How to Do a Photography Exhibition in Tokyo (Even If You Don’t Live Here)

Have you ever dreamed of showing your photography in Tokyo, but felt held back by the language barrier?

When I moved to Japan almost five years ago, one of the first things that surprised me was the immense density of public galleries in Tokyo. They’re everywhere. From tiny, affordable spaces to large, beautifully designed (and expensive) venues. Not just in the city center either, these galleries are spread across neighborhoods all over the city.

From my own experience, the barrier to exhibiting or publishing work here is much lower than most people imagine. Opportunities are genuinely everywhere: solo and group exhibitions, free and paid one, open calls, photobook and zine festivals, and more.

Through this post, I want to share what I’ve learned, and how you, even if you don’t live in Japan, can still showcase your work here. Some of these opportunities can even be done remotely. Please note that most of these are a group exhibition. For a solo exhibition one, I probably will make a separate post.

Tokyo Streets 24 is one of the most consistent platforms when it comes to open calls for group exhibitions. From what I know, you can even participate remotely, meaning if your work is selected, they can handle the printing and exhibition for you. This makes it a very accessible option, especially if you’re based outside Japan.

Ephemere is a platform dedicated to artist support and community-building in Tokyo. While publishing remains an important part of Ephemere’s work and one of the several pillars, the platform has evolved into a broader ecosystem encompassing exhibitions, open calls, community programming, international exchange and a newly launched artist grant. This is definitely one to keep an eye on, because they continuously bring the opportunity for you.

Frame Tokyo is quite similar to Tokyo Streets 24 in that they run group exhibition open calls on a regular basis. They’re also friendly to remote participation, making it another good option if you want to show work in Tokyo without being physically present.

Have you ever imagined exhibiting your photographs in a street-facing gallery in Shibuya? Jinny Gallery is a unique one. I’m not entirely sure if they support fully remote exhibitions (where they handle everything for you), but I do know they occasionally run open calls. If you’re serious about showing your work in Tokyo, it’s definitely worth reaching out to them directly.

Lastly, there’s an option that’s open to everyone, but it does require a bit more effort. Most of the instructions and communication will be in Japanese, so you’ll likely need to rely on translation tools. That said, if you have tangible work like a photobook or zine, Zine Fest absolutely worth it. With a relatively affordable registration fee, you’ll be able to showcase your work to thousands of visitors at one of Tokyo’s photobook or zine festivals.

That’s a quick overview, focusing on group exhibitions as the lowest-barrier way to start showing your work in Tokyo, even if you can’t be here in person.

I’ve done one solo exhibition here in Tokyo, and I’m hoping to do a second one later this year. In a future post, I’ll share what I learned from that experience, and how you can approach a solo exhibition too, whether you live in Tokyo or you’re visiting as a tourist and want to showcase your work while you’re here.

Cheers!