Renowned Japanese photographer Kishin Shinoyama, seen in 2003, has been charged with indecency and disrespect of a religious site for allegedly shooting photos of nude models at a Tokyo cemetery. (Kyodo News/Associated Press) A celebrated Japanese photographer renowned for his nude imagery has been indicted on charges of public indecency and disrespect of a religious site in Tokyo.

The charges stem from images in Kishin Shinoyama's photo collection No Nude by Kishin, 20XX.

The 69-year-old photographer was charged for allegedly taking photos of two nude models at Tokyo's Aoyama cemetery in October 2008.

If convicted, he could face a prison sentence of up to six months and a fine of up to 300,000 yen (about $3,400 Cdn), according to the Tokyo district prosecutor's office.

Released in January 2009, Shinoyama's No Nude by Kishin, 20XX features images of nude models posing at a variety of public locations, including a wedding hall, a department store and a cemetery.

After the indictment Thursday, Shinoyama released a statement that noted his models took off their clothes only briefly, "seconds or up to two minutes at the longest."

"I humbly accept the case as a lesson, and I will pursue my challenges to new forms of expression," he said.

However, he also expressed concern that his case could lead to "restraining [people's] creative energy and expression."

Though Shinoyama has photographed different genres, he is best known for his nudes, including the 1991 photo book Sante Fe featuring popular actress Rie Miyazawa.

The bestselling and influential book, which included an image of the actress that revealed her pubic hair, was seen at the time as helping to usher in a more open-minded attitude toward nude photography in Japan.

With files from The Associated Press