Still in Motion

“Still in Motion”
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Date: April 2026
Photographer: Neal Zhang
Affiliation: Undergraduate Student
Home Country: China
Category: People
2026 International Photography Exhibition

“During the final days of cherry blossom season in Kyoto, I watched a maiko perform at Hyatt Regency Kyoto. I took this photograph while she was dancing, not only to preserve a moment from my trip, but also because it made me think about how local traditions continue to live in modern Japan. What stayed with me was that the performance did not feel like something preserved only in the past. Through movement, dress, and practice, tradition was still being performed in the present."