Reliving the Past and Relishing the Present at the Tokyo Before/After Exhibit

Vibrant stories of the contrast between the bustling and mundane scene of Tokyo are told through a curated showcase of photographs.

Words Felicity Anne Castor
Photos courtesy of Japan Foundation
June 6, 2025

Plastered on the walls of the Tokyo Before/After Exhibit is a quote by renowned Japanese photography critic Kotaro Iizawa: “Tokyo is like a living thing in the way that it constantly grows, sheds its skin, and transforms.” 

This evolution is the highlight of the Tokyo Before/After Exhibit, which officially opened on the evening of May 16 at Estancia Mall, Pasig City. Organized by The Japan Foundation, the event began with notable remarks from the organization’s director Ben Suzuki, Ambassador of the Embassy of Japan H.E. Kazuya Endo, Ortigas Malls AVP & Head of Marketing Monique Castañeda, and National Commission for Culture and the Arts Chairperson Hon. Victorino Manalo.

The exhibit is divided into two parts—before and after. This concept centers around the juxtaposition of Japan in the 1930s and the 2010s. Tokyo’s complex corners are explored through the lens of Japanese photography masters, from bustling scenes to eccentric subcultures, nodding to the city as one of many faces.

Looking back

The “before” section is marked by the works of Kineo Kuwabara and those organized by photography magazine Koga and photobook NIPPON. While taken in monochrome, each photograph tells the colorful story of people’s everyday lives and the rich culture that built Tokyo’s nuanced identity.

As early as the 1930s, the interweaving dynamics of old and new are already evident with Geijutsu Shashin or Fine Art Photography, transforming into Shinko Shashin or New Photography in terms of styles. As Tokyo evolved into a modern city, tradition is still kept alive as the featured photographs show. Remarkable works include Ihei Kimura’s “Picture-story show” (1932) and Kineo Kuwabara’s “Rokku, Asakusa Park” (1937).

Tokyo in color

Purikura aesthetics, gyaru subculture, and peculiar characters are some recurring concepts that make up the “after” section of the exhibit. A series of contemporary photographs depict present Tokyo in mostly vibrant and sharp hues. 

Most works featured have underlying themes of nonconformist values such as Natsumi Hayashi’s Today’s Levitation. Her works show her jumping with a stoic face in mundane locations like the bookstore and the gashapon shop, making it seem like she was floating midair. Aside from the strenuous process it took to get the perfect take, this series illustrates defiance of social norms as Hayashi defies gravity in the photos.

Shinya Arimoto explored the Kabukicho neighborhood in Shinjuku, one reputed as dangerous and boisterous. Through his photography series Tokyo Circulation, distinct characters and faces show the diversity in this buzzing corner of Japan. 

The works of Motoyuki Daifu in Still Life are composed of flatlays of snacks and tchotchkes, a closer look to Japan’s mundane yet chaotic city life. Other works featured include those of Daido Moriyama, Nobuyoshi Araki, Shintaro Sato, and Kenta Cobayashi.

Beyond sharing the rich history of Tokyo and its changing landscape across the decades, the Tokyo Before/After Exhibit serves as a portal to the city in the past up to the present, evidence of the coexistence of old and new and the beauty that lies in change. 

The exhibit is free admission and open for viewing at 3F East Wing, Estancia Mall, Pasig City until July 31.