SHOTS OF THE BEATLES IN TOKYO, 1966

Marking 50 years since The Beatles’ history-making 1966 Tokyo concerts, Genesis Publications are releasing a book of rare photos of the trip. Hello Goodbye: The Beatles in Tokyo, 1966 features pictures, taken by Japanese photographer Shimpei Asai, that have never before been published outside Japan.

Check out a selection of shots below.

On the June 29 1966, The Beatles arrived in Tokyo, to face controversy over the five shows they’d booked at the legendary Nippon Budokan. The venue had been previously reserved for traditional Japanese entertainment, and had been built to commemorate the lives of Japan’s lost soldiers.

Meanwhile, the group were struggling to cope with the demands heaped upon them as a touring combo and they were only two months away from their retirement from the circuit after their San Francisco show at Candlestick Park.

 

However, through Shimpei Asai’s intimate lens, The Beatles seem relaxed in the eye of the storm. His beautifully collection captures the quartet on stage, chilling out, in Noh theatre masks, playing kotos in kimonos and more.