Unreleased Works Also on Display! Special Exhibition of World-Renowned Photographer Shoji Ueda 'Scenes Seen by Shoji Ueda' Held at Kitamura Camera Osaka Namba CITY Store
Kitamura Camera will host a special photography exhibition featuring Shoji Ueda at its Osaka Namba CITY store from May 1 to May 31, 2026, showcasing unreleased works and his beloved Leica camera.
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Kitamura Camera Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director and President: Kazuhiro Fukumoto) will hold a special exhibition to experience the world of photographer Shoji Ueda, titled 'Scenes Seen by Shoji Ueda', at the Kitamura Camera Osaka Namba CITY store from Friday, May 1, 2026, to Sunday, May 31, 2026.
The unique worldview of the photographs taken by Shoji Ueda is praised worldwide and referred to as 'Ueda-Cho' (Ueda style). The special exhibition will display world-first unreleased works, his representative sand dune series, original prints, and props such as the cameras and hats that Shoji Ueda used for shooting.
■ 'Scenes Seen by Shoji Ueda' to everyone who loves photography
We will hold a photo exhibition of Shoji Ueda (1913-2000), a photographer representing the 20th century, at the Kitamura Camera Osaka Namba CITY store. Born in Sakai-cho, Saihaku-gun, Tottori Prefecture (currently Sakaiminato City), Ueda never left the San'in region where he was born and raised. He maintained his 'amateurism', releasing the shutter for his own curiosity throughout his life, and demonstrated the possibilities of photography to the world for 70 years.
At this photo exhibition, we will display the 'Sand Dune Series', known for arranging subjects like objects on the stage of the Tottori Sand Dunes, which gave birth to a new field called 'staged photography', props such as cameras and hats used by Ueda for shooting, world-first unreleased works, and valuable original prints. Not only Ueda's fans but also those who love photography can immerse themselves in Ueda's worldview through 'the scenes Ueda saw' and 'Ueda's favorite items'.
■ Exhibition Overview
The globally fascinating representative work: Sand Dune Series
Shot at the famous Tottori Sand Dunes in his hometown of Tottori Prefecture, the Sand Dune series projects the vast landscape of the sand dunes by geometrically arranging the ground, sky, and people. These are his representative works shot using his family and friends as models, skillfully using props like hats and umbrellas.
Works included in photo books 'Doreki' and 'Shiroi Kaze'
Photographs of children included in the photo book 'Doreki' (Children the Year Around, published in 1971), which Ueda said made him 're-recognize the path I should take from now on', and 'Shiroi Kaze' (White Wind, published in 1981), shot using the then-popular color negative film 'Fujicolor F-II'.
Beloved cameras, hats, and props
Displaying cameras and camera bags used during shoots, props like hats used in the Sand Dune series, and sketchbooks containing Ueda's rough sketches.
His favorite Leica camera and photos taken with it
Displaying the Leica camera loved by Shoji Ueda and the photos taken with it.
■ Event Details
- Event Schedule: Friday, May 1, 2026 to Sunday, May 31, 2026
- Event Hours: 11:00-21:00
- Location: Kitamura Camera Osaka Namba CITY store
Photographer Profile
Born in 1913 in present-day Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture.
Immersed in photography to the point of being called a 'photo hobbyist' from a young age. After graduating from Yonago Middle School, he joined the Yonago Photo Circle. He then moved to Tokyo, entered the Oriental Photography School, and returned to his hometown after graduation to open a commercial photo studio. He gained attention for staged photography before the war, and after the war, he earned high acclaim for his unique works placing figures on sandy beaches and dunes. He won the Nika Prize in 1954, and in 1958, his works were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, planned by Edward Steichen, becoming internationally known. He continued to be active with photo books like 'Doreki' and 'Chiisai Denki' (Small Biography), establishing his unique style called 'Ueda-cho'. He consistently continued his activities in Tottori without leaving his hometown. He was highly acclaimed domestically and internationally until his later years and passed away in 2000.
■ About Kitamura Camera Osaka Namba CITY Store
A store located on the B1 floor of the South Building of 'Namba CITY', a commercial facility operated by Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. Opened in 1984, it reopened in January 2020 with the concept of 'proposing a photo life with new discoveries and emotions'. It boasts one of the largest inventories of both new and used cameras in the Kansai region. It also features an in-store gallery space and holds events such as photo sessions and workshops.
■ Store Overview
Business Hours: 11:00 - 21:00
Store Address: B1F Namba CITY South Building, 5-1-60 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 542-0076
HP: https://www.kitamura.jp/nanba/
Phone Number: 06-6644-2626
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitamura_namba/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kitamura_namba
The unique worldview of the photographs taken by Shoji Ueda is praised worldwide and referred to as 'Ueda-Cho' (Ueda style). The special exhibition will display world-first unreleased works, his representative sand dune series, original prints, and props such as the cameras and hats that Shoji Ueda used for shooting.
■ 'Scenes Seen by Shoji Ueda' to everyone who loves photography
We will hold a photo exhibition of Shoji Ueda (1913-2000), a photographer representing the 20th century, at the Kitamura Camera Osaka Namba CITY store. Born in Sakai-cho, Saihaku-gun, Tottori Prefecture (currently Sakaiminato City), Ueda never left the San'in region where he was born and raised. He maintained his 'amateurism', releasing the shutter for his own curiosity throughout his life, and demonstrated the possibilities of photography to the world for 70 years.
At this photo exhibition, we will display the 'Sand Dune Series', known for arranging subjects like objects on the stage of the Tottori Sand Dunes, which gave birth to a new field called 'staged photography', props such as cameras and hats used by Ueda for shooting, world-first unreleased works, and valuable original prints. Not only Ueda's fans but also those who love photography can immerse themselves in Ueda's worldview through 'the scenes Ueda saw' and 'Ueda's favorite items'.
■ Exhibition Overview
The globally fascinating representative work: Sand Dune Series
Shot at the famous Tottori Sand Dunes in his hometown of Tottori Prefecture, the Sand Dune series projects the vast landscape of the sand dunes by geometrically arranging the ground, sky, and people. These are his representative works shot using his family and friends as models, skillfully using props like hats and umbrellas.
Works included in photo books 'Doreki' and 'Shiroi Kaze'
Photographs of children included in the photo book 'Doreki' (Children the Year Around, published in 1971), which Ueda said made him 're-recognize the path I should take from now on', and 'Shiroi Kaze' (White Wind, published in 1981), shot using the then-popular color negative film 'Fujicolor F-II'.
Beloved cameras, hats, and props
Displaying cameras and camera bags used during shoots, props like hats used in the Sand Dune series, and sketchbooks containing Ueda's rough sketches.
His favorite Leica camera and photos taken with it
Displaying the Leica camera loved by Shoji Ueda and the photos taken with it.
■ Event Details
- Event Schedule: Friday, May 1, 2026 to Sunday, May 31, 2026
- Event Hours: 11:00-21:00
- Location: Kitamura Camera Osaka Namba CITY store
Photographer Profile
Born in 1913 in present-day Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture.
Immersed in photography to the point of being called a 'photo hobbyist' from a young age. After graduating from Yonago Middle School, he joined the Yonago Photo Circle. He then moved to Tokyo, entered the Oriental Photography School, and returned to his hometown after graduation to open a commercial photo studio. He gained attention for staged photography before the war, and after the war, he earned high acclaim for his unique works placing figures on sandy beaches and dunes. He won the Nika Prize in 1954, and in 1958, his works were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, planned by Edward Steichen, becoming internationally known. He continued to be active with photo books like 'Doreki' and 'Chiisai Denki' (Small Biography), establishing his unique style called 'Ueda-cho'. He consistently continued his activities in Tottori without leaving his hometown. He was highly acclaimed domestically and internationally until his later years and passed away in 2000.
■ About Kitamura Camera Osaka Namba CITY Store
A store located on the B1 floor of the South Building of 'Namba CITY', a commercial facility operated by Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. Opened in 1984, it reopened in January 2020 with the concept of 'proposing a photo life with new discoveries and emotions'. It boasts one of the largest inventories of both new and used cameras in the Kansai region. It also features an in-store gallery space and holds events such as photo sessions and workshops.
■ Store Overview
Business Hours: 11:00 - 21:00
Store Address: B1F Namba CITY South Building, 5-1-60 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 542-0076
HP: https://www.kitamura.jp/nanba/
Phone Number: 06-6644-2626
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitamura_namba/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kitamura_namba