Kohei Yoshiyuki photographs sex voyeurs in Tokyo parks in 1970s

Parks are not just for strolling around in.

Unlike other cities, Tokyo’s parks are open all night. Photographer Kohei Yoshiyuki used to visit Chuo Park in the early Seventies and search for goings-on in the dark.

At the time, it was common for couples to go the park to have sex. But that alone wasn’t what was interesting.

The couples weren’t alone. People were watching.

In effect, the park was an open-air public happening bar.

After spending months entrenches with the voyeurs so that they would trust him as a “regular” in Chuo, Yoyogi and Aoyama parks, Yoshiyuki then began to photograph the scenes with special Kodak infrared flashbulbs. These are results.

The voyeurs would line up to look at the couple, who were usually too busy to notice. They would dare themselves to touch or fondle the girl when the man could not see. Sometimes this went too far and they might find themselves have to flee an angry lover.

“The voyeurs always approached the couples from behind because they had to be out of the man’s line of vision… There was a kind of community in which the voyeurs lived. ‘To touch up a woman’s body’ was a kind of a competitive game for them in the society. It was risky, but it was something very thrilling for them to do, just like an exciting game to play. So when a voyeur was able to touch the woman’s body, it was a success story among them and the guy could be a hero of the night as a voyeur.”

Of course, as with a lot of these things, once you document it, it becomes public and so everyone flocks there. Sadly this has led to a decline and you’ll be unlikely to find couples enjoying themselves anymore — or voyeurs taking a peak!

Kohei Yoshiyuki’s “The Park” series will be on view at the Venice Biennale beginning June 1.

[Interview via Slate]