Japan's postwar Showa period spans the turbulent postwar years through to the period of high economic growth period and eventually the bubble of the late 1980s. Images in popular newspapers and magazines introduced the Japanese public to the leading actors, sports stars, writers and politicians, and heralded a period of mass adoration for the heroes and heroines of the age.

This photo exhibition introduces images of these heroes and heroines taken by six prominent photographers of the period, who perfectly capture the atmosphere of the age and the Face of Showa Japan. As well as the outstanding portrait photos, the exhibition also pays homage to the people who lived through the age.

Photos by Ken Domon, Hiroshi Hamaya, Tadahiko Hayashi, Takeyoshi Tanuma, Keisuke Kumakiri and Koichi Saito.

Ken Domon (1909−1990) Domon began his career as a portrait photographer of leading Japanese prewar cultural personalities, and published his photo collection Fubo in 1953. It is said that Domon was so enraptured by portrait photography that he even wrote the names of people he wanted to photograph on the sliding doors of his house. However, when commissioned by magazines, he also became renowned for capturing facial expressions that epitomized his subjects.

Hiroshi Hamaya (1915−1999) Very particular about how his photographs could capture images for posterity, Hayama photographed landscapes and folk customs, but become known for his photographs of the prominent intellectuals and artists who featured in his photo collection Gakugeishoka. Hamaya once wrote, ﾒIn turbulent times, intellectuals and artists who have followed their own paths come to the fore.ﾓ Hamaya gained a reputation for capturing the atmosphere of his subjects.

Tadahiko Hayashi (1918−1990) Along with his photojournalistic works, Hayashi rose to fame for his contributions to the popular postwar magazine Kasutori - with over 20 of his photos featured in each monthly edition. Hayashi traveled far and wide to interview and photograph leading figures of the day, and his portraits of members of the Buraiha, or Decadent School of dissolute writers, became the focus of much attention upon their release.

Takeyoshi Tanuma (1929−) Tanuma has had numerous portrait photographs of writers and prominent cultural figures published in Shincho and several other leading literary magazines, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Japan Professional Photographers' Society. He is well known for his works that capture the feelings of ordinary people and their living environments. He was once contracted to the US magazine Time Life and has taken photos all around the world. His lifetime mission is to extol the virtues of photography to children and younger people and to encourage them to continue taking photographs.

Keisuke Kumakiri (1934−) Kumakiri rose to prominence for his sharp depictions of the major players in the financial, political, sports and entertainment worlds which were published in the popular Gendai Weekly magazine during the 1950s when weekly magazines enjoyed a huge boom in Japan. He has continued working for Gendai Weekly for some 40 years and has earned the unusual epithet of ﾒthe dinosaur of weekly magazines.ﾓ His news photos in particular have been perceived as capturing the atmosphere of an event with a depth of human warmth.

Koichi Saito (1935−) While still a student, Saito assisted Tadahiko Hayashi and Shotaro Akiyama, before embarking on a photographic career with weekly magazines. During his career he has contributed over 2,000 portrait photographs and articles to weekly and monthly publications. His works have won particular acclaim for their ability to capture the essence of the prevailing atmosphere, and their rhythmical compositions.