Hamaya Hiroshi (1915-1999) was one of Japan’s most important photographers. Tracing the footprints of this genius, who was active both before and after World War II, this exhibition concentrates on Hamaya’s early work. In addition to the unforgettable series Yukiguni (Snow Land) and Ura-nihon (Japan’s Back Coast), which documented the vigorous lifestyles of people living in severe environmental conditions, the exhibition, consisting of some 200 works, also features Hamaya’s early pictures of modern Tokyo from the 1930s, and Gakugei syoka (Portraits of Scholars and Artists), a series of portraits of cultural figures from different fields such as art, literature, and anthropology.