Southern Crust: Japanese Snapper-Baker Not Loafing Around To Make Dough From Bread Down Under

Photographer and baker Kazuaki Ono has combined his dual talents to create the Southern Crust exhibition at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan in Marunouchi until Oct. 31.

Southern Crust showcases signature loaves from remarkable Australian bakeries that Ono photographs in iconic locations across Australia from Bondi Beach to Brighton Bathing Boxes. He’ll give a reception and talk show at the FCCJ tonight (Oct. 7) to detail his remarkable story, which includes operating Akipan, a bakery in Sydney offering super soft Japanese bread, since 2023.

“Running Akipan as both the owner and head baker has given me a unique perspective, balancing the creativity of photography with the craftsmanship of breadmaking. Just as the Australian-born flat white has become part of the coffee culture worldwide, I believe Australian bakery culture is developing in a unique way,” Ono told the FCCJ.

Ono is spot on. When I was young, most Australians ate mainly white, mass-produced bread from the likes of Tip Top, and even wholemeal loaves were bland. Local bakeries popped up and added a little richer flavor though remained centered on white bread until finally European-influenced bread full of nuts and grains started to catch on and cuisine became more adventurous. Now, a bakery seems to have arisen in just about every nook and cranny across the country to produce its own speciality and form a core of its community. It’s that kind of bakery that Ono appears to have focused on for his exhibition.