki is a member of the legendary rock band THE ALFEE. He has been using our GRs since the days of film cameras, and we have had a really long relationship with him. He may know more about the history of GR than we do.

He is going on a nationwide tour starting in October, so if you are in the area, please go and see him! (But I guess it's hard to get a ticket...) Please also check out the interview on the previous GR BLOG（Japanese only）!

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Me and GR

Soon after the first generation GR1 was released, I met Mr. F of Ricoh through photographer Chotoku Tanaka. It all started from that day. Since then, I have been taking pictures with GRs for generations. Even now, when I am on tour or working in the studio, I always have my GR in my bag or pocket.

Although it has changed from film to digital over the years, the simplicity of the 28㎜ single focal length lens, the functional beauty for snapshooters, and the robust body have not changed at all.

But I was surprised by the latest GR IIIx's 40㎜ single focal length. What happened to you, GR (laugh)?

But the combination of 28㎜ and 40㎜ lenses reminds me of the Minolta CLE with LeicaⅯ mount, which we loved very much. It was convenient that we could use Leica lenses with aperture priority AE. Well, that's what it's all about, isn't it? You did it, GR, a partner that always stays close and fascinates the hearts of camera lovers.

Today, regardless of new RICOH employees who don't even know that their company makes cameras, to us, RICOH is and will always be a camera manufacturer. I hope they are determined that they will continue to make cameras, no matter what.
　

　
　
Profile

Kohnosuke Sakazaki was born on April 15, 1954 as the second son of a liquor store owner in Sumida-ku, Tokyo. He is the guitarist and vocalist of the long-established rock band “THE ALFEE”. He has many hobbies. He not only collects vintage cameras, old lenses, Japanese glass, old postcards, celluloid, antique photographs, and black cat items etc., but also breeds amphibians and reptiles. He is also a fair-weather researcher of Unryokaku, the first Japanese skyscraper. The heart of the matter, guitar, has gone from a hobby to his day job. His interests and collections are so wide-ranging that he has decided to discard some of them, but he has not been able to do so yet.

They have led him to write many books in various fields:
- Co-author with Mr. Chotoku Tanaka of the book, "Voigtlander Street Snap 2000" (published by Alpha Beta, Inc.)
- Wa garasu ni dakarete (Embraced by Japanese Glass): The Glass Collection of Konosuke Sakazaki (Heibonsha)
- Takuro Yoshida no waiha ni iko! (Let's Go to Hawaii!) (World Photo Press, Inc.) as a photographer
- Nekology: The Story of Stray Cat Toy and Her Friends (Ongaku Senka-sha)
- Konosuke Sakazaki's J-POP School (Iwanami Active Shinsho)
- Konosuke Sakazaki Shoshashinshu kinen (Geijutsu Shinbunsha)
- Furusato Tokyo konjaku sampo (Strolling Old and New Tokyo) Volume 1: Asakusa (Photo Publishing) - co-authored with Makoto Ikuta
- Furusato Tokyo konjaku sampo (Strolling Old and New Tokyo) Volume 2: Haneda, Omori, Kamata (Photo Publishing) - co-authored with Makoto Ikuta, etc.

Goodwill Ambassador of Edokiriko. Prince of Fake Leica Alliance. Advisor to Ariake Antique World.


★Instagram
@kohnosukesakazaki

★THE ALFEE official site　
http://www.alfee.com/
★NACK5 K's Transmission
https://kstransmission.web.fc2.com/
★A program called "Sakazaki-san's Program"　
http://www2.jfn.co.jp/sakasan/index.html