Tokyo and neighboring prefectures have Japan’s highest concentration of photography museums, galleries, and exhibitions. Only one museum is dedicated mainly to photography, while a few other art museums have a significant photography department. Photography galleries mainly consist of private galleries who represent photographers and camera makers’ photo galleries such as by Canon and Nikon. Then there are other spaces large and small which exhibit photography on occasion.
Japan’s largest photography museum is the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Yebisu Garden Place near Ebisu Station in Tokyo. Web site: http://syabi.com/english.php
Other art museums in the Kanto area (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, etc.) with a significant photography department include:
- Yokohama Museum of Art – Near JR Sakuragicho Station and Minato-Mirai Station.
- Kawasaki City Museum – Near Musashi-Kosugi Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa.
- Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts – Way out in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Fine-art photo galleries selling photography in Tokyo include:
- Photo Gallery International (PGI) – Longtime and well-respected gallery.
- Zeit Foto Salon – Another pioneering photo gallery in Tokyo.
- Galerie Sho Contemporary Art – Near Tokyo and Nihonbashi Stations.
- Taka Ishii Gallery - Represents Nobuyoshi Araki and Daido Moriyama.
Private and camera makers’ photo galleries in Tokyo include:
- Canon Gallery Ginza – Near Higashi Ginza Station.
- Nikon Salon – In Ginza and Shinjuku.
- Konica Minolta Plaza – Near Shinjuku Station’s East Exit. Although the camera maker has been absorbed by Sony, this gallery still exists.
- Pentax Forum – Near Shinjuku Station’s West Exit.
- epSITE Epson Imaging Gallery - Near Shinjuku Station’s West Exit.
- photographers gallery – In Shinjuku.
- Place M – Run by Daido Moriyama and others.
A comprehensive English list of other galleries, museums, and exhibition spaces in Tokyo and Kanagawa (Yokohama, etc.) which may show photography exhibitions is provided by Tokyo Art Beat at the following Web page:
http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/
They also have a list of exhibition spaces in the Kanto area outside Tokyo, such as in Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, and Tochigi:
http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/list/venue_area_other
This page lists current photo exhibitions in the Tokyo/Kanto area:
http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/list/event_type_print_photo_bypopular