Tokyo Photography Exhibition Opens at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath in Bengaluru

A photography exhibition titled 'TOKYO Before/After', featuring more than 80 photographs that document the transformation of the Japanese capital across several decades, is currently on display at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath in Bengaluru.

Presented jointly by the Consulate-General of Japan and The Japan Foundation, the exhibition spans images captured from the 1930s and 1940s up to the years following 2010. The exhibition is open to visitors until August 22 with free entry.

The visual collection contrasts historical periods with contemporary urban life, placing photographs from different eras side by side. Works by earlier photographers, including Kineo Kuwabara, document Tokyo navigating between tradition and modernisation. Meanwhile, modern photographers turn their cameras toward youth culture, digital-age identity, and street life, including Mika Ninagawa’s work 'Tokyo Innocence'.

Consul General of Japan in Bengaluru Hiroshi Nawata noted the parallels between the trajectories of Tokyo and Bengaluru. Following its devastation during World War II, Tokyo went through an extensive phase of reconstruction and modern growth. Similarly, Bengaluru has expanded from a historic urban centre into an international hub for technology and manufacturing.

Nawata observed that development in Bengaluru is spreading across the city while areas in Old Bengaluru continue to retain their historic character. He stated that global growth does not require a city to discard its identity, adding that development can exist alongside community life, memory, and culture.

Nawata noted that for a rapidly transforming city, urban identity resides not only in monuments but also within local streets, memories, and everyday living, presenting a lesson in making conscious choices regarding heritage while continuing to expand.