Etsuko Enami Photo Exhibition Etchu Owara Kaze-no-Bon | FUJIFILM SQUARE / Roppongi, Tokyo

Highlights

Etsuko Enami first began photographing Owara Kaze-no-Bon in 1996. Enchanted by the festival's elegant dances and the extraordinary atmosphere, resonating with the sounds of traditional owara music, she has returned year after year, capturing its essence for over two decades. We invite you to experience Owara Kaze-no-Bon through her photographs in a venue where the melodies of owara fill the venue.

Images to be exhibited (Selected Works)

©Etsuko Enami

"©Etsuko Enami

©Etsuko Enami

About the exhibition

Owara Kaze-no-Bon is a wind-calming festival held annually from September 1 to 3 in the Yatsuo district of Toyama City. It coincides with the 210th day from the traditional start of spring, traditionally considered a time of heightened risk from typhoons. Passed down for over 300 years since the Edo period (1603-1868), the festival is intended to protect crops from wind damage. Men and women wearing woven straw hats pulled low over their faces dance to owara folk songs, accompanied by shamisen, kokyu (a bowed string instrument), and drums, as they make their way through the hillside community illuminated by thousands of paper lanterns. The elegant dances, plaintive tones of the instruments, and delicate lyrics of the songs have long fascinated visitors.
This exhibition offers a glimpse into the world of Kaze-no-Bon through the photographic works of Etsuko Enami, who has spent over two decades documenting the festival.

Profile

Etsuko Enami

Etsuko Enami was born in Kyoto. After graduating from the Photography Department of Osaka University of Arts, she worked at the Takeji Iwamiya Photography Studio before becoming independent. Cherishing each “once-in-a-lifetime encounter,” she continues to present works in diverse fields that capture her subjects with a keen and nuanced perspective.
Her major photobooks include Japan's Longest-Living Village, Little People, The 108-Year-Old Kindergarten Principal!, and Memories of Light: Things Seen Without Seeing—Living with Visual Impairment. She received the 37th Kodansha Publishing Culture Award for Photography. Currently, she serves as Vice President of the All-Japan Association of Photographic Societies and is a regular member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society.

Image of cover

To be published in conjunction with exhibition

Etsuko Enami Photo Book
Etchu Yatsuo Owara Kaze-no-Bon

B5 variant size, paperback, full color
Publisher: Crevis

Exhibition overview

Title	FUJIFILM SQUARE Photo Exhibition Etsuko Enami Photo Exhibition Etchu Owara Kaze-no-Bon
Dates	June 13 (Fri) – July 3 (Thu), 2025
Time	10:00 – 19:00 (Until 14:00 on the final day. Entry is allowed up to 10 minutes before closing.) Open every day for the full duration of the exhibition.
Venue	FUJIFILM SQUARE Fujifilm Photo Salon Spaces 1 & 2, Mini-Gallery
Admission	Free * This exhibition is being held as a corporate MECENAT activity. We are pleased to announce that admission is free to enable more people to attend.
Organized by	FUJIFILM Corporation
In cooperation with	Toyama Prefecture Etchu Yatsuo Owara Folk Song Preservation Society, Etchu Yatsuo Tourism Association
Supported by	Toyama City, Minato City Board of Education
Planning cooperation	Crevis Co., Ltd.

* This exhibition may be cancelled or rescheduled for unforeseen circumstances. Visit FUJIFILM SQUARE online or call for updates.
* We kindly request that you do not send congratulatory flowers.

ACCESS

Related Events

1. Special Event: A Visit to Owara Kaze-no-Bon

Date/Time

June 28 (Sat), 2025, 15:00–16:30

Location

FUJIFILM SQUARE 2F Special Venue

Content

(1)	Slide presentation
(2)	Owara dance and kokyu performance Kokyu performer: Makoto Yamada (Etchu Yatsuo Owara Preservation Society, Suwa-machi Branch)
(3)	Owara discussion Participants: Yoko Nagao (Professor, Faculty of Expression, Wako University), Junta Kusunoki (Etchu Yatsuo Tourism Association), Etsuko Enami

Capacity

200 people

Admission

Free

Registration required

Register at the venue, on the FUJIFILM SQUARE website, or by phone
Registration opens: May 23 (Fri) at 10:00

2. Etsuko Enami Gallery Talk

Dates/Times

Six talks, all from 14:00–14:30

[1] June 14 (Sat)	[2] June 15 (Sun)	[3] June 21 (Sat)
[4] June 22 (Sun)	[5] July 1 (Tue)	[6] July 2 (Wed)

Location

Fujifilm Photo Salon Tokyo Photo Exhibition Venue

Capacity

Not determined

Admission

Free

Registration

Not required

* Talk will take place in the photo exhibition area. Please note that there will be no seating available.
* Please note that the related events is subject to change or cancellation due to circumstances.