Nigel Ip

Japan House London just opened their first ever photography exhibition. Organised in collaboration with KYOTOGRAPHIE international photography festival, the double show features the work of Kawada Kikuji and Iwane Ai.

Kawada’s images from his 1965 photobook Chizu (The Map) are especially haunting, documenting the scars of the post-war period. I also greatly admired the careful exhibition design in the room focusing on The Last Cosmology, where a round table display mirrors celestial phenomena like eclipses hanging on the walls.

Meanwhile, in Iwane’s first UK solo show, the Kipuka series (2018) explores the lives of Japanese immigrants in Hawaii, while A New River (2020) captures cherry blossoms at night in the Tо̄hoku region during the COVID-19 crisis, mixing in yōkai folklore as well. Both series take the form of immersive installations that are playful and elegant. By contrast, My Cherry is a series of personal photographs – taken by Iwane before she became a professional photographer – of her sister that died by suicide. She heard the news in 2007 while situated underneath some cherry trees.

Both exhibitions do a great job of highlighting innovation in Japanese photography, reminding us of the power of great storytelling when crafting images.

KYOTOGRAPHIE: Kawada Kikuji x Iwane Ai (3 June 2026 – 18 October 2026) is at Japan House London, https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/