Published by Aperture in 1985, 100 pages, 26×44 cm
Revised English edition, hardcover with obi
Condition: Very good ++

Ba-ra-kei: Ordeal by Roses is one of the most iconic photo books in Japanese photography, a collaboration between Eikoh Hosoe and legendary author Yukio Mishima. Originally published in 1963, the first edition is now highly sought-after.

This revised English edition from 1985 faithfully preserves the essence of the original while making it accessible to a wider audience. It presents a surreal and dramatic series of portraits, where Mishima embodies the aesthetic ideals of beauty, eroticism, and death—key themes in both his writing and personal life.
Bound in deep purple cloth stamped in silver, with a dust jacket, this edition captures Hosoe’s avant-garde vision, blending baroque theatricality with the intimacy of Mishima’s presence.

A rare opportunity to own this landmark book.