Three hundred pieces, two hundred and fifty prints, and fifty rare books: the BnF (National Library of France) is showcasing one of the most important collections of Japanese photography in the West to tell the story of eighty years of images taken in Japan since the war, from September 29, 2026, to January 31, 2027.

The National Library of France holds one of the most important collections of Japanese photography in the Western world. It is presenting three hundred pieces, two hundred and fifty prints, and fifty rare books from this collection to tell the story of eighty years of images taken in Japan since the war. The journey begins in the countryside, among the ancient rituals and gestures that photographers sought out as the country was undergoing profound transformations. It then follows urban expansion, the burgeoning cities, the crowds, the concrete, the speed. Finally, it ventures into the realm of theatrical staging and poetic atmospheres, where Japanese photography ceases to document and begins to compose.

Black and white dominates, and this is more than just an aesthetic choice. Grain, blur, and tilted framing were weapons against the idealized image in a country where modernity was imposed by force. These prints speak of an anxiety as much as they speak of a nation. Fifty books accompany the images, which is far from insignificant: in Japan, the book was long the natural home of photography, before galleries and the market. The BnF (National Library of France), which holds both, was undoubtedly the only place in Paris capable of exhibiting them together.

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BnF FRANÇOIS-MITTERRAND
From September 29, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Quai François-Mauriac, 75013 - Metro: Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand (Line 14)
Tue. to Sat. 10am-7pm, Sun. 1pm-7pm
Price: €15 - Reduced price: €10