This year’s Kyotographie photo festival is the first to be held since Japan relaxed restrictions on inbound travelers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re in Kyoto, this fact is undeniable — tourism is back. It makes this year’s chosen theme, “Border,” all the more salient.
Last year’s domestic introspection has been swapped for a cosmopolitan vibe at what has become Japan’s premiere international photography festival. Adding to the revelry is the launch of a new music festival, Kyotophonie, which will be held each spring alongside Kyotographie and then again in fall in nearby Amanohashidate.