The last of a series of exhibitions of photographic portraits by Kishin Shinoyama, 78, who has for decades taken photos of people in the spotlight, is being held at Gallery AaMo at Tokyo Dome City in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.
The long-running exhibition series -- "The Photographic Works of Kishin Shinoyama 'Picture Power': The People by Kishin" -- has been touring since 2012 and a total of about 990,000 people have attended the shows.
The 33rd and final show, "The Photographic Works of Kishin Shinoyama 'Picture Power': The People by Kishin -- The Last Show," has been running since Sept. 5. In an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, Shinoyama talked about the appeal of the exhibitions, which have been highly praised, and his memories about each of the exhibited photos.
All of the pictures on show are huge photo panels of "famous people all Japanese should know." One of them is more than 3 meters high, allowing visitors to feel as thought they are wandering in "a forest of photos."
Shinoyama said: "Visitors recall their memories from the time, while their whole body is exposed to the power poured into the photos. The attraction is that they not only see the photos but also feel them with their bodies."
Another feature of the series is that new photos are added each time. The additions include, for example, famous people with ties to the exhibition venues and emerging stars.
The current exhibition includes photos of Suzu Hirose, an actress who debuted in the year the series started, and Yumiko Udo, a former NHK announcer. Their photos are included for the first time.
"The contents are adjusted according to the changing times or the venues," Shinoyama said. "The series is interesting because each show is like a live performance."
The current venue is located where Korakuen Stadium used to stand. Photos of Shigeo Nagashima and Sadaharu Oh, who had achievements in that stadium as Yomiuri Giants players, are included.
The photos exhibited here, in a place that is special for the two players, may look different from those shown in other venues.
The exhibition series has toured 32 venues nationwide, from Hokkaido to Okinawa Prefecture, and has also traveled to Taiwan. With the current and final exhibition, the goal of surpassing 1 million visitors was achieved Sept. 18.
Shinoyama said: "I never dreamed that this series would last as long as seven years. It's a great honor for me as a photographer that so many people have come to look at my work. I think such an exhibition series can't be implemented again. Because this is the final one, I hope people will go to the venue and enjoy engaging with the photos."
The exhibition runs through Oct. 27.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
