Eminent wildlife photographer Mitsuaki Iwago is revisiting one his most celebrated muses, cats, for a new exhibition at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi. Having travelled the world to photograph cats, this time we find Iwago returning to Japan, and in particular the old capital of Japan, Kyoto, for a year long project capturing the cats of the city as the seasons roll by. In his distinctive style we find the culture of Kyoto explored from a cat's perspective, finding his adorable subjects as much a part of the city's sights as the snapshots of quintessentially Kyoto life he captures. The exhibition spans over a whole year spent in the city, exploring the seasons and customs respected since antiquity that characterize Kyoto culture, but all through the perspective of the cats themselves ensuring that even those familiar with the city will see it through fresh eyes.
Through Mitsuaki Iwago's inimitable lens we find many characterful cats, mischievous, playful and quizzical, at times beautiful, at times endearing, and always with a warmth that shows the photographer's genuine affection for his subject. Likewise in his Kyoto, we peek into temple gardens, the backstreets of the geisha's Gion, and even into traditional homes of ordinary people, and in all of it we find a unifying sense of admiration for the city and its customs that is as transfixing as the engaging cats themselves.
Showing that an appreciation of our feline friends extends well beyond Kyoto to Tokyo, each visitor to the exhibition will be given a discount coupon for the MoCHA cat cafe which the nearest amongst the six locations can be found in the Kanda area, just north of Nihombashi. There you can take a break from the Metropolis in the company of pedigree cats of many different breeds, and where the comfort of the cats is as important as your own.
Mitsuaki Iwago Exhibition "A Cat's Kyoto"
Location
Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Main Building and Annex 7F, Gallery
Dates
May 3th - 15th, 2017
*Final entries are until 5:30pm on the final day
Tickets
Standard Admission 800 yen