Exhibition

AGION OROS ATHOS
Photography by HIROHITO NAKANISHI

July 1 - Aug. 4 Main Bar

The Halkidiki peninsula is located in Northern Greece where it protrudes out into the Aegean Sea. The peninsula is 45 km long and 5 km wide. The mountain rising from the center is named Mount Athos and is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is a sacred place the Greek Orthodox Church and called "AGION OROS" ATHOS. According to tradition, the Virgin Maria landed in there after encountering a storm and it is known as the Garden of Virgin Mary.

The first monastery was built in 950 and it is currently home to 2,000 monks who inhabit one of the 20 monasteries scattered throughout the peninsula. Seventeen of the monasteries are Greek and the other three are Russian, Bulgarian, and Serbian. The residents follow Byzantine time which designates that the hour 0:00:00 begins at sunset. The monks live an ascetic life and spend most of their waking hours in prayer. They are isolated from the modern civilization and not much has changed in the last thousand years.

Being There... A Retrospective Exhibition of Silver Halide Photography
by Michael E. J. Stanley
Main Bar
June 3 - June 30

38 years ago, I arrived in Japan and thought I might end up working here for a while. It seems like that happened yesterday. It was the right place at the right time; I found a demand for my photographic skills and the economy was booming.  Editorial clients - among them most of the major Japanese magazine publishers - offered me assignment work in places I had only dreamed about visiting. The images displayed in this exhibition are drawn from various assignments and projects both within Japan and overseas; they are obviously only a tiny fraction of what I shot over a span of 30+ years.  A greater variety - both in the number of images and in the variety of topical "genres" - is presented on my website, www.mejstanley.com.

MADE in TOKYO
Photo exhibition by Carla Hernandez
FCCJ Main Bar

May 6 - June 2, 2017

I've been living in one of the most populated cities in the world for the last two decades and I want to introduce to you my Tokyo. It is a world filled with contrasts and colors.  The "cotidian" or traditional coexists with the modern.  The main avenues are packed with towering skyscrapers and behind them, "barrios" teeming with activity.  In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, uniformity and respect helps to keep things running smoothly. But be prepared, the unexpected is always waiting around the corner. Take it slow and don't loose your sense of humor.

I am originally from Madrid and Tokyo is my second home.  In addition to my work as a photographer, I am also an assistant, fixer, and producer for a number of local and international photographers.  Last year I had my first solo exhibition in Madrid and now I am pleased to have the opportunity to show them at FCCJ.

* All the photographs in this exhibition are available for purchase and money from sales will be donated to the Nora Nekko Shibuya, an organization caring for stray cats.

Exhibition Committee

Memories of Pyongyang
Photo exhibition by Ciel Liu
FCCJ Main Bar

April 1 - May 5, 2017

Our trip to Pyongyang consisted almost entirely of carefully scheduled activities, with guides that rarely left our side outside of the hotel. Still, it was a rare opportunity to observe the people in this reclusive country and to think about their lives.

The disconnection from the outside world is palpable. In this city, time and space are defined by propaganda-driven activities like visits to monuments and performances. The enormous clockwork mechanism of mass dance practices and labor duties to serve the nation never ceases to spin. It is fascinating, and not a little unsettling.

The city planning is monolithic, with apartment block after apartment block stretching out in an order so neat and structured it continues to haunt the mind. Advertising and other signs of commercial activity are extremely rare. The ever-present contrast between tightly restricted self-expression and an over-enthusiasm to defend government propaganda challenges our concepts of freedom and personal fulfillment. Here, one must at all times be of a single body and mind with the regime.

Fukushima Photographic Journey
Chief organizer: Hitoshi Maruoka
Photography by: Bruce Osborn

Main Bar (Mar. 04 - 31, 2017)

It has been 6 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear accident. You may think that the memories of the disasters are fading, however some feelings and words can only be expressed after a certain amount of time passes.  Many of these people who lost their homes and loves ones, had lives that were tied to the sea.  The same ocean that brought the deadly tsunami has also been a source of blessings for their families. It is an intertwined relationship which they accept both the good and the bad.

For those who were in Fukushima that day, life will never be same.  The nuclear accident that followed made an unimaginable catastrophe even more unbelievable.  People living in 12 affected municipalities were forced to leave homes and evacuate to other areas.  After six years, many of them are still living in temporary housing.  Despite all that has happened, they still cherish their "Furusato" (hometown) and have hope for its future. Like parents and family, a hometown is something we cannot choose by ourselves.

Dojo Giga artwork by Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi

Main Bar (Feb. 04 - March. 3, 2017)

Masaaki Hatsumi is the 85 year old (head instructor) of nine Japanese martial traditions dating back over 900 years. His artwork and calligraphy are expressions of the Ninjutsu and martial arts which he teaches. His artwork expresses concepts essential to his dojo. Until now, the paintings in this exhibition have been for the education of his students. This will be the first public showing of this series.

Dr. Hatsumi's career includes work as a professional osteopath, actor in a popular television series, writer of many books on Ninjutsu and Budo, and Chairman of the International Department of the Japan Literary Artists' Club. His Bujinkan Dojo has over 400,000 members training and safe keeping as law enforcement professionals in more than 30 countries. Every year, Dr. Hatsumi receives a number of thank you letters and plaques from presidents, prime ministers and other world leaders.

The Exhibitions Committee

Some Day, Going Back Home -Syrian Refugee Children-
Photo Exhibition by Natsuki Yasuda

Main Bar (Jan. 07 - Feb. 3, 2017)

Photojournalist Natsuki Yasuda is currently documenting the tragic plight of the refugees of the Syrian civil war. Since it began in 2011, the worsening conflict in Syria has forced 9.5 million people - around half the country's population - to leave their homes. Over three million of these displaced people have been forced to leave Syria, including over 600,000 who have sought refuge in Jordan. We can see photographs as windows that open onto the lives of the people there through this exhibition.

Tannery
Photo exhibition by Akihito Yoshida

Main Bar (Dec. 3, 2016 - Jan. 6, 2017)

There is a district called Hazaribagh in Dacca, the capital city of Bangladesh which is known for its densely concentrated oxhide processing factories. 90% of domestic oxhide production comes from this district and is exported to Europe, North American and Asian nations. Japan is the biggest importer of oxhide from Bangladesh, mainly in the form of about 4 million pairs of leather shoes per year. According to the Blacksmith Institute reports, an international environmental watch dog, Hazaribagh is listed as one of the 10 most toxically polluted areas in the world. There are 150 to 200 oxhide factories that have roughly 20,000 workers handling toxic chemicals with barehands and barefeet. There are no safety compliances and regulations. Dumping of unprocessed chemical materials into rivers, disposed hazardous waste and unfiltered incinerators are common sightings. Workers who spend substantial amount of time there have all sorts of physical problems along with a short life expectancy. I headed to Hazaribagh to bare witness the conditions of the workers in oxhide industry.

The People and the Forest
Photo exhibition by Yasuo Ota

Main Bar (Nov. 5 - Dec. 2, 2016)

Man has been hunters and gatherers for the greater part our history. In order to survive and grow, it had been necessary to be at one with nature. Man was just one part of the habitat. He respected and showed gratitude to the trees, rivers and all the living things that made up the forests. However since the Industrial Revolution, we have fallen for the illusion that humans can control nature. Having damaged and destroyed it for our own greed, we have come to a moment when this planet is no longer capable of holding the strains of our devastating activities. As mankind looks for a path to guide us towards the future, we may find clues through looking at the way the people of the forest have coexisted with nature.

TSUKIJI Fish Market
Shun KATO Photo Exhibition
FCCJ Main Bar

Oct. 01 - Nov.04

Even the sun is incapable of withstanding the passage of time, sinking at the end of each day, and likewise, things with character are helpless to resist the passage of years.  The Tsukiji Fish Market is an example of this and despite the various problems involved in its relocation, its existence at its present site is finally drawing to an end after a period of 80 years.  The people who work there are renowned for their high-spirits and energy, imbuing each fleeting moment with a unique charm.  Will the market be able to retain the same atmosphere after moving to its new site in Toyosu?  I believe the ambience of the place is something to be treasured.  Tokyo’s new governor has postponed relocation until after February 2017 and in order to cherish the valuable time that remains, I intend to use my camera to capture every small drama in Tsukiji Market as it occurs.