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An icon of photojournalism
An icon of photojournalism
Werner Bischof
January 15, 2026
Silk drying, Kyoto 1951
© Werner Bischof Estate / Magnum Photos
During the 1950s, Werner Bischof travelled the world in a time of turmoil. From the ruins of post-war Europe to occupied Japan, the Magnum photographer focused his lens on people whose everyday lives were marked by loss, hope, and quiet strength.
Leica Camera Japan dedicates three parallel exhibitions to the late photographer's work – displayed at the Leica Gallery Kyoto, Leica Gallery Tokyo, and Leica Gallery Omotesando. The exhibition in Kyoto centres on works created during Bischof's stay in the former imperial capital. Accompanied by Japanese photographer Ihei Kimura, with whom he shared a deep friendship, he created a series of images that capture tradition, tranquility, and a fragile beauty – in Bischof’s words, snapshots of “a time when Japan was not yet Japan.”
In the Tokyo showcase, the focus is on Bischof’s role as a pioneer of modern photojournalism. His photographs from Europe, Japan, and other crisis regions show universal human experiences that transcend cultural and geographical boundaries.
The presentation at the Leica Gallery Omotesando – titled Showa by Bischof – delves deeper into the photographer’s impressions of Japan during the Allied occupation, and invites visitors to reflect on the country’s reorientation from a historical vantage point.
The presentations in Kyoto and Tokyo can be viewed from January 17 to April 19, 2026, while the showcase Showa by Bischof at the Leica Gallery Omotesando continues until March 3.
David RojkowskiLeica Camera Japan dedicates three parallel exhibitions to the late photographer's work – displayed at the Leica Gallery Kyoto, Leica Gallery Tokyo, and Leica Gallery Omotesando. The exhibition in Kyoto centres on works created during Bischof's stay in the former imperial capital. Accompanied by Japanese photographer Ihei Kimura, with whom he shared a deep friendship, he created a series of images that capture tradition, tranquility, and a fragile beauty – in Bischof’s words, snapshots of “a time when Japan was not yet Japan.”
In the Tokyo showcase, the focus is on Bischof’s role as a pioneer of modern photojournalism. His photographs from Europe, Japan, and other crisis regions show universal human experiences that transcend cultural and geographical boundaries.
The presentation at the Leica Gallery Omotesando – titled Showa by Bischof – delves deeper into the photographer’s impressions of Japan during the Allied occupation, and invites visitors to reflect on the country’s reorientation from a historical vantage point.
The presentations in Kyoto and Tokyo can be viewed from January 17 to April 19, 2026, while the showcase Showa by Bischof at the Leica Gallery Omotesando continues until March 3.
© Werner Bischof Estate / Magnum Photos
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Born in 1916, Bischof studied at the Vocational Art School in Zurich from 1932 to 1936. In 1939 he travelled to Paris to become a painter; when the war broke out he returned to Switzerland to do two years of military service. As of 1942 he worked as a photographer for the Swiss magazine Du. As of 1945 he documented post-war Europe, becoming a member of Magnum Photos in 1949. He worked for international magazines. He spent six months in India in 1951, followed by a year in Japan with some interruptions. 1952 he became a war correspondent for Paris Match, travelling to Indochina, India, Ceylon. 1953 he spent four months in the USA, travelling from New York to Mexico City in 1954. After that he went to Panama, Santiago de Chile and Lima on assignment for Magnum and Life. On May 16, 1954, Bischof had a fatal accident when his car plunged into a ravine in the Peruvian Andes. More
Silk drying, Kyoto 1951
© Werner Bischof Estate / Magnum Photos
Meiji Shrine, 1951
© Werner Bischof Estate / Magnum Photos
Reporters covering the Korean War, Kaesong 1952
© Werner Bischof Estate / Magnum Photos