I began by asking Taous about the idea behind the show and how photography can offer a different perspective on Japan's history.

I've dedicated my entire academic career and exhibition-making career to making sure missing chapters of photo histories were told.

And a few years ago, I encountered that book published by Aperture and was really in awe of the incredible research and dedication of the many people who are in- were involved in making that book.

And when I joined The Photographers' Gallery in September '25, one of the very first project I pitched was, um, exactly that, dedicating our entire gallery, um, the three floors, the outdoor space, um, where we sort of celebrating Mika Ninagawa, to Japanese women photographers, not because I think we need to do shows based on gender and nationality, but because I think those are unknown parts of photo history, and it is our role at the gallery to make sure that we provide a sort of complete, inclusive, and diverse history of that medium.

Well, we could talk about this for many hours, but [laughs] I might just, um, wrap up by asking you, Tahers, uh, and, and Tomoko, y- you, what do you feel the kind of, um, state of contemporary photography is for, you know, when we're talking about female photographers in Japan at the moment? And who are the names that are really exciting you, and do you think that this, um, this show will be an inspiration? And also, are there movements and, and, and collectives that are kind of helping the, that trajectory develop?

Yeah.

Um, I think a little bit like the history of feminism that came in waves and in different iteration.

It's the little bit of the same thing with the interest in women photographers worldwide.