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With Bachi
story coming soon
story coming soon
With Kimono
story coming soon
story coming soon
With Bachi and Kimono
story coming soon
story coming soon
"Assimilation" and "Adaptation" are the words that have been coming to my mind often while working on this project lately. "Assimilation" is rather a new word to me. It added some clarity in some of my perspectives.
This taiko (Japanese drum) was hand made with materials from North America. The person who made it explained that such materials that have adapted to the North American environment lasts longer here.
I sense that I tried to assimilate - to be accepted/to be "successful"/etc. Over the time, I realized that this attempt and the expectation I put to myself to assimilate became incongruent with who I am and affected my well being. I am in a process of learning how to adapt to create the harmony within myself and with my surroundings.
You are never alone
The photo is from a peaceful walking path in my community in Japan. I can sense "Omoiyari" in this. A person with Japanese Canadian background (nisei) in Raymond told me Omoiyari was something that her family taught her. I remember her speaking to me in a very gentle manner. "Omoiyari" is a Japanese term of selfless compassion – putting yourself in the shoes of others, and from their perspective anticipating their needs, acting in a way that might make them at ease, happy or comfortable. This term carries cultural and value aspects of Japanese people.
With the water
more description coming soon
Uncovered
The photo shows peeled layers of advertisement on a street pole. It signifies that we all have layers and what's shown on the surface may not show what are deeper in us such as our thoughts, emotions, histories, cultures, etc. Sometimes, we are not aware of such things that are deep in ourselves. I get comments from people who view my photos saying that they can sense the Japanese approach in my photos that I took at various locations. This often surprises me as I have lived outside of Japan for longer than in Japan. I mainly used disposable cameras in Japan. I started to be serious about photography in Canada.
I took this photo in Edmonton, Alberta Canada with a film camera. Near by Whyte Avenue Old Strathcona. Recently, my dad told me that his dad had a darkroom at home. He told me some memories from his youth time related to the darkroom at his home. I do not know much about my grandparents. I would like to explore and experiment using a film camera. This is one of the ways I can perhaps connect.
I took this photo in Edmonton, Alberta Canada with a film camera. Near by Whyte Avenue Old Strathcona. Recently, my dad told me that his dad had a darkroom at home. He told me some memories from his youth time related to the darkroom at his home. I do not know much about my grandparents. I would like to explore and experiment using a film camera. This is one of the ways I can perhaps connect.
The Golden Sea in the Prairie
The landscapes in Southern Alberta have calming effects. Smooth rolling hills with farm animals, plants with various colours, and vast sky. The wind brushes against some taller plants making the movements of plants look like waves of the sea. I want to explore and observe how we relate to the land, how we may feel connected, and feel at home on this land.
Memos from Water II
The unique white lines on the water are not of my writings.
These are the work of the water, stones, and light. I heard that the water stores memory. Just like you and I. This makes me wonder about all the memories the water has stored while interacting with the mountains, rocks, sun, and all the livings including us, humans for numerous years. The water is everywhere – in the air, body, and breaths. Being a part of livings, the water certainly stores the information of all the lives. Do you see these memos from the water with such memories? This photo is from Japanese Garden in Lethbridge. The water perhaps carries memories of people with Japanese background there, too.
These are the work of the water, stones, and light. I heard that the water stores memory. Just like you and I. This makes me wonder about all the memories the water has stored while interacting with the mountains, rocks, sun, and all the livings including us, humans for numerous years. The water is everywhere – in the air, body, and breaths. Being a part of livings, the water certainly stores the information of all the lives. Do you see these memos from the water with such memories? This photo is from Japanese Garden in Lethbridge. The water perhaps carries memories of people with Japanese background there, too.
Taiko Performers
Interactive taiko performance by Marc Vantol and his team. The vibrations I felt all the way to my core were so familiar and reminded me of my childhood back home. I would feel these taiko during our Matsuri(festival) at Obon time where family and friends in our community get together. Obon is the summer event. We honour the spirits of people who have passed away including our ancestors.
Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden
Established during Canada’s Centennial in 1967, Nikka Yuko was built to recognize contributions made by citizens of Japanese ancestry to the multi-cultural community of Lethbridge, Alberta, and as a symbol of international friendship. Its name was created from the Japanese words Ni (from Nihon meaning Japan), ka from Kanada or Canada, and Yuko, which translates as "friendship" to mean “Japan-Canada friendship”. Their vision was to create a Japanesestyle garden that reflected the magnificent mountain and prairie scenery of southern Alberta.
In Japanese garden design philosophy, nature is interpreted through abstract and artistic symbolism, which results in a very intriguing landscape.
-from the website of Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden
In Japanese garden design philosophy, nature is interpreted through abstract and artistic symbolism, which results in a very intriguing landscape.
-from the website of Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden
Reflection
Tea Pavilion overlooking the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden in Lethbridge, Alberta. In front of the pavilion, there is a pond and waterfall.
Learning about the history and culture and getting the opportunity to interact with people at the garden got me wonder what I can do as who I am and what I do. My wish with my work of photography has been that I would like to connect with people through photography.
Learning about the history and culture and getting the opportunity to interact with people at the garden got me wonder what I can do as who I am and what I do. My wish with my work of photography has been that I would like to connect with people through photography.
Roling Hills
Photo taken at Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. These rolling hills reminds me of my home in Japan. It is very soothing and calming to watch. Created and shaped by erosion, Lethbridge and Southern Alberta landscape, coulee, shows unique landscapes. This reminds me of Karst topography back home which was also created by erosion.
Hills
Photo from Akiyoshidai, Yamaguchi, Japan. The unique features of Karst topography back home which was also created by erosion gives me the familiar feelings to seeing the rolling hills in southern Alberta. Growing up, this was the place that I always wanted to go whenever I longed for feeling at ease and peace.
Parents
I moved away from Japan and did not know what the physical distance away from "home" and family will bring me.
My dad is from Tokyo. With my mom, he got a house and moved to the country side of Ibaraki.
Dad does not talk much about his past nor his family. So, I do not know much about them. He worked in Tokyo all his life. He would leave very early in the morning and come back when most of us were in bed. He did not talk about his work at home. Dad still likes visiting Tokyo.
He tells things through his actions more than through talking. When he talks, he talks with his own rhythms and atmosphere using his entire body. That is one of many treasurable moments I can witness.
For the past while, my parents have been the people who I speak in Japanese most frequently with. Nowadays, I notice I use dictionary more often to communicate with them.
I took this photo when my dad took me to Tsukuba mountain in Ibaraki. We could see the Tsukuba city from there. Dad pointed out the paths he drove his bike to get to his work and to visit his favorite places. And he shared his stories- stories during the time I was away from Japan.
My dad is from Tokyo. With my mom, he got a house and moved to the country side of Ibaraki.
Dad does not talk much about his past nor his family. So, I do not know much about them. He worked in Tokyo all his life. He would leave very early in the morning and come back when most of us were in bed. He did not talk about his work at home. Dad still likes visiting Tokyo.
He tells things through his actions more than through talking. When he talks, he talks with his own rhythms and atmosphere using his entire body. That is one of many treasurable moments I can witness.
For the past while, my parents have been the people who I speak in Japanese most frequently with. Nowadays, I notice I use dictionary more often to communicate with them.
I took this photo when my dad took me to Tsukuba mountain in Ibaraki. We could see the Tsukuba city from there. Dad pointed out the paths he drove his bike to get to his work and to visit his favorite places. And he shared his stories- stories during the time I was away from Japan.
Parents
There are many ways that I can feel the culture(s) in me.
I did not notice until I spent sometime away from it.
My mom is from Yamaguchi.
She enjoys going for a walk in nature and traveling. She said that living in Ibaraki had not really felt like being "home". When I was a child, I remember hearing my mom talking with her dialect from Yamaguchi. I liked hearing that dialect. The amount of the Yamaguchi dialect I could hear lessened over the time. Mom could not visit Yamaguchi so often as her kids were young and it was expensive to travel.
When I visited Yamaguchi recently and heard the hotel clerk speaking with Yamaguchi dialect, I felt "home". That was interesting to realize.
I did not notice until I spent sometime away from it.
My mom is from Yamaguchi.
She enjoys going for a walk in nature and traveling. She said that living in Ibaraki had not really felt like being "home". When I was a child, I remember hearing my mom talking with her dialect from Yamaguchi. I liked hearing that dialect. The amount of the Yamaguchi dialect I could hear lessened over the time. Mom could not visit Yamaguchi so often as her kids were young and it was expensive to travel.
When I visited Yamaguchi recently and heard the hotel clerk speaking with Yamaguchi dialect, I felt "home". That was interesting to realize.
Hina Matsuri - Dolls festival
During Hina Matsuri at EJCA, there were many new experiences for me. I saw antique dolls(from pre-war) and ornaments with 7 tiers. I do not remember if I have seen such dolls with 7 tiers in person before. I very much appreciate the opportunity to join and people who have kindly explained me the traditions.
Photo from Iwakuni
"With or without any accent or dialect"
It is not just that I forgot or lost the Japanese language skills. I did not spend as much time as some other people to learn, develop, and practice my Japanese language skills. That's just how it went. It was not my priority. I left Japan when I was a teenager.
Some people have strong accents. Some do not. Some try to learn to have less accent. Some do not. It's just like that, perhaps.
Some people are concerned about their accent, like feeling a sense of shame, shyness, etc. Understandably, such feelings can be coming from unpleasant comments they received or interactions with others relating to their accent. I REALIZED that for me, I felt the sense of shame in that I “lack” Japanese language skills COMPARING to other Japanese adults who grew up in Japan. I do not mind people having any amount of accent. It is more important for me to be able to communicate and have a good sense of their atmosphere -are they calm, kind, stressed, aggressive, sad, happy, respectful, ect. So, how about I approach my Japanese language skill like that? I can give myself the permission to not let my perception of my Japanese skill be a barrier but rather let it be a small part of “character” for myself. I am aware that I have a lot of room to learn in many aspects of my life just like other people.
________
I took this photo in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan. My mom is from Yamaguchi. It was my first time visiting Iwakuni.
I really liked hearing the Yamaguchi dialect.
It is not just that I forgot or lost the Japanese language skills. I did not spend as much time as some other people to learn, develop, and practice my Japanese language skills. That's just how it went. It was not my priority. I left Japan when I was a teenager.
Some people have strong accents. Some do not. Some try to learn to have less accent. Some do not. It's just like that, perhaps.
Some people are concerned about their accent, like feeling a sense of shame, shyness, etc. Understandably, such feelings can be coming from unpleasant comments they received or interactions with others relating to their accent. I REALIZED that for me, I felt the sense of shame in that I “lack” Japanese language skills COMPARING to other Japanese adults who grew up in Japan. I do not mind people having any amount of accent. It is more important for me to be able to communicate and have a good sense of their atmosphere -are they calm, kind, stressed, aggressive, sad, happy, respectful, ect. So, how about I approach my Japanese language skill like that? I can give myself the permission to not let my perception of my Japanese skill be a barrier but rather let it be a small part of “character” for myself. I am aware that I have a lot of room to learn in many aspects of my life just like other people.
________
I took this photo in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan. My mom is from Yamaguchi. It was my first time visiting Iwakuni.
I really liked hearing the Yamaguchi dialect.
Looking for
At around the time when the green grass and shoots start to show up rapidly, I realize myself looking for anything similar to cherry blossoms(Sakura). Cherry blossoms were everywhere in our community back in Japan. To me, it was the symbol of spring, the new season, the new school year, etc. After all those years of not being in Japan during the spring, it is interesting to me that I naturally look for the Sakura every year in Alberta. Any similar sights to Sakura excite me.
Winter Dream
A photo with a film camera taken in southern Alberta.
Galt Museum
I did not know about the Galt Museum until the owner of Nakagama store told me. I did not think I would talk with the owner of Nakagama store until I walked into the store, and my partner unexpectedly asked for the owner of the store to talk with me for my project. I remember feeling a great stress as I was just planning on enjoying the atmosphere of the store but not feeling "ready" to talk with anyone at the store about my project- let alone the owner.... The kind store staff said she would talk with the owner and see if he has the time now. The owner was very kind and spent his busy time of the day talking with us. He suggested that I contact him in June/July and set an appointment. I am so very grateful for all the support.
I did not know about the Galt Museum until the owner of Nakagama store told me. I did not think I would talk with the owner of Nakagama store until I walked into the store, and my partner unexpectedly asked for the owner of the store to talk with me for my project. I remember feeling a great stress as I was just planning on enjoying the atmosphere of the store but not feeling "ready" to talk with anyone at the store about my project- let alone the owner.... The kind store staff said she would talk with the owner and see if he has the time now. The owner was very kind and spent his busy time of the day talking with us. He suggested that I contact him in June/July and set an appointment. I am so very grateful for all the support.
"The four-room school
300 pupils in 1903 used for church on Sunday now the Buddhist church and the historic site"
300 pupils in 1903 used for church on Sunday now the Buddhist church and the historic site"
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