Exhibition

Land of Clouds
Photo exhibition by Stirling Elmendorf

July 7 - Aug. 3, 2018

Stirling Elmendorf is a professional photographer who has lived in Japan for almost 10 years. He has worked internationally for architects, designers, hotels, magazines, newspapers, camera companies and lens makers alike. He began photographing the beauty of Shimane prefecture nearly 8 years ago...

Shimane Prefecture is a magical place. It's the cultural birthplace of Japan, home of many Shinto mythologies. My travels to Shimane began when I met my wife Kumiko, who was born in Izumo. I was captivated by the bucolic scenery, the rich, legend-filled cultural traditions and the dramatic and powerful Japan Sea coastline. The mix of modern lifestyles and ancient history is a delightful contrast.

After winning the Gran Prixe in a 2015 short film contest, Kumi and I became Izumo City Tourism Ambassadors. Since then, we have made an effort to travel back to Shimane, shooting stills and doing aerial (drone) photography in captivating locations around the prefecture and especially within Izumo.

DAYS OF LIGHT
Photo Exhibition by Peter Oxley

June 2 - July 6, 2018

Saigon
Photo exhibition by Megumi Asaoka

April 28 - June 1, 2018 FCCJ Main Bar

The first time I visited Saigon was in 2003 and I have returned a number of times since to photograph the city and its people. It has been a period of transition for this war-torn country. Buildings are on the rise with the Doi Moi (new change) Policy. It is particularly evident in the area around Ho Chi Minh City, which has been going through a major facelift. With a blank map, I traveled on the local buses and walked through the different communities. The area across the river was soon to disappear. Houses were falling into decay as tropical plants sought to reclaim the land. I could not stop from taking photographs. Everywhere corner I turned there was something that needed to be preserved on film before it was lost. Physically, much has changed since I first started traveling Ho Chi Minh, however many of its residences still refer to the city by its former name. For them, Saigon will always be Saigon. Behind the facade of lights and color that covers the city, daily life of the local people goes on much as it always has.

Sakura, and Words of Cherish and Love
The faint, pale feelings of the distant past
Calligraphy and Photography and Exhibition by Rekitei Harada and Akinobu Oguchi

Exhibition: March 31 - April 27, 2018

This art is a photo collection printed on the Japanese "Washi" paper, brushed over by the Japanese art of Shodo (Calligraphy). Focusing on the Sakura (Cherry Tree) which is the soul of every Japanese person, the words of cherish and love from the past are integrated. We live and suffer by naturally falling into love, being tormented between the feelings of hope and despair. This "law of nature" which also existed during the times of Man-you (around the 8th century), left the words and thoughts of the people expressing their commitment to love at that time. When these words and thoughts are expressed through Shodo, the ever-slight, and ever-pale memories may be revived.

Ufuagari-The Daito Islands-A Monologue of North and South
Photo exhibition by Masanori Ishibiki

March 3 - March 30, 2018 / FCCJ Main Bar

The World of the Professional Ski Instructors in Japan
-In Commemoration of an Olympic Year-
Photography from SIA Archives

Feb. 3 - March 2, 2018

In honor of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, the SIA (Professional Ski Instructors Association of Japan) would like to take this opportunity to share the jubilation and depth of skiing in Japan. A lifetime sport, it enjoys a large following from toddlers to seniors. The trill of skiing brings us closer to nature and is a source of great passion for both the novice and hardcore enthusiast. Please celebrate with us the beauty of this Nordic sport as we cheer for the athletics competing in the XXIII Winter Olympics.

SIA was established in 1968 and approved as an incorporated association in 1981. It is the only professional snow-sport organization in Japan that is a member of "ISIA" (International Ski Instructors Association). Nationwide, SIA has 133 ski schools, each with its own unique program geared to wide range of skiing abilities.

The Exhibitions Committee

YEAR OF THE DOG
Group Exhibition of Illustrations
Curated by Niya Niya Studio

Jan. 6 - Feb. 2, 2018

Happy New Year and welcome to the Year of the Dog.
In the Chinese Zodiac, 2018 is the Brown Earth Dog. This happens once every 60 years and it is anticipated that 2018 will be a time of ACTION!!! The forecast is it will overall be a good year, but also an exhausting one. Expect to be happy, yet frustrated, rested, yet tired, cheerful, yet dull.

In celebration of the New Year and man$B!G(Bs best friend, the following artists have made an artwork for this month$B!G(Bs exhibition.

Hajime Anzai, Boojil, Aiko Fukawa, Yusuke Hanai, Jean Jullien, Susumu Kamijo, Jun Kaneko, Naomi Kazama, Kei Mogari, Niya Niya Studio, Stacey Rozich, Sander Studio, Sanae Sugimoto, Town Kun, Margherita Urbani, Yamyam, Kanta Yokoyama

Best wishes for 2018
FCCJ Exhibition Committee

The Exhibitions Committee

POLO The Sport of Kings
Photography exhibition by Mika Mori

Dec. 2 - Jan. 5, 2018

Polo is surely the world's ultimate extreme sport. Players often compare its irresistible allure to that of a drug. "You can't stop until you go bust or take a fatal fall," they say.

For the past 32 years, I have covered polo events around the world: from London and Deauville to Palm Beach. Polo is more than just a sport. It is a culture built on an intimate understanding between players and their horses. For people who love polo, it is a proud part of their heritage, cherished and handed down from generation to generation.

This exhibition presents a selection of photos taken at polo events in the USA, with a focus on the 112th U.S. Open Polo Championship in 2016. I hope these photos will convey something of the passion that players have for their sport and their horses, and give visitors to the exhibition a taste of the thrilling polo culture that courses through the open spaces of the American continent.

Erring Ways
Art Exhibition by Baptiste Tavernier

Nov. 4 - Dec. 1, 2017 / FCCJ Main Bar

Baptiste Tavernier is a French artist who has lived more than a decade in Japan, where he studied extensively traditional Japanese arts & crafts and martial arts. His works revolve around the theme of mazes and labyrinths. The labyrinth has served throughout centuries as a symbol marking the center of the world and a metaphor for the city. He has continued this tradition and builds upon it; looking down at the world's great cities, finding inspiration in the logic of land and water and the maze-like patterns of human settlement. Although the labyrinths myths generally refer to long-lost civilizations, the world he depicts is often set in a distant future, a prospective result of the sum of modern societies choices.

Luminous Starts in the Glittering Sky
Photo exhibition by Kazuhiko Sato

Sept. 30 - Nov. 3, 2017 FCCJ Main Bar

As a child, looking up in the sky at night and seeing an ocean full of stars, I was amazed by the size of the universe. I wanted to reach out and put these twinkling objects in my pocket. I never forgot the beauty of the nighttime sky and realized that I could catch these sparkles with my camera. In my photographs, I include the land below to show both "Glitter and Sparkle". I know there is a difference between the sparkle in the heavenly sky and the glitter found on earth, however both touch on childhood memories of wonderment that are all but forgotten as we become adults.

"Luminous" Kazuhiko Sato
I have been interested in music and photography since I was young and have been actively working in video since I was nineteen. Three years ago, I almost lost my life as a result of traffic accident and realized that life can be terminated at a snap of finger. Since then, I was flooded with a strong desire to recreate images I remembered from my childhood to express the importance of "Living Who You Are".
http://luminous-photo.com/

The Exhibitions Committee