Michio Hoshino

Who was Michio Hoshino?

Michio Hoshino was a Japanese-born nature photographer. He originally hailed from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture. Called one of the most accomplished nature photographers of his era and compared to Ansel Adams, Hoshino specialized in photographing Alaskan wildlife until he was killed by a brown bear while on assignment in Kurilskoye Lake, Russia in 1996.

Lynn Schooler's book The Blue Bear relates the story of the author's friendship with Hoshino, a man he admired greatly for his skill as a photographer and his humanity. Schooler is a wilderness guide who became a photographer in his own right under Hoshino's tutelage. Another book, The Only Kayak by Kim Heacox, describes Hoshino's journeys to Glacier Bay as well as his own close personal friendship with Hoshino.

A memorial totem pole was raised in Sitka Alaska, on August 8, 2008, in honor of his work. Relatives and witnesses from Japan, including his widow, attended the ceremony. Hoshino's wife and son survive him.