If the objective of photographic portraiture is to depict a person in their entirety, isn't it natural the photographer would ask them to strip naked?

If you're nodding in agreement now — and if you have no plans this Friday night — then put this down in your diary: "Naked Tokyo," a one-night only exhibition to be held at SuperDeluxe in Roppongi on June 26.

The exhibition is organized by the Naked Tokyo Collective, a group of Japanese and foreign photographers led by Canadian Tim Porter. These unshy shutterbugs apparently believe that no items of clothing should be allowed to come between a camera and its subject, and since 2002 they've been trying to do something about it. As they say on their Web site, their occasional "Naked Tokyo" exhibitions aim to "explode and expand standard assumptions of portraiture by focusing on self-portraiture, sex, eroticism and anonymous nudity."

To that end, the upcoming exhibition includes around 50 images of men and women in various states of undress. Some are sexy, some are shocking. Others contain nudity that isn't really nudity at all, unless you count the variety that exists only in the mind of the beholder.

Another explanation of the exhibition's appeal is included in the show's press release: "Cross-cultural eroticism, supercharged sexuality, gender issues, ironic orientalism, political incorrectness, bad taste and a sense of humor are all highly encouraged."

"Naked Tokyo" starts from 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26, at Super Deluxe, Tokyo. Admission is ¥1,000. Details at www.super-deluxe.com