Last summer marked the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first and only Japanese concerts, and Hello, Goodbye: The Beatles in Tokyo, 1966,
a limited-edition book featuring photos by Shimpei Asai, commemorated
the occasion. Never before published outside of Japan, Asai's images
give a surprisingly intimate glimpse into the Beatles' behind-the-scenes
world during their final year as a live band – a period documented in
Ron Howard's Grammy-nominated 2016 film The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years.
Asai
followed the group from their arrival at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on June
29th, 1966, through their departure for the Philippines three days
later. While there, the Beatles played five brief sets at the Nippon
Budokan. Prior to Asai's experience photographing the group, the
Beatles' music had made a serious impression on him. "I first heard the
Beatles accidentally on the radio," he recalled in a press release. "I
had a feeling I had never experienced before. I was just stunned. I
pulled over in my car and stopped by the road, and for a while I stared
at the leaves of the trees trembling in the breeze."
Sample Asai's images below, along with exclusive remembrances from the photographer. Hello, Goodbye, which was published in a limited-edition of 1,966 copies, is available now from Genesis Publications.
Beatles Make Their Getaway
"Though there had to be a lot of security, the Beatles actually escaped from it briefly. I think they accepted their situation though."
Japanese Fans Flaunt Their Beatlemania
"I saw many teenage girls and they seemed to be the generation that understood the Beatles most. They were certainly the first generation of Beatles fans, and I was struck by their willingness to accept the newness of the band."
Fan Reading Up on John
"I think [the Beatles] must have felt so many things during this short period. And they started thinking of all the experiences they'd had that many people didn't."
Beatles Onstage
"I could hear almost nothing, music or screaming, though the concert featured 11 songs. As I concentrated on taking photographs, I felt a kind of noise."
Meet the Press
"They looked frustrated about the amount of security, and they were. But they didn't hate this situation, they accepted it."
Ringo and Paul During Downtime
"When I first saw the Beatles, they were in a large room, resting. They didn't talk to each other very much, they seemed so used to each other they didn't have to."
Beatle at Leisure
"John and Paul did escape from the hotel for a short time, but they saw almost nothing in Tokyo before they had to come back."
View From the Hotel Window
"The Beatles mainly just saw the scenery from the hotel and the car that took them to the Budokan. I think they looked at the country through windows."
Signed Program
"I decided I wouldn't just photograph the Beatles, but also what they saw, touched and felt. An ashtray that I photographed of theirs is now a collectors' item, which makes me laugh."
George With Antique
"One Japanese antiques dealer was brought to the Beatles' room. Their experience of seeing and touching the objects was important for them to get to know Japanese culture."
John and Paul Embrace the Japanese Spirit
"They were still young and they didn't know much about Japan. These seemed appropriate items for them to start having an interest in the country."
John in Kimono
"I tried not to make them conscious I carried the camera, so they wouldn't feel my presence."
Fan Mail
"I was allocated a room on the same floor of the hotel as the Beatles. So I could get to know their routine, and when was good to photograph them."
Japanese Beatlemania in Full Effect
"I had never felt this before. I did know about hysterical fans, but the atmosphere in the Budokan was different. It was as if all the audience shared one idea, and this was the only time they had."
Beatles at Budokan
"Live performance started being more
significant in the Sixties, and the Beatles were typical of this shift.
They were exciting and original."
source:rollingstone
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