The man started taking pictures of his wife every day before she left for work, setting up a camera from their fourth floor flat and looking down on her with his lens
Jess Flaherty Senior News Reporter
14:16, 26 Sep 2025
The man photographed his wife as she left for work every morning (stock image)(Image: Thomas Barwick via Getty Images)
A man began taking photos of his wife every morning before she left for work – and when these photographs were made public, observers all spotted the same detail. The images are the creation of renowned photographer Masahisa Fukase, who embarked on various projects providing a distinctive perspective and understanding of domesticity and the human experience.
Born in the small town of Bifuka, Hokkaido, Japan in 1934, the photographer relocated to Tokyo during the 1950s to continue his studies but maintained his affection for his hometown. One of his works, From Window, has experienced renewed attention and acclaim, even among those unfamiliar with Fukase’s portfolio.
In the photograph series, captured during the 1970s, the photographer documented his then-wife, Yoko Wanibe, from a fourth-storey window while she stood outside down below, leaving to go to work.
This perspective is intended to establish a feeling of distance between the photographer and his subject, while maintaining an intimate look at domestic life.
But the couple’s marriage didn’t survive. They separated by 1976 following their 1964 wedding.
Gallerist Michael Hoppen, an admirer of the photographer, told Dazed: “Yoko appeared in many guises. This included intimate scenes of their domestic life, subversively staged wedding pictures, a dramatic shoot in an abattoir and even a formal death portrait.”
In the photographs, there’s a fusion of playful satisfaction – Yoko can be seen poking out her tongue or kicking her leg out – alongside a tangible remoteness and indifference – she frequently appears bored, disengaged and withdrawn.
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Recently, several of these photographs were posted on social media, with numerous people captivated by Yoko’s “impeccable” fashion sense.
Her clothing represents a visual chronicle of the 70s, featuring bell-bottoms, knee-high boots, mini dresses, suits and beyond, with countless Instagram users insisting they’d sport these looks today.
History Photographed posted a collection of the images on Instagram and captioned them: “From the 1974 series ‘From Window’, photographer Masahisa Fukase captured his wife, Yoko, every morning as she left their apartment for work.
”Taken just two years before their divorce, the series is a poignant and obsessive visual diary of their deteriorating relationship, with the window frame acting as a metaphor for the growing emotional distance between them.”
In the comments section, people shared their thoughts. One person said: “Can we talk about her fashion!!!!????”
Another said: “She was a fashion icon”, while a third summarised: “Fashionable and has personality”.
A visitor looks at the photography series of ‘From Window’ taken in 1974 by late Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase during the Paris Photo fair at the Grand Palais Ephemere in Paris, on November 10, 2023. (Image: MIGUEL MEDINA, AFP via Getty Images)
A fourth simply said: “Very stylish!” Another shared: “I would wear every outfit right now”.
And another commented: “Super stylish..omg”. One person said: “1974??? Her fashion sense is impeccable”.
Another admirer commented: “Style icon”. And another said: “The fashion we want back”.
One Instagram user said: “I want every single one of those fits!” While another agreed: “Her style is immaculate”.
In 1992, Fukase fell down a flight of stairs, suffering a traumatic brain injury which left him in a coma until his death 20 years later in 2012.