Fujifilm Square Photo History Museum Special Exhibition: 'The Arrival of Photography | The Dawn of Japan, a Photographic Superpower'

Ueno Hikoma, 'Nagasaki, Nakashima River,' ca. 1872. Photographed using the collodion wet plate process, printed on albumen paper. Collection: Fujifilm Corporation.

July 1 (Wed), 2026 – September 17 (Thu)

Venue: Fujifilm Square Photo History Museum (Admission Free)

Exhibition Highlights

- Centered on works from the 'Fujifilm Photo Collection' held by Fujifilm Corporation, the exhibition features approximately 30 carefully selected items, including historic photographic equipment and rare books on photography from the late Edo and Meiji periods, offering an introduction to Japan's early photographic history.

- Discover the dawn of Japan's photographic culture—the beginning of 'Japan, the photographic superpower,' which has created a unique photographic culture unlike any other in the world.

Exhibition Overview

The Fujifilm Square Photo History Museum will present a special exhibition titled 'The Arrival of Photography | The Dawn of Japan, a Photographic Superpower,' featuring collections held by Fujifilm Corporation to explore Japan's early photographic history.

Photographs are now an everyday part of our lives, seen in vast quantities. But how did photography arrive in Japan and become widespread? Behind this development lies the dedication and passion of pioneers who overcame numerous challenges during the late Edo and Meiji periods—a time of significant social and economic constraints and underdeveloped Western science and technology.

The arrival of photography in Japan dates back approximately 190 years. The daguerreotype,*1 the world's first practical photographic process, announced in France in 1839, is believed to have arrived in Nagasaki via a Dutch ship in 1848 (Kaei 1). At the time, 'photography'—a Western scientific technique—was unknown in Japan. It was studied and experimented with by Dutch scholars such as Kawamoto Kōmin (1810–1871) as part of projects by the shogunate and various feudal domains.

Photography became practical in Japan around a decade later, in the early 1860s (Bunkyū era). The photographic technique evolved into the wet plate process,*2 and with the arrival of foreign photographers after Japan's opening to the world, professional photographers emerged—some trained directly by foreigners who possessed photographic knowledge. With the advent of the Meiji era, Japanese photographic culture flourished, laying the foundation for the future 'photographic superpower, Japan.'

This exhibition presents around 30 selected items, primarily from the 'Fujifilm Photo Collection' held by Fujifilm Corporation, along with historic photographic equipment and rare books on photography from the late Edo and Meiji periods. It explores the history of photography's arrival in Japan through invaluable photographic materials, including Japan's oldest surviving camera obscura*3 made in the late Edo period, 19th-century daguerreotype cameras, Ueno Hikoma's (1838–1904) chemistry book 'Seimikyoku Hikkei' (1862, Bunkyū 2), and 'Shashinkyō Zusetsu' (1867–68, Keiō 3–4 / Meiji 1), translated by Yanagawa Shunsan, considered Japan's first specialized book on photographic techniques.

Experience the dawn of Japan's photographic culture—the beginning of 'Japan, the photographic superpower,' which has created a unique photographic culture unlike any other in the world.

*1. Daguerreotype

The world's first practical photographic process, announced in 1839 by Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre of France. In Japan, it is known as 'silver plate photography.' A copper plate coated with silver is polished and exposed to iodine vapor, forming light-sensitive silver halides on the surface. The plate is then placed in a camera for exposure. After exposure, it is developed using mercury vapor and fixed. The resulting mirror-like sensitized plate is viewed directly, producing a sharp and beautiful image, though laterally reversed. Immediately after its announcement, the daguerreotype rapidly spread across Europe and America, especially in portrait photography. In Japan, it remained largely experimental, but one surviving successful example exists: the 'Portrait of Shimazu Nariakira' (1857, Ansei 4), an Important Cultural Property from the Satsuma Domain.

*2. Wet Plate Photography (Collodion Wet Plate Process)

A photographic technique introduced in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer of England, using glass plates as the support. A collodion solution containing iodides or bromides is applied to a glass plate, which is then immersed in a silver nitrate solution, forming light-sensitive silver halides in the collodion layer. However, the plate loses sensitivity once dry, so exposure and processing must be completed while the plate is still wet. This method was used for over 30 years until the late 19th century. Practical photography in Japan began with this wet plate process.

*3. Camera Obscura

An optical device considered the origin of the camera. In Japan, it was known as 'shashinkyō' (photo mirror). The term 'camera obscura' comes from Latin, meaning 'dark room.' Light entering through a small hole in a darkened room projects an image onto the opposite wall. Due to the rectilinear propagation of light, the image is inverted both vertically and horizontally. This principle has been known since antiquity and was later used by Renaissance artists as an aid in drawing.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition Title: Fujifilm Square Photo History Museum Special Exhibition

'The Arrival of Photography | The Dawn of Japan, a Photographic Superpower'

Dates: July 1 (Wed), 2026 – September 17 (Thu), 2026 (Open daily)

Hours: 10:00–19:00 (Last entry 10 minutes before closing; closed at 16:00 on final day)

Note: The exhibition may be canceled or changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Please check the website or call for updates.

Venue: Fujifilm Square Photo History Museum

9-7-3 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 (1F, Midtown West, Tokyo Midtown)

TEL: 03-6271-3350 (Reception: 10:00–18:00)

URL: https://fujifilmsquare.jp/guide/museum.html

Note: Exhibition information will be available on the Fujifilm Square website from one month prior to the opening.

Note: We kindly decline congratulatory floral arrangements.

Admission: Free

Note: This exhibition is hosted as a corporate sponsorship initiative to allow as many people as possible to enjoy it.

Number of Works: Approximately 30 items, including photographs, photographic equipment, and books (planned)

Note: For preservation purposes, some original works may be replaced with reproductions. Your understanding is appreciated.

Organizer: Fujifilm Corporation

Curators: Norihide Takahashi (President, Japan Society for Photographic Arts), Saki Torigai (Associate Professor, College of Art, Nihon University)

Supporting Organization: Minato City Board of Education

Planning: Photo Classic

Featured Photographers (planned): Ueno Hikoma, Shimo'oka Renjō, Uchida Kyūichi, Kusakabe Kimbei, Ogawa Kazumasa, Kashima Kiyobei

Concurrent Event

Retired Fujifilm employees with long-term experience in photographic product research, development, and technical support will serve as concierges, providing clear explanations of the exhibition and the museum's permanent displays.

Daily at 15:00, lasting approximately 20 minutes (Free participation, no reservation required)

Note: The event will be held within the exhibition space; seating is not provided. Please be aware.

Note: The exhibition and events may be canceled or changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Please understand.

Selected Exhibits and Materials (partial list)

Ueno Hikoma,