Born in Tokyo in 1940, Araki studied photography during his college years. He has published over 350 books since his debut and still more every year. Araki is considered one of the most prolific artists in Japan and around the world. Many of his photographs are erotic; some have been called pornographic. Some of his most popular publications include albums entitled: "Sentimental Journey", "Tokyo Lucky Hole" and "Shino". His works are held in numerous museum collections including the Tate and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.