Ninety years of riveting Japanese photography and its big names are showcased at the Shanghai Art Museum. Subjects range from the harsh post-World War II reality to surreal and individualistic works, writes Wang Jie.A panorama of Japanese photography in the 20th century, including master works, is exhibited at the Shanghai Art Museum.The show documents the evolution of photography from 1920 till today. It features the works of 113 artists, including figures in world photography, such as Ueda Shoji, Moriyama Daido, Sugimoto Hiroshi and Narahara Ikko.Their seminal works have led stylistic evolutions in photography in Japan. The show is divided into three periods: 1920-50, 1950-75 and 1975-2007."Visitors will find the analogies and differences in culture, society and the way the camera is used in China and Japan," says Xiao Xiaolan, curator of the exhibit.Most are shot in black and white, and reflect a complicated social psychology.Hatukeyama Naoya's "Another Mountain" (2005) features several tiny colored dots in a vast whiteness. They represent human figures climbing a snow-capped mountain, tiny specs in the great scheme of things.A highlight is Onodera Yuki's "Annular Eclipse, Horse" (2007). The huge photo captures the silhouette of a rearing horse and a woman in high heels, standing on a mirrored surface and backlit fireworks and a dazzling sky.Some photos leave space for the imagination. Take "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not." A young man in women's clothes and makeup is lying on a bed, his eyes perplexed. Viewers can almost hear the murmurs from "her" mouth."The development of Japanese photography reflects the changes in society," Xiao says. "For example, they switched from the documentary focus of harsh reality after the World War II to a more individual humanistic angle. Clearly these pictures are stamped with the Japanese aesthetic."