Special Exhibitions

Dates: October 1, 2019 (Tue) – December 26, 2019 (Thu)

Nikon Museum will hold the “Memories of Railways, 1969–1976, in cooperation with the Nagoya Rail Archives” exhibition from October 1 to December 26.

From late 1960s to early 1970s, various railways ran throughout Japan and were part of the fabric of daily life. This exhibition presents approximately 180 photos of about 80 lines taken by members of the Nagoya Rail Archives (NRA), an incorporated non-profit organization. Those photos were taken between 1969 and 1976 using Nikon SLR cameras, and are exhibited under 6 themes: “Narrow-gauge Railways”, “Japan National Railways”, “Steam Locomotives”, “Private Railways”, “Light Rail Lines” and “The sights of the Railways”. In addition, railway- related collections of the Nagoya Rail Archives, such as tickets and time tables, are also exhibited. Please enjoy these railway photos which show the relationships between people and railways in the “good old days” in Japan.

Incorporated non-profit organization Nagoya Rail Archives

The Nagoya Rail Archives was established in 2005 to provide, for posterity, reliable information on the purpose and history of railways by preventing the disappearance of railway- related materials collected over many years by rail enthusiasts, systematically storing these materials, and providing them to researchers and press. Subsequently the Nagoya Rail Archives was recognized as an incorporated non-profit organization in 2006. The Nagoya Rail Archives actively promotes its operations, such as digitalization of donated photos, promotion of various events including exhibitions of archival materials, and publishing newsletters.

Dates: January 6, 2020 (Mon) – March 28, 2020 (Sat)

Nikon Museum will hold a special exhibition entitled “Taizo Ichinose, the Reality of War, the People Who Live Within the Smoke of Gunpowder” from January 6 to March 28, 2020.

This exhibition will present approximately 40 items, including photos taken by Ichinose of battlefields in Cambodia and Vietnam from 1972 to 1973. In addition, approximately 15 of Ichinose’s mementos will also be exhibited, such as his war-damaged Nikon F and letters to his mother, Nobuko.

Ms. Kyoko Nagafuchi, a niece of Taizo Ichinose, selected the exhibited items and arranged the displays for this exhibition. She selected items from among Ichinose’s photographs taken running across battlefields to get the best photographs, such as memories of people who lived their lives to the full while at the cruel mercy of war. With this exhibition, we hope you feel the reality that Ichinose wanted to impart, and how he lived.

Taizo Ichinose

Taizo Ichinose was born in Takeo, Saga, in 1947. He worked as a photojournalist for approximately two years in tumultuous areas such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia, trying to get worldwide scoops. In November 1973, he wrote a note to his friend with the words “One step on a mine, It’s all over,” before travelling to Khmer Rouge militia-controlled Angkor Wat, where he disappeared.