The Spring 2014 VAOJ Student Photo Exhibition has begun! Check out the prints in the CIE lounge. And you can check out more of the students' work below. Please scroll down to see all 20 projects (projects are presented in random order). Both print and on-line exhibition run May 16-23. Comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.
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The Way of Tea
Catherine Lambert
This project on the Way of Tea, or sadô, is rooted in Japanese culture. Throughout this project, I have tried to grasp the feeling and understanding of Japanese culture by researching on and experiencing the Way of Tea. My Japanese host family, who is involved in this practice, made this project possible. I came to have special access to precious knowledge and unique experiences at both Daitokuji temple and Nijô jo in Kyoto. Far from being easy as it might look from an outsider’s point of view, sadô is very complex and filled with gestures of precision and strict behavior models to be followed. The amount and extent of knowledge related to the numerous but precious objects used during the tea ceremony exceed imagination and are continuously perfected by participants. Yet, complexity contrasts with simplicity, peace of mind and harmony of human relations.
See more: http://s1067.photobucket.com/user/catoulapuce/library/The%20Way%20of%20Tea
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Riverbed
George Foster Pearson
Rivers have a strange relationship with the world we live in today. They are one of the more stubborn forces of nature; they cannot be easily altered or destroyed (as a tree can be cut down) without the consequence of disastrous flooding. Ergo, they cut through the most urban, industrial, and thickly-developed areas indiscriminately. Centuries ago rivers were essential to the community and living; compared with then their utility is now limited. Trucks have replaced boats carrying cargo, and power-plants have long since replaced water-powered mills. And yet, on a different and more personal level, rivers still maintain a special and equally important usefulness in Japan. In a country where nearly everything seems to be crammed together in the smallest space possible, riverbeds provide a refuge to the community in large, flat, relatively open spaces. Friends and couples have a quiet place away from the home to spend time together and chat. Kids have a place to play sports after school, and old men spend all day fishing. I photographed the Yodo, Uji, Kizu, and Neya rivers, as well as many other smaller rivers and streams, from the mountainous northern Kyoto to the industrial Osaka bay. My goal was to visually document the interaction and complex relationship between the Japanese and their rivers.
Print display only.
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わびさび
Nina Goldman
For this project I sought to explore the concept of wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic that emphasizes finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence. I interviewed a range of Japanese people in an attempt to understand wabi-sabi through their eyes. These interviewees ranged in age from college students to retirees, and they came from not only Kyoto and Osaka but also Okayama, Nagano, and more. While some held professions related to traditional Japanese culture, including a calligrapher, tea-shop owner, and ryokan manager, others were engineers, musicians, and homemakers. The common denominator here is that when I asked, "What is wabi-sabi?" they all responded with some variation on "難しい！" or "That's difficult!" However, when I asked for a suggestion of what to photograph in order to visually depict wabi-sabi, they had a much easier time answering. It was with these suggestions in mind that I took the photos for this project.
See more: http://wabisabinoshashin.tumblr.com/
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Dog Goes Woof: What Does My House Say? Pets and Work in Japanese Homes
Molly Dyer
During my stay with my host family, my family has a more unique situation than other Japanese families. It is normal to see maybe 1 or 2 pets in a family, if they choose, but my host family proudly owns around 10 dogs. Along with this more than typical number of pets, my host mother is also a pet breeder, where she brings her work into our home everyday. Through this project, I wanted to highlight two points from within my host home. First, I wanted to show the sort of lifestyle it’s like to have so many pets living with the family each day. Second, I wanted to show the sort of work my host mother brings into our home each day. Since she works a good majority of the day inside the house, there are different and amazing situations, from pet grooming to the birth of animals, that can occur. Pets and animals bring my host mother a great amount of joy and stress relief, where the passion about her lifestyle influenced me to focus on the amazing work she accomplishes.
See more: http://s621.photobucket.com/user/cheezer87/library/Dog%20Goes%20Woof
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Mini Japan
Nicole Purpora
Mini Japan, a collection of thirty six photographs shot with miniature polaroid film, presents not only my experiences in Japan over the course of four months, showing Japan though my eyes, but a deeper meaning as well. Back in my hometown in New York, USA, when people are asked how they feel about their home state or country, the response is not always a positive one. My objective was to, along with photographs of my time in Japan, ask some of the Japanese I encountered, “What does Japan mean to you?” Some of their answers were genuine, but others thought too long or hard about the “perfect” answer. They no longer gave a genuine response but rather a response that they might have though was expected of them. Through my photographs I want to not only show Japan on a much smaller scale, but also show a Japan that is accompanied by the country’s people and their impressions of their home.
Print display only.
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トラキチ "Torakichi" - "Hanshin Tigers Fans"
Dustin Clark
To be "Torakichi" is more than just crazy outfits and uniforms. To have the utmost loyalty to the Hanshin Tigers Baseball team is to truly be a "Torakichi". Being with them to the bitter end, win or lose, rain or shine, knowing every song and making every game your career allows you. This loyalty, respect and honor seems to be rooted in many Japanese traditions. These cultural aspects have been apart of the Japanese for many centuries and has now taken form within the fan base of the Hanshin Tigers. This has helped create "Torakichi".
See more: http://s1290.photobucket.com/user/djclark2/library/#/user/djclark2/library/?sort=9&page=1&_suid=13989191313400011476322119738646
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The Shaku- what?
A Brief Study of Japanese Traditional Instruments
Briana Buchholtz
Because I major in Music Education in America, I wanted to find a way to maintain my studies while in Japan. This project helped me do just that. I was extremely curious about Japanese traditional instruments and even more so in how they were being used today. With only a few exceptions, most people practice these arts in the same traditional way, in order to keep it alive. My subjects had varied answers as to why they enjoy playing, such as wanting to teach it to international students, or because it was habit, but most of them mentioned that when they play, they feel Japanese. They feel happy. I hope that this is demonstrated in my collection of photos.
See more: http://s1283.photobucket.com/user/mirrorbutterfly/library/A%20brief%20study%20of%20Japanese%20traditional%20instruments
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花見? Flower Viewing?
Chan Lok Tung
It is obvious to me that sakura (cherry blossom) has a very important place in Japanese culture. In spring, the most popular celebration and social event seems to be hanami (flower viewing). When it comes to hanami, there is a certain image established, which involves people sitting under sakura, feasting and having fun. However, for this project, I would like to show that hanami is much more than just that. Go into a local community and you can find many different amazing activities that people do to celebrate the beauty of sakura, and more importantly, spring, the season of life.
See more: https://plus.google.com/photos/109132330297900866198/albums/6008529867353509489?authkey=CNvLuLKck-K3CA
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Kendo and Japanese Tradition
Nobu Shioyama
My project is about Kendo. I try to illustrate kendo objects, rules and mentalities. Kendo is a traditional Japanese martial art like karate. Kendo was a training method for Samurai, but it has grown to include mental training like Bushido. This is today's Kendo. I hope audience are interested in Kendo and feel Samurai Spirit.
See more: http://s1048.photobucket.com/user/Nobu_Shioyama/slideshow/
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Full Contact: Sumo in Japan
Hillary Osborne
My project focuses on the sport of Sumo wresting in Japan. The photos in my gallery are arranged in the order in which a typical Sumo wrestling bout takes place. I wanted to show not only the wrestling bouts themselves, but also the process surrounding the bout which involves more than just the wrestlers. I tried to capture the most important parts of the process, though some were difficult to get without a camera capable of high speed functionality. However, I am overall satisfied with the quality and kinds of shots I was able to take. I hope that anyone who looks at my photos is able to see and understand the sequence of a Sumo match.
See more: http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/hosborne2/library/Full%20Contact%20Sumo%20in%20Japan
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"Wandering Near Gion"
Jade Hodge
Through my images I wanted to capture my struggles, adventures and fun of traveling through the Gion area of Kyoto. I focused on temples and areas that contribute to Kyoto’s quaintness. I also feel like through my photographs, I embodied a collection of images in a random order and this randomness represents the movement of my eyes because as I journeyed through Kyoto, I would stop and look at other things that also gave off an ancient feel. My intentions were to display how one can still see the beauty of Kyoto even when one is lost. The prefecture blinded my eyes with beautiful greenery and ancient images that captured my vision and never let it go. I portrayed that beauty and quaintness work together as if they were synonyms.
See more: http://s1375.photobucket.com/user/jade2009/slideshow/Visual%20Anthropology%20Class?sort=3
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Robo Japan?
Linda Gorman
Robots play an important role in Japan, in terms of both pop culture and the economy. For my project I wanted to learn more about this topic by observing and photographing some of Japan’s most famous robots in action. To accomplish this, I went to a variety of locations, including the Miraikan Museum on Odaiba Island, several robotics stores in Akihabara, and the Toyota Commemorative Museum in Nagoya. A few highlights included an adorable therapeutic robotic pet seal, Toyota’s massive automotive welding robots, and a demo of the humanoid Asimo robot’s dancing skills. I expanded my research by having conversations with a variety of people, including the proud owners of a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner and a journalist who has been reporting on Japanese robots for over five years. In my research into the topic, I’ve only noticed one reaI consistency -- in general, robots tend to produce a strong reaction in those who encounter them, whether it be admiration, discomfort, or something slightly more complicated. After getting to see quite a few robots for myself, I can see why. In the most advanced robots, we can see just a little bit of ourselves reflected.
See more: http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/lggorman/library/
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Fan's Support: The Eye-Catchers
Riina Jordan
I took photos of Japanese fans at pop concerts with the focus on their ways to be seen and their love for the artist. Whether is it cosplay, uchiwa-fans or eye-catching clothes, the goal is to show their support and to get noticed by the artist at the concert. Getting to know people and meeting new friends on the way is a bonus!
See more: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124275583@N07/sets/72157644047150918/
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UFO Catcher
Pichaya Sadudeechevin
This project is very fun. I took a lot of photos in many game centers, mainly in Namba, Shinsaibashi, and Nipponbashi. One challenge was that some game centers did not allow photography. But I could find other game centers where I could take photographs. I took many shots of claw crane machine itself, overview of the game center, the attractive prizes, and the most important thing which is the facial expression of players. It is so interesting to capture their faces during playing this game. The players had never realized about that until they saw their photos. Everyone laughed at their photos and asked “Are we too serious about this game?”
See more: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124053959@N02/sets/72157644439674763/
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PURIKURA: The Artificial Beauty of Japan
Esther Lam
Photobooths first appeared in the United States before they were brought over to Japan. Today, you can see PURIKURA photo booths almost in every game centre in Japan, a mark of its popularity among the Japanese people. These machines were also used to propagate "Kawaii" culture, with the features of automatic Photoshop and decorative computer stickers. In my project, I aim to focus more on the users of the machine instead of the machine itself. I put my photos in a "step by step" order, such that the flow of viewing my photos would be smooth. I hope users of PURIKURA machines can be more self aware and realize that taking PURIKURAS create only superficial beauty.
See more: http://s63.photobucket.com/user/esthercoolcookies1/library/?
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Japanese Service
Mako Sakitani
Japan is one of the countries which have great qualities of service in the world. The reason why I choose this topic is because I realized that it is not natural to receive good service when I saw foreigners were surprised at Japanese quality of service. Then, I decided to research on Japanese service and divided into two parts. In the first part of the project, I focused on Japanese technical service including useful machines or devices for people to live comfortably. In the second part, I researched on Japanese service offered by people.
See more: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124344946@N08/
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“Kimono in Kyoto”
Azusa Yamazaki
I searched for Japanese people who wore kimono in public on a normal day. This project was conducted through fieldwork and interviews in Kyoto. Most of the people wore kimono cosplay for the first time. There are several reasons why they decided to wear kimono. It is to make a special memory with best friend, to be inspired from people who enjoy kimono cosplay or to adjust into the atmosphere in Kyoto as much as possible. They hesitated or became shy when they received attention from other people at the beginning, but they gradually got used to that situation. Nobody regretted to do kimono cosplay and they spent a really good time in Kyoto. The most interesting point was that they definitely went to a couple of shrines or temples in Kyoto and ate Japanese foods like *odango*. Actually they didn’t know how they explain what Japanese culture is.
See more: http://s1375.photobucket.com/user/azup_qsa/library/?sort=2&page=1
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庭
Flora and Dooryard Gardens in Suburban Japan
Emily Scholz
My project shows the relationship between suburban Japan and nature, focusing on the greenery created through human influence, as well as the natural flora of the suburbs. My motivation for choosing this topic stemmed from my almost daily walk to class through a Japanese neighborhood known as 山本ハイツ (Yamamoto Heights). I noticed while strolling through, that where the foliage is sparse, Japanese homeowners create a green space through the use of potted plants as well as roadside trees and bushes. The amount of yard space is very little, leading to a phenomenon known as dooryard gardens. This idea is not uniquely Japanese, but is deeply rooted in the Japanese suburban lifestyle following the industrialization of post-WWII Japan. However, rather than focusing solely on these small gardens, I also explored the little natural green space that is available, and how homeowners utilize it. Through my research, I have found that greenery in Japanese suburbs is a topic that is scarcely documented, and because of this I would like to shed light on it through this photo project.
See more: http://fotologue.jp/emilyscholz/#/15469560/15471573
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Mottainai
Makiko Tsujimoto
My project is the Japanese mottainai spirit. Mottainai means that things are wasted and not used as much as they should be. When we say mottainai, we think we have to treat things with more care and gratitude. For this project, I conducted a literature review, talked with an old man at flea market and went to my hometown to find something related to mottainai. Through these methods, I felt that the word mottainai tends to be used when people do not want to lose something, especially among young people in the present. Also, I thought that each person had mottainai spirit before, though mottainai has become a social movement, boom, event or even performance now.
See more: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124279905@N08/
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Proprietors of Hirakata
Edward Byrom
Having lived in Hirakata for nine months now, and preferring the local scene to many places in Osaka, I have become friends with many of the local bar owners here. I`ve got to know their personalities, their friends and customers, their hobbies. I started this project as a way to increase the relationship between the local businesses and students of Kansai Gaidai, both exchange and domestic. By showing these proprietors, I hope that their personalities will shine through, and help to bring more people to these small bars and restaurants, and to increase integration between Kansai Gaidai and the rest of Hirakata.
See more: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oxford2osaka/sets/72157644072733130/
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