DOWN ON THE STREET TOKYO 1995-2025
Friday, February 7th, 2025 - Monday, March 24th, 2025
10:00 - 17:30
(Closed on Sundays and public holidays)
Before
R n R
Who would connect Canon Inc with R n R? Few, I’d say—and even fewer would know its origins. Originally named ‘Kwanon,’ the Buddhist goddess of mercy, it only later evolved into Canon. But Kwanon never left. Her spirit lingers in the act of photography—an act to capture compassion, conjure magic, and amplify feeling. It’s not far from the R n R dream. Both Kwanon and Rock n Roll demand authenticity, confront pain, and offer relief – to those left outside by fate or by choice. With a thousand long arms, Kwanon can soothe a thousand-yard stare and absorb the suffering of others. Turning pain into beauty, just like the best R n R.
Canon
on
the
Street
So, it’s not that surprising that Canon is shaking hands with R n R in Tokyo (and not asking for payment either). It’s happening right now in Shinagawa’s Canon S Tower (Gallery S, 1st floor), where Takehiko Nakafuji is hosting his latest DOWN ON THE STREET exhibition, focused on TOKYO 1995-2025. It’s on until March 24. Nakafuji’s been taking street snapshots around the world during that time — publishing books, and giving exhibitions in New York, Paris, Shanghai, and beyond. His monochrome snapshots capture fleeting moments of street life—whatever catches his eye—using light and shadow to create intensity. Colour is used sparingly; his predominant focus is on night — the winter of the day. It’s fitting, then, that Canon has him exhibiting this season, and that he is now receiving recognition and reward.
Echoes
of
Rallizes
‘Down on the Street’ shows traces of Nakafuji’s inspirations and lays bare his roots and interests. (Iggy is here next month, by the way). The photos don’t give dates or identities, but I swear one was of Takashi Mizutani, ex of Les Rallizes Dénudés. It almost certainly was — Nakafuji was Mizutani’s photographer in the latter stages of his active career, and ‘Darkness Returns 2’ from Rallizes’s Citta 93 plays softly as you walk around the gallery. ‘Out of time’ with the exhibition, it fits perfectly as a snapshot of his future work. When I visited, business people, high schoolers, and amateur photographers silently considered the photos while Mizutani’s late-period voice and guitar echoed through the darkened hall, the line between past and present dissolving. And, unbeknownst to me, when I arrived, Nakafuji was giving a talk on the 3rd floor. I caught the last part in a full hall. He spoke about the merits of analogue versus digital, the future of visual arts, and answered questions about ‘the perfect shot’. No direct reference to Mizutani, but there was no need – it’s there on the cover of Citta 93, on sale after the talk.
Night
to
Day
The exhibition runs until mid-March, after which Canon hosts photos from its own Nature Project. Winter fades into spring; night shifts into day. Both are unmissable. Nakafuji will move in his own direction, inspiring new generations in his wake. For the interested, this Ricoh GR video sees him talk about his influences. Outsider art gets a brief mention before Nakafuji moves on to Brassai, Moriyama, van der Elsken, and Kuwahara. Budding photographers in Tokyo can check out his self-managed gallery, Gallery Niepce, run collectively with other artists.
But first, check out DOWN ON THE STREET – TOKYO 1995-25!
Essential Information
Main Image This is my photo of a signed photo from Nakafumi
The Canon gallery is a short walk from Shinagawa station - here
Canon S Tower 1F & 2F, 2-16-6 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo
