As visual culture evolves, we remain committed to recording what is real.
Photography, for us, is a practice of presence, context, and accountability.

Our History

Photography as practice. Photography as possibility. Photography in society.

1. The Beginning — Hiroshima Women’s Camera Club (2011)

In October 2011, Mariko Akimoto founded the Hiroshima Women’s Camera Club in Saeki Ward, Hiroshima. The initial group consisted of five members.

The objective was not merely technical improvement, but the exploration of photography’s potential.

• Refining sensitivity through visual practice
• Discovering overlooked perspectives
• Communicating ideas and emotions through photography
• Transforming images into wearable and printed forms

The community grew to over 200 registered members and organized exhibitions, workshops, and public events.

Photography was treated not only as artwork, but as a medium for expression, connection, and social engagement.

2. Professional Development (2017–2019)

In 2017, five photographers established the “Photo Communication Lab.” A renovated atelier opened in Yokogawa, Hiroshima, serving as a space for workshops and professional activities.

In 2018, Studio Tales was launched as a photography service based in Saeki Ward.

In 2019, Mariko relocated to Okinawa for a collaborative business initiative and launched the Earth Photo Project.

During this period, activities expanded into professional fields including:

• Wedding photography
• Event documentation
• Portrait photography
• Exhibition planning

3. Exhibitions and Public Engagement

Major exhibitions and projects include:

• Hiroshima Women’s Camera Club Photo Exhibitions
• Panasonic Gallery Exhibition
• 70th Anniversary Hiroshima Reconstruction Photo Exhibition
• Community-based collaborative exhibitions
• 2023: Art Furoshiki Exhibition at Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris

Additional initiatives include thematic photo events, cultural documentation projects, and public seminars.

4. Media Coverage

Featured in:

• RCC Radio (multiple appearances)
• Hiroshima Television
• TSS Television Shin-Hiroshima
• NHK Radio
• The Chugoku Shimbun (regional newspaper, multiple features)
• Spanish magazine SHIBUMI

These appearances reflect recognition of photography as a social and cultural practice.

5. Integration and Present Direction (2025–)

In 2025, Hiroshima Women’s Camera Club, Studio Tales, and Earth Photo Project were integrated into a unified platform.

Today, Studio Tales works across Japan and France as the creative production unit of Promos Japan Co., Ltd.

Core activities include:

• Photography and portrait production
• Editorial and trilingual content production
• Web production and digital documentation
• Cultural and spatial documentation, including 360° photography
• Production support for exhibitions and international creative projects

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Network

Operating Entity

Studio Tales is the creative production unit of Promos Japan Co., Ltd., a Japanese company planning and operating international cultural and creative projects connecting Japan and France.

Within this network, Studio Tales provides photography, editorial production, trilingual content, web production, and visual documentation for projects developed by Promos Japan.

Projects and Platforms

• The Human Light Archive
  — A photography and editorial project documenting people and their creative and professional activities through photographs and articles.
• YOUR STORY
  — An international creative network connecting artists, photographers, and creative people through online galleries, exhibitions, projects, and collaborations.
• PROMOSJAPAN.Media
  — An international cultural media platform introducing Japanese culture, people, places, and creative activities to audiences outside Japan.

Collaborative Project

• Coligny Paris Human Light
  — An international portrait project developed in partnership with Paris-based photographer Gérard Harten.

Studio Tales is founded and directed by Mariko Akimoto.