John Lennon of the British rock band the Beatles smiles while holding a Fukusuke doll. Negatives for 102 photographs taken during the group’s 1966 Japan tour. (Courtesy of Nippon Budokan)
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Nippon Budokan in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward announced on April 6 that it had discovered a set of negatives containing 102 photographs taken during the Beatles' 1966 concerts in Japan.
The black-and-white images show not only the band onstage, but also moments from their time in Japan, including John Lennon smiling as he gazed at a Fukusuke good-luck doll. The doll is believed to be the same one later seen, in miniature, on the cover of the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Reconstructing a Long-Elusive Moment
According to the Budokan, 19 rolls of negative film were found on a shelf in an office in 2009. With this year marking the 60th anniversary of the Beatles' Japan concerts, the venue asked Beatles researcher Toru Omura to authenticate them.
Based on details such as the members' clothing, Omura estimated the photos were taken on the afternoon of July 1, 1966. He said they are "an extremely valuable record, both in volume and in content," as they offer a rare glimpse behind the scenes of performances that until now had been known largely through written accounts and speculation.
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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