(photo courtesy of Japan Foundation)

The Japan Foundation is presenting the photo exhibition “Metamorphosis of Japan After the War”. The exhibition will include the work of 11 photographers who captured images of postwar Japan from 1945 to 1964. The exhibition takes place at the West Los Angeles College Art Gallery from Friday, June 12 through July 11.

In 1945, Japan made a new start as a defeated and devastated country after World War II. However, after approximately 20 years, the nation’s society, economy and culture underwent dramatic transformations. The 11 photographers were each active in the period of dramatic upheaval. Their work records the transformation of society, and many of the photographs that they took are significant from an artistic perspective in addition to being important records.

The photographers selected are Ken Domon, perhaps the best-known Japanese photographer of the 20th century, Ihee Kimura, Hiroshi Hamaya, Tadahiko Hayashi, Shigeichi Nagano, Ikko Narahara, Kikuji Kawada, Shomei Tomatsu, Yasuhiro Ishimoto and Eikoh Hosoe and Takeyoshi Tanuma.

The West Los Angeles College Art Gallery is located at 9000 Overland Ave. For information, visit www.jflalc.org.