Looking for Japan: Early Japanese Photography

Exhibition Details

2026 FotoFocus Biennial exhibition

The Meiji period (1868–1912) encompassed great change, as traditional institutions gave way to political and social upheavals, along with the Westernization of aspects of Japanese culture. The photographs in this exhibition highlight such changes, from personal and private images to those made for a newly established tourist trade.

Early photography can foreground discussions regarding beliefs, traditions and practices within Japan as well as the ways in which they may have been packaged for, and influenced by, Western audiences. Objects on view will range from single photographs and postcards to albums, from albumen travel photographs to hanging scroll collotypes. The exhibition spotlights hand-colored prints depicting scenes of landscapes, cities and portraits, including historical Japanese architecture, hairstyles, clothing, weapons and even tattoos.

The highly personal, sometimes provocative images, are a focal point to consider history, culture and societal change. While more than a century ago, these themes are current and resonant and make for an especially timely reflection for visitors.

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SPONSORS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Support for this 2026 FotoFocus Biennial exhibition was provided in part by FotoFocus.

PROMOTING
Linda Black-Kurek Family Foundation

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Karen and Dale Medford

Looking for Japan: Early Japanese Photography is part of the 2026 FotoFocus Biennial: The Long View. Now in its eighth iteration, the Biennial activates over 70 exhibitions at museums, galleries, universities, and public spaces throughout Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, and Northern Kentucky in October 2026. 

About The Long View Theme, Short Option 

The 2026 FotoFocus Biennial theme, The Long View, considers aspects of time and perspective in photography and film, and how these mediums shape our understanding of the world.