Special Exhibitions
Nikon Museum holds uniquely-themed special exhibitions relating to Nikon products and projects.
Current Event
Special Exhibition “The Attraction of AI NIKKOR — an Exhibition of Photos Taken by Nikon Company Members”
Dates: March 1 (Wed) – September 2, 2023 (Sat)
Nikon Museum holds a special exhibition entitled “The Attraction of AI NIKKOR — an Exhibition of Photos Taken by Nikon Company Members” from March 1 (Wed) to September 2, 2023 (Sat).
The NIKKOR series, Nikon's series of interchangeable lens for SLR cameras, was first released in 1959, and includes more than 450 models. Approximately 140 of these are AI NIKKOR lenses, which were first released in 1977. They included a wide variety of lenses such as ultra-wide angle, super-telephoto, fisheye and micro lenses, and, as the newest interchangeable lens system at that time, reinforced the appeal of Nikon SLR cameras.
In this exhibition, approximately eighty photos taken by 34 current and former Nikon group company members, and the types of AI NIKKOR lenses used to take the photos shown are exhibited. Around a further fifty photos are projected on a large 100-inch screen.
AI NIKKOR
The AI NIKKOR is a series of interchangeable lenses for Nikon SLR cameras. The “AI” is an abbreviation of Automatic Maximum Aperture Indexing, and the AI NIKKOR lenses employ functions that mechanically deliver the lens' maximum aperture value to a camera. The AI method is also employed in AF (autofocus) lenses that were sold from 1986 onward but are not included in this exhibition; only manual focus AI NIKKOR lenses are exhibited. However, an AF lens that was released in 1983 for the Nikon F3AF camera is included in this exhibition for its technological significance.
| Exhibits | Approximately eighty photos taken by current and former Nikon group company members Approximately eighty AI NIKKOR lenses Slide show of approximately fifty photos |
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Past Events
Special Exhibition “The History of Optical Glass”
| Dates | August 30, 2022 – February 25, 2023 |
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| Exhibits |
Panels introducing history and characteristics of optical glass Real products of Nikon-made optical glass, synthetic silica glass, artificial fluorite Model for manufacturing optical glass |
Special Exhibition “Nikon Advertisements in Camera Magazines, 1949–1977”
| Dates | March 1, 2022 – August 27, 2022 |
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| Exhibits |
Approximately 300 magazine advertisements Approximately 50 cameras and lenses that appear in the advertisements |
| Cooperation | Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. JCII Camera Museum NIPPON DESIGN CENTER, Inc. |
Special Exhibition “Nikon F2 50th Anniversary and Unknown Cine NIKKOR”
| Dates | August 31, 2021 – February 26, 2022 |
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| Exhibits |
The first Nikon F2 Nikon F2 Titanium Uemura Special Approximately 20 Nikon F2 in combination with various accessories Approximately 30 Cine NIKKOR lenses etc. |
| Cooperation | Uemura Museum Tokyo Bungeishunju Ltd. |
Special Exhibition “Astronomical Telescopes, Our Guides to the Beauty of Stars”
| Dates | March 2, 2021 – August 28, 2021 |
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| Exhibits |
Ten models of astronomical telescope Objective lens for 8-inch Equatorial Refractor Astronomical photographs taken by current and former Nikon group employees |
Special Exhibition “Nikon Museum Special Collection 2”
| Dates | September 29, 2020 – February 27, 2021 |
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| Exhibits |
Approximately 60 items including cameras, measuring instruments and industrial equipment Underwater photographs taken using “NIKONOS” series |
Special Exhibition “Taizo Ichinose, the Reality of War, the People Who Live Within the Smoke of Gunpowder”
| Dates | January 6, 2020 – September 26, 2020 |
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| Exhibits |
Approximately 40 photos taken in battlefields in Cambodia and Vietnam Approximately 15 mementos including a Nikon F camera, a press armband, a helmet and autographed letters |
| Supervisor | Kyoko Nagafuchi |
| Cooperation | Takeo City Library, Takeo City Library and History Museum |
Special Exhibition “Memories of Railways, 1969–1976, in cooperation with the Nagoya Rail Archives”
| Dates | October 1, 2019 – December 26, 2019 |
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| Exhibits |
Approximately 180 railway photos Railway- related materials including tickets and time tables |
| Cooperation | Incorporated non-profit organization Nagoya Rail Archives |
Special Exhibition “Photographing the Wonder of Science”
| Dates | July 2, 2019 – September 28, 2019 |
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| Exhibits | Approximately 20 scientific photos taken by Kunio Ichiji |
Special Exhibition “Nikon Museum Special Collection”
| Dates | April 2, 2019 – June 29, 2019 |
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| Exhibits |
Approx. 30 items including cameras, measuring instruments and industrial equipment “EYES OF SCIENCE” movie |
Special Exhibition “Rokuro Yoshida Photo Exhibition — Snow Crystals”
| Dates | October 2, 2018 – December 27, 2018 |
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| Exhibits |
60 photos of snow crystals Movie “Observation of Snow and Crystals” (1960, Toei) Commentary panels explaining the formation and classification of snow crystals, etc. Large photo panels |
| Arrangement | Mr. Akifumi Yoshida |
| Cooperation |
Toei Company The Nakaya Ukichiro Foundation The Ukichiro Nakaya Museum of Snow And Ice Dr. Akira Yamashita, Emeritus Professor of Osaka Kyoiku University The late Dr. Keiji Higuchi, Emeritus Professor of Nagoya University, and his family |
Special Exhibition “Prototype Lenses — Fascinating Images Captured by the Nikon Z 7 Mirrorless Camera”
| Dates | October 2, 2018 – December 27, 2018 |
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| Exhibits |
Approx. 60 prototype lenses Sample photos |
Special Exhibition “100 Years of Nikon Binoculars”
| Dates | July 3, 2018 – September 29, 2018 |
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| Exhibits |
Approx. 300 binoculars Product brochures Women's dresses |
| Cooperation |
The National Museum of Nature and Science Sugino Gakuen Dressmaker Gakuin |
Special Exhibition “Ultra-Micro-NIKKOR — a Genealogy of the World's Highest Resolution Lenses”
| Dates | April 3, 2018 – June 30, 2018 |
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| Exhibitions |
About 40 lenses including Ultra-Micro-NIKKOR lenses About 40 electronic devices |
Special Exhibition “HIROTA'S F PERIOD”
| Dates | January 5, 2018 – March 31, 2018 |
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| Exhibits |
Over 60 photos Movies including a special interview Movies of new photographs Photo equipment, etc. |
Fourth (Final) 100th Anniversary Special Exhibition “The World of F-mount NIKKOR”
| Dates | October 3, 2017 – December 27, 2017 |
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| Exhibits | Approximately 400 F-mount NIKKOR lenses, a celestial globe with a Fisheye NIKKOR lens, and more |
The Third 100th Anniversary Special Exhibition ”A Century of Memories — David Douglas Duncan”
| Dates | July 4, 2017 – September 30, 2017 |
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| Exhibits | 24 photographs, interviews, and more |
| Cooperation |
Joseph McNally Studio Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
The Second 100th Anniversary Special Exhibition “Prototype Cameras — Developers' Memories”
| Dates | April 4, 2017 – July 1, 2017 |
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| Exhibits | Approx. 40 prototype cameras |
100th Anniversary Special Exhibition “Naomi Uemura — Camera Techniques in Polar Regions”
| Dates | January 5, 2017 – April 1, 2017 |
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| Exhibits | Approx. 20 photos and approx. 20 items of equipment |
| Cooperation | Uemura Museum Tokyo, Toyooka-city Uemura Naomi Memorial Museum, Bungeishunju Ltd. |
Special exhibition “Hana Utage — Flower Banquet”
| Dates | October 4, 2016 – December 27, 2016 |
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| Exhibits | “Petals of the Sun”, “Roses” |
| Cooperation | Shotaro Akiyama Photo Art Museum |
Special exhibition “Walk with Yusaku Kamekura”
| Dates | July 4, 2016 – October 1, 2016 |
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| Exhibits | Approximately 70 Kamekura-designed items, mainly Nikon materials |
| Cooperation | Yusaku Kamekura Library, Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. CREATION GALLERY G8, The Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, Osaka Prefectural Expo '70 Commemorative Park Office, JCII Camera Museum, and oters |
Special exhibition “The beauty of Mt. Fuji, a mountain beloved beyond time — Koyo Okada”
| Dates | April 1, 2016 – June 30, 2016 |
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| Exhibits |
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| Cooperation | Koyo Okada Photo Art Museum |
Special exhibition “Through the eyes of Ken DOMON”
| Dates | January 5, 2016 – March 31, 2016 |
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| Exhibits |
From the second collection of A Pilgrimage through Old Temples “Right Arms of the Thousand-arm Kannon at the Toshodai-ji” “Left Arms of the Thousand-arm Kannon at the Toshodai-ji” |
| Cooperation | Ken Domon Museum of Photography |
Special exhibition “Ihei Kimura — Lass”
| Dates | October 17, 2015 – December 26, 2015 |
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| Exhibits | “Lass” |