Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers, Drawing 140,000 Worldwide, Opens!

Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now

Exhibition Dates: Saturday, July 4, 2026 – Wednesday, August 26, 2026 (Open daily during the exhibition period)

Venue: Hikarie Hall (Shibuya Hikarie 9F)

Bunkamura The Museum presents "Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers," which opened on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Hikarie Hall (Shibuya Hikarie 9F). The exhibition runs until Wednesday, August 26. It is open daily.

<Press Preview: Group Photo of Participating Artists> "Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers" Artist Group Photo, 2026 ©ltaru Hirama (Back row) Hiromix, Mika Ninagawa, Rika Noguchi, Sakiko Nomura, Mikiko Hara (Second row) Mari Katayama, Ai Iwakoshi, Momoe Okabe, Rinko Kawauchi, Hiroko Komatsu, Tomoko Sawada, Yuki Tawada, Rieko Nagashima (Front row) Mariko Takeuchi, Aya Fujioka, Tokuko Ushioda, Michiko Kon, Kunie Sugiura, Miyako Ishiuchi, Asako Narahashi, Tamiko Nishimura, Leslie A. Martin

This exhibition introduces approximately 200 works by 30 women photographers who have played significant roles in Japanese photographic and art history from the 1950s to the present. This exhibition is a triumphant return of the touring exhibition "I’m So Happy You Are Here," which began at the Arles International Photography Festival in France in the summer of 2024 and attracted 140,000 visitors worldwide. For this exhibition, four additional artists have been included, bringing the total to 30 artists whose works are gathered together in an unprecedented scale. A press preview held the day before the opening was attended by a total of 20 participating artists. The venue was filled with enthusiasm and joy as artists discussed their works in front of each other's pieces and celebrated their reunions. Leslie A. Martin, one of the exhibition's co-curators, also attended and remarked, "I hope that this exhibition will serve as an opportunity to introduce the rich history of Japanese photography to a wider audience, and that it will expand globally, not only for the participating artists but also for the activities of artists who are not exhibiting this time." Mariko Takeuchi (Critic, Writer, Curator / Professor at Kyoto University of Art), the curator in charge of the Japan exhibition, stated, "The world tour began in 2024 with the publication of a book and an exhibition in Arles, but Japanese women photographers have never been introduced on this scale before. The impetus for this realization is the awareness that there are many wonderful photographers in Japan, and many of them are women. However, each artist's thoughts and approach to photography are different, and being a woman is just one element of their complex identities. That is precisely why I wanted to showcase their uniqueness as artists, their different worldviews, and their depth in this exhibition. I hope you will visit many times and engage with these uniquely talented works. It is truly a miracle that so many artists have gathered here."

"Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers" Exhibition View Photo by: Yuya Furukawa "Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers" Exhibition View Photo by: Yuya Furukawa "Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers" Exhibition View Photo by: Yuya Furukawa

"Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers" Exhibition View Photo by: Yuya Furukawa "Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers" Exhibition View Photo by: Yuya Furukawa "Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers" Exhibition View Photo by: Yuya Furukawa

As a collaborative project, events will be held that approach "photography" from various angles, including film, music, and fashion, set against the backdrop of the energetic Shibuya cityscape. Cross-talk events with participating artists will also be held multiple times during the exhibition period. To make it easier for young people to attend, a U-30 discount (for those 30 and under, including university students) ticket is available for 1,500 yen. Photographers from different eras and fields, each forging their own path, their adventures and unique, diverse photographic expressions converge and intersect... This exhibition, which transcends the framework of "woman" to carve a new history in photographic history, is not to be missed.

[Exhibition Overview]

Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers

Venue: Hikarie Hall (Shibuya Hikarie 9F)

Exhibition Dates: Saturday, July 4, 2026 – Wednesday, August 26, 2026 (Open daily during the exhibition period)

Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Last admission at 6:30 PM)

Organizer: Bunkamura

Media Partner: J-WAVE

Curators: Mariko Takeuchi (Japan Exhibition Curator), Pauline Vermare, Leslie A. Martin

Planning: Aperture

Co-planning: Contact

Inquiries: 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial)

Admission Fees (Tax Included): General 2,200 yen, etc.

Official Website: https://www.bunkamura.co.jp/museum/exhibition/26_kiseki

Instagram @bunkamura_the_museum / X @BunkamuraMuseum

Exhibition Hashtags: #まなざしの奇跡 #日本女性写真家の冒険

*Information is current as of the opening in July 2026. It may be subject to change.

[Applications Open] Must-hear talks by participating artists! Combinations realized for the first time in this exhibition

Applications accepted via ArtSticker ▶Apply here

◎Cross Talk: Miwa Yanagi x Mari Katayama

Date & Time: Sunday, July 12, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (Reception from 1:30 PM) *Reservation required

◎Cross Talk: Tokuko Ushioda x Rika Noguchi

Date & Time: Sunday, July 26, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (Reception from 12:30 PM) *Reservation required

◎Cross Talk: Rinko Kawauchi x Mariko Asabuki (Novelist)

Date & Time: Sunday, July 26, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM (Reception from 3:30 PM) *Reservation required

Venue: Hikarie Hall "Miracle of Gazes" Exhibition Special Venue

Capacity: 100 people

Participation Fee: 500 yen (tax included)

*Exhibition ticket fee for "Miracle of Gazes" is not included. Separate admission tickets must be purchased to view the exhibition.

▶Details here

[Opening Special Bonus♪] On weekdays until July 10 (Fri), customers visiting after 4:00 PM will receive a limited edition venue sticker on a first-come, first-served basis.

To commemorate the opening of this exhibition, a limited edition venue sticker (not for sale) will be presented on a first-come, first-served basis! Be sure to get the sticker featuring Miwa Yanagi's "The Room of the Guide 1F," the main visual of this exhibition.

Eligible Dates: Wednesday, July 8; Thursday, July 9; Friday, July 10

*One gift per person.

*Distribution ends when supplies run out each day.

*Schedule is subject to change without notice. Please understand this in advance.

▶Details here

[Information on Repeat Visitor Discount] For those who wish to see the exhibition again after their first visit, we offer a special repeat visitor discount!

By presenting your exhibition ticket stub or electronic ticket screen, you can receive a 200 yen discount on the exhibition admission fee during the exhibition period. As an additional special bonus, you will also receive a limited edition venue sticker!

▶Details here

\Evening Gallery Talk/ Gallery Talk by Curators Held

Held on three days in July! Gallery talks by the curators in charge of this exhibition will be held.

These talks will be full of useful information for your viewing, including highlights of the exhibition. Please come and join us.

Date & Time: Thursday, July 9; Thursday, July 16; Friday, July 24, 5:00 PM – 5:20 PM (scheduled)

Location: Exhibition Venue

▶Details here

Available for pre-sale at the venue! Purchase the exhibition catalog and receive one original postcard for this exhibition!

The Japan exhibition special edited edition introducing the 30 participating artists will be pre-sold at the venue. With the purchase of the exhibition catalog, you will receive one random original postcard from a set of 19 designs for this exhibition.

Museum of Imaginary Narrative Arts [MINA] Present your exhibition ticket or stub for "Miracle of Gazes" and receive an original sticker for photographer Rieko Nagashima's solo exhibition "before the dog, behind the cat," which opens July 10 (Fri)!

Sticker Image

Sticker Distribution Period: July 10 (Fri) – August 26 (Wed)

*Image is for illustrative purposes. *Distribution ends when supplies run out.

Additionally, MINA, the venue, will offer limited-time collaboration menus with Rieko Nagashima's "before the dog, behind the cat."

Limited-time soup set for this exhibition (with salad and bread): Cold Vichyssoise and three-color soup 1,320 yen (tax included) Limited-time ice cream for this exhibition "Archive Chocolate" 660 yen (tax included)

▶Details here

[Photo Book Fair and Workshops Held on July 11 (Sat) & 12 (Sun)] Linked Event "My Gaze, Your Gaze SHIBUYA ART WEEKEND"

[SHIBUYA PHOTO BOOK FAIR]

Location: 8/COURT (Shibuya Hikarie 8F)

Date & Time: Saturday, July 11, 11:30 AM – 7:00 PM / Sunday, July 12, 11:30 AM – 5:00 PM

A two-day photo book fair will be held, bringing together bookstores based in Shibuya and shops with ties to Shibuya. Photo books, books, zines, and miscellaneous goods selected by each store will be available under the themes of "Women's Gazes" and "City and Gazes." We hope you find your special item among the diverse works, each reflecting different eras, places, and methods of expression.

▶Participating Stores (Scheduled): POST, Shelf, Daily Practice Books, Open Room, Commune, Sister, Aoyama Book Center, SALT AND PEPPER, UTRECHT, me and you booth

[Book Signing Events with Sakiko Nomura and Ai Iwakoshi!]

Date & Time: Sunday, July 12 Sakiko Nomura: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM / Ai Iwakoshi: 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Location: "Shelf" booth at 8/COURT, Shibuya Hikarie during the "SHIBUYA PHOTO BOOK FAIR"

Book signing events will be held for photographers Sakiko Nomura and Ai Iwakoshi, who are also exhibiting in "Miracle of Gazes: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers." Limited edition photo books such as Sakiko Nomura's "Lirio" and "Ango," and Ai Iwakoshi's "A New River" and "COHO COME HOME" will also be on sale.

[Gazes Workshop]

Nail Painter "Painting Nails from One Finger"

Date & Time: Saturday, July 11, 11:30 AM – 7:00 PM

We will host an event where you can paint your nails with the color scheme of your favorite photograph, with the participation of nail artist "Nail Painter." Based on your favorite photographic works or your own photos that you bring, your nails will be colored on the spot. By making the beautiful scenery or impressions in the photos a part of your body, you may discover a new way of seeing. Nail "album" with photos as backing will also be sold at the venue.

▶Participation Fee (Tax Included): 1 nail 500 yen (10 min) / 2 nails 800 yen (20 min) / 5 nails 1,500 yen (30 min) / 10 nails 3,000 yen (40 min)

*On-site registration on the day (Numbered tickets will be distributed during busy periods, and registration will close once all slots are filled).

Aiko Koike "Accidental Gazes"

Date & Time: Sunday, July 12, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM

We will hold a workshop with art director/graphic designer Aiko Koike, where you can encounter unexpected accidental gazes. All you need to bring is your smartphone. You will take photos of things that catch your eye in the Shibuya cityscape and create an impromptu mini-book using printed paper. This may provide an opportunity to notice unexpected gazes.

▶Start Times: Scheduled for two sessions: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM. Capacity: 8 people per session.

*On-site registration on the day (Numbered tickets will be distributed during busy periods, and registration will close once all slots are filled).

"My Shibuya and I" Exhibition

Date & Time: Saturday, July 11, 11:30 AM – 7:00 PM, Sunday, July 12, 11:30 AM – 5:00 PM

An interactive exhibition collecting "memories of Shibuya" woven by people of various generations. Visitors can write down their "memories of spending time in Shibuya" on sticky notes and post them, and can also print photos they bring or photos from their smartphones on-site to display. Please come and see this collection of memories where the "gazes" of people who have been connected to this city in various ways intersect, from days spent commuting, time spent on holidays, to memories of living here.

Admission Fee: Free

Organizer: Tokyu Corporation

Planning & Production: Bunkamura / me and you

▶Details here

[Applications Open] July 18 (Sat) Held "Miracle of Gazes" Exhibition x Nippon Photography Institute Collaborative Project Artist Sakiko Sawada Workshop "Tell Me About the People in the Photos"

Message from Sakiko Sawada

By participating in the workshop, you can experience the mechanics of my work and how I think about and create my pieces. Please come and join the workshop.

Date & Time: Saturday, July 18, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Reception from 12:30 PM) *Reservation required

Number of Participants: 30 people

Co-organized by: Bunkamura The Museum / Nippon Photography Institute

Venue: Nippon Photography Institute 9th Floor, 4-16 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

*Participation fee is free.

*Current students of Nippon Photography Institute will also participate in this workshop.

*Pre-assignment required prior to participation.

▶Details here

[Collaborative Project] Shibuya Upper West Project Temporary Construction Fence Art Project "Shibuya Shoto Wall Gallery" Weaving Memories and Time of "Another Shibuya" Commemorative <First Edition> Features Newly Shot Works by Exhibition Artist Rinko Kawauchi!

For this project, Rinko Kawauchi has newly shot the surrounding area, and you can see her works that delicately capture the lives of people illuminated by the fleeting light of dusk and the ever-changing cityscape.

▶Details here