How Photography in Japan Transformed and Changed the World

The late 1960s saw fundamental questions and challenges raised against existing frameworks across all spheres of global society, from war and revolution to assassinations. In Japan, student activism was rampant, and within the photography world, a re-examination of the uniqueness of 'photography' as constructed by modern photography and of 'photographic history' had begun, marking a turning point.

The year 1968, in particular, was epoch-making for photography with the exhibition '100 Years of Japanese Photography,' a special feature on 'Compora Photography' in *Camera Mainichi* magazine—characterized by its private gaze upon the everyday—and the launch of the journal *Provoke: A Provocative Document for the Expression of Ideas*. The burgeoning student movement spread from universities to the streets and then to rural areas, leading to the successive release of photographic works captured from the perspective of the struggle. These concentrated events are crucial for understanding 'photography' today.





This exhibition showcases photographs by artists such as Shomei Tomatsu, Daido Moriyama, Takuma Nakahira, Kineo Kuwabara, Unit 69, and Yutaka Takanashi, alongside a diverse range of materials. It is an endeavor to explore 'what is photography,' 'what is Japan,' and 'what is modernity' by tracing how the framework of photography in Japan transformed and reshaped the world between 1966 and 1974, with a focus on 1968.

Furthermore, a symposium titled '1968 – Japanese Photography' will be held on Saturday, June 15, featuring Shinichi Kuraishi (Professor, Meiji University), Seiichi Tsuchiya (Art Critic, Lecturer at Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts), Masashi Ohara (Researcher, IZU PHOTO MUSEUM), Yukiko Tomiyama (Photography Researcher), and Ryuichi Kaneko (Special Researcher, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum).

In 1968, unique Japanese photographic expressions began to sprout, resonating with other cultural movements. Now, nearly half a century later, it is an opportune moment to re-examine this significant juncture in time and in photography.

'1968 – Japanese Photography'
Exhibition Dates: Saturday, May 11 – Monday, July 15 (Closed Mondays, except July 15)
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (Thursdays and Fridays until 20:00)
Venue: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, within Ebisu Garden Place
Tel. 03-3280-0099
Admission: General ¥600, Students ¥500, Junior High/High School Students & Seniors (65+) ¥400

Symposium '1968 – Japanese Photography'
Date: Saturday, June 15
Time: 14:00 – 17:00
Speakers: Seiichi Tsuchiya (Art Critic, Lecturer at Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts), Masashi Ohara (Researcher, IZU PHOTO MUSEUM), Yukiko Tomiyama (Photography Researcher, PhD Candidate, Graduate School of the University of Tokyo), Ryuichi Kaneko (Special Researcher, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum)
Venue: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, 1F Hall
Capacity: 190 people (Numbered tickets distributed from 10:00 on the day to those with an exhibition ticket)
Admission Fee: Free