ブンピカ写真部

Bunpika Photography Club

On the campus of Kyoto University, inside the East Building of the Faculty of Letters, there is a mysterious room where the door is always open and the walls are covered with flyers and graffiti. This is the student lounge of the Faculty of Letters, commonly known as Bunpika.
The room, used since an unknown time, does not restrict who can use it based on student registration or social status. Some drop by to smoke, others to draw or practice theater. Occasionally, someone cooks a hotpot or serves coffee.
Despite seeming unorganized, there appears to be a shared awareness of maintaining the space. On the front of Bunpika, the words "Carry through self-management" are boldly written. They were written immediately after the room, which had been closed once in 1992, was reclaimed.

In 2025, Bunpika was asked to vacate within the academic year. However, the number of people gathering there never decreased; on the contrary, the ways in which it was used seemed to expand. Club events were held, and people even took activities outside to the courtyard for Bon dances. As a result of the gathering of people, the threat of eviction was overcome, allowing this exhibition to take place.

Even in a society that allows no room for deviation, Bunpika has continued to exist for decades. As a hangout for various people, this place has survived in ever-changing forms, and this record captures its present state.