From castle town to megalopolis: Tokyo's past, present in photos at mall exhibit
MANILA, Philippines — A photography exhibit running at Pasig's Estancia mall gives a glimpse of life in the Japanese capital Tokyo decades apart.
"Tokyo Before/After" is a touring exhibition by the Japan Foundation, supported by the JTI Philippines and the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines.
On display are around 80 pictures captured by Japanese photographers during the 1930s and 40s, and then from after 2010.
The exhibit was inspired by Tokyo's hosting of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, and is formed in a square-shaped space using Japanese-style carpentry.
The time period is also significant as Tokyo suffered two major earthquakes in the last century, the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
On display are the works of KOGA (Light Pictures), Kineo Kuwabara, NIPPON (Japan), and photographs by Nobuyoshi Araki, Daido Moriyama. Shintaro Sato, Mika Ninagawa, Shinya Arimoto, Natsumi Hayashi, Kenta Cobayashi, and Motoyuki Daifu.
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At the exhibit's launch last May 16, the Japan Foundation's director Ben Suzuki said Tokyo was an example of a city that could hold nostalgia and modernity at the same time, "Cities, like people, are always moving forward."
Japanese ambassador to the Philippines Kazuya Endo talked about Tokyo's history as a castle town, comparing it to the walled city of Intramuros and the central business districts of Makati and Bonifacio Global City.
"Tokyo remains an oasis for those with a taste for culture and the arts," Endo said. "Discover Tokyo's neverending story in each image and make it your city too."
Victorino Manalo, chairperson of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, added to Endo's description by calling Tokyo a city previously filled with grace and challenges that is now a modern megalopolis.
While sharing photos of his trip to Tokyo in 1967 and more recent ones from the last decade, Manalo pointed out things in the past can remain the same today but called for reflection on whether any changes are done for the better.
Manalo added the exhibit is a timely reflection of conserving heritage just as the Philippines observes the National Heritage Month this May.
"Tokyo Before/After" will run until July 31 with no admission fee.
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