No cherry blossom here — women show a different side of Japan

Waldemar Januszczak | Waldemar.tv | 27th July 2026

Japan’s most famous photographer are all men. Female photographers have had to battle for attention. Their work, the subject of a large show, is ”grittily different from the cherry blossom dreams”. Some unflattering male behaviours are recorded but there is little evidence of a consistent “female” style. Says the curator, highlighting these artists makes “the history of photography more truthful. … they also expand our understanding of Japan itself.”