Pacific Exposures: Australian and Japanese Photographic Connections Since the Late Nineteenth Century

This project reveals the historical importance of photography as a medium of cultural connection between Australia and Japan. Amateurs and professionals from both countries have long used their cameras as interpretive instruments to define the foreign encounter. Decades before the rupture of the Pacific War of 1941-45, travelling photographers helped bridge the cultural and geographical distance between Australia and Japan. In the aftermath of military conflict, and since the normalisation of bilateral relations in the 1950s, photography has facilitated mutual understanding, diplomacy and trade. The project examines photography's role in their shared cultural history, and how it continues to shape Australia's engagement with Japan today.