Dear Japanese: Children of war by Miyuki Okuyama
The Netherlands made contact with the Indonesian archipelago in the 16th century. Over three hundred years of contact with the Dutch gave rise to a population of Indo-Europeans—Dutch citizens sharing both European and Asian ancestry. With the introduction of Dai-Toa Kyoeiken (The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere) and under the pretext of freeing Asia from European power, Japan attacked and occupied the Netherlands East Indies in 1942… Read More
Japan; Sumo School by Daniel Ali
Earlier this year I travelled to a sleepy fishing town called Nou on the north coast of Japan to learn about sumo culture and the training it takes to become a champion in Japan’s most notorious martial art. With the journey taking me across country through the Japanese Alps exchanging modern bullet trains for clunky local trains it felt as if I couldn’t be any further from the dazzling lights on the streets of Tokyo… Read More
Landscapes of Japan by Jun Pagalilauan
Jun Pagalilauan is Filipino Architect based in Singapore. His intrinsic passion in fine arts depicts the fiber of his works through his lens. His recent international recognitions was granted by ND Awards, London in 2017 for 2nd Place Architecture- Interior and Honorable Mentions for Architectural Exterior, Nature-Fine Art, Nature-Landscape, Architecture-Cityscape and Portraits-People. The Epson Pano Awards for 2017 Bronze Awardee, Black and White Spider Awards 2017 Nominee for Architecture, Fine Art and People… Read More
Just a trip – Japan by Andreas Theologitis
Andreas Theologitis is a master of photographic form. Like a magician, he sculpts the naked female body and paints with his photo brush views from the cities he visits. In these works he goes back to his well-known quest of shapes in black and white, where he originally started from quite some years ago. This time the spark comes from his recent travels in remote, distinctive Japan. As Andreas wanders through the cities, he reconstructs his surroundings through the eyes of his other self, the architect. He presents the built-up areas like a transitional space which is interrupted and confused by wires, tracks and disturbances of all sorts… Read More
Japanese Vending Machines by Douglas Edward Caplan
This project explores the colorful world of Japanese vending machines. Japan has 5.52 million vending machines spread across the country. With a population of 127 million people, that’s about 23 people for each vending machine. Each year 6.95 trillion yen (US$65 billion) is spent on vending machine purchases in Japan. Japan is a culture like no other. Traditions are honored and conformity is expected. But while cultural shifts are changing the attitudes of younger generations in particular, Japanese vending machines continue to thrive and serve as emblematic reminders of the conformity and the convenience that is central to Japanese culture. There is virtually nowhere in Japan that can offer escape from vending machines. They simply exist. They are efficient and reliable. They are colorful and inviting. I find them elegant… Read More
Japan culture : Traditional Culture by Ryoken Nishimura
There are countless traditional cultures in Japan, from large to small. Most of them are held at events such as shrines and festivals. This work was taken in a small part of Japan. However, there are many traditional cultures in this area alone, and people continue to protect it. Even in the inconspicuous local towns of Japan, there are traditions that are handed down to the unknown. I decided to create this work because I wanted more people to know the tradition and the existence of people living there. Japan is currently experiencing a number of problems due to the declining birthrate and aging population. One of them is the inheritance of traditional culture to the younger generation… Read More
Japanese Aquariums by George Nobechi
Japanese Aquariums is a journey into some of my oldest, most treasured childhood memories. Whenever I visited my grandparents in the small, northern Japanese city of Otaru, my grandfather, a high school teacher and an enormous influence in my life, would take me to the aquarium. We would observe the slow “flight” of the sea turtles, the cruising sharks and the alien-like appearance of jellyfish. Particularly memorable were the dynamic dolphin and sea lion shows set to the popular rock music of the time. I was blissfully unaware of the moral dilemmas of keeping mammals in captivity… Read More
History and traditions; Japan by Pascal Mannaerts
Japan fascinates its visitors with unexpectedly beautiful landscapes, charmingly courteous people and its tangible sense of history and cherished traditions. Few will be able to resist the chance to get to grips with its mysterious yet tantalizing culture that blurs the traditional boundaries between East and West. Japan is unique, neither wholly one nor the other. Welcome to Japan, welcome to another dimension!… Read More
Japan Within, Home: Capturing Quiet Moments of Intimacy and Timelessness in Michael Sela’s Photography
Over the years, my camera became more and more a way of pausing. not to explain the world, or set an opinion, but to create a space and step quietly within it. This project, Japan Within, Home, Started 5 years ago, when my travels in Japan ended and my life in Japan began. Is a deep dive yet quiet exploration into the Japanese comfort zone, Inspired by the ideas of wabi, soft light, and timelessness…Read More
Shinji Ichikawa : The essence
I was born to a family who ran a photo studio; thus, I was raised in an environment surrounded by photography. The town where I was born and grew up is famous as the spot where Japanese spirits would come to gather from all over the country in the tenth month of the old calendar. Growing up in a place like that, I am powerfully drawn to the world of the surreal, to things that are mysterious and out of ordinary. Japan is reputedly home to innumerable spirits, known as kami, and it is believed that these spirits inhabit all sorts of entities. Sensing the truth of this, I sometimes find that the people and things I encounter are difficult to approach, catching my attention as they exude something of this unseen world… Read More
