Japan's economy has been in decline since the early 1990s, but Michiko Kasahara, a curator at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, refuses to accept that the last two decades have been "lost." A recent government poll shows that 70 percent of young Japanese are satisfied with their lives, Kasahara says, and she claims that today's pessimism comes from a nostalgic older generation yearning for the "good old days."
This exhibition features five female Japanese photographers, including Beijing-based Tomoko Kikuchi, who are all aged around 35 and each demonstrate a determination to embrace the present; till Jan. 27.
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography; (03) 3280-0099; 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo; Ebisu Station, JR Yamanote Line. 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (Thu. and Fri. till 8:00 p.m., except Jan. 2-3). ¥700. Closed Mon. (except Dec. 24, Jan. 14), Dec. 25, Dec. 29-Jan.1, Jan. 15. www.syabi.com.