The photographer Ishimoto Yasuhiro’s life work encompasses photographs of Japanese traditional buildings such as the Katsura Imperial Villa and Ise Jingu, and sceneries in the cities where he lived. At the same time, he also worked for a variety of clients, taking photographs for magazine features and advertisements among others. Such projects include work related to “Expos” at different locations.

Inspired by the trend of domestic expositions that were flourishing in France in the late 18th and early 19th century, the first “World Expo” opened in London in 1851 after the industrial revolution. After that, Expos came to be held in cities around the world as occasions for the respective participating nations’ industrial technologies and cultures to compete with one another. It is widely known that, in addition to showcasing the latest technical and cultural developments all under one roof, Expos have been taking place with the involvement also of leading architects and artists in their respective fields and times.

Ishimoto Yasuhiro continued to observe cities and civilizations with a keen eye. Through photographs shot during expositions such as the New York Expo in 1964 and the Osaka Expo in 1970, displayed along with various related materials, this exhibition examines Ishimoto’s perspective on Expos.