This was the 17th exhibition spotlighting works by members of the Tokyo Illustrators Society (TIS). The exhibition’s theme was “SMILE,” with 178 members participating. The show took place not long after Japan, in extremely difficult circumstances after the Great East Japan Earthquake, found joy in happy events in the worlds of music and sports. Now it was time to pause and take succor from the world of illustration. A total of 178 smiles were created – from sneers of skepticism to uncontrollable belly laughs.