Zen Foto

Small and friendly gallery

Part of my resolution for living in Japan was to integrate myself more with Japanese events and activities. It was really intimidating to me at first, especially because my Japanese isn't the best. But Zen Foto is a great place to start. The main purpose of Zen is to exhibit photography. Every few months, they will change out their exhibits and feature a new photographer. The space is tiny--it's pretty much just one room--but it makes it very intimate. My favorite part of Zen is the opening parties. Every time they have a new exhibition, there is an opening. You can just show up and mingle. You don't need to "know the photographer" or even the scene. There's free food and drink and everyone is so friendly. If you are interested in photography, Zen Foto is a great place to network and meet local and expat photographers. Everyone is genuinely interested in helping you improve your photography and talking about gear. There's no snooty people so don't worry and just have fun!