Category: What’s New

by Philbert Ono The Japanese camera industry’s struggles have gotten worse with the pandemic in 2020. The coronavirus resulting in stay-at-home requests, travel bans, and the cancellation of events (including the Tokyo 2020 Olympics) give people fewer reasons to take pictures and fewer reasons to buy a new camera. Worldwide camera sales for Jan. to May 2020 is only 50.4% of sales in the same period in 2019. With the prominence of smartphones, all camera makers have been facing shrinking sales of digital cameras. In 2010, worldwide camera sales peaked at 121.46 million units. In 2019, it shrank to one-eighth

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by Philbert Ono In 1922, Torii Shoten (鳥井商店), the forerunner of Osaka-based beverage maker Suntory, made this poster to promote its “Akadama Port Wine” in Japan. Dubbed “Japan’s first nude poster,” it became an instant sensation. It has become one of Japan’s most iconic and classic images. Any book about Japan’s advertising history or photographic history would include this historical poster. The nascent start of the “sex sells” concept in Japan. Needless to say, thanks to this poster, they sold a lot of this wine. The poster was also very controversial during a very conservative period in Japan. The “nude” model

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TOKYO PHOTOGRAPHIC ART MUSEUM in Ebisu, Tokyo is holding a major exhibition called “Dawn of Japanese Photography: The Anthology” about vintage/early Japanese photography on March 7–May 7, 2017. On March 26 at 3 pm to 6 pm, a number of Japanese and foreign experts will give a talk for the “International Symposium: Photography in Bakumatsu Japan” in the museum’s 1st floor hall. Free admission. On April 13 (4 pm) and April 14 (6 pm), Japan Times writer Alice Gordenker will give a tour of the above exhibition in English. Free with museum admission, no reservations required. For details, see the official

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