Exhibition

FUNKY DAYS
Portraits of Everyday Life
Photo exhibition by Yohshi Itokawa

Sept. 2 - Sept. 29 / FCCJ Main Bar

I aim to photograph the joy of life!
If I could listen to the heartbeat of the person standing in front of the camera, synchronizing my breathing with theirs and discover new possibilities that provide mutual stimulation$B!D(B
Wouldn't that be great!

Bio
Yohshi Itokawa (photographer/moviemaker)
Born in 1934, lives in Osaka and photographs the city and its people.
Active in new music and the theater in the latter-half of the 1960s.
His photos have been published in 'Play Guide Journal', 'HIP', 'JTB Tabi', 'Monthly Yoshimoto', etc.

He became active as an independent filmmaker from around 1980, producing documentaries such as 'Tokyo Dancing! Africa' and visual works, such as 'Lemon Soap'.

Books: Paradise Road (Futabasha Publishers, Shogakukan), Goodbye the Dylan II (Playguide Journal), Meteoric Shanghai (Futabasha Publishers), J's Bar Memoir

The Exhibition Committee

Temptation to Express the Sensation of Riding Waves
Photography exhibition by NAKI

Aug. 5 - Sept. 1, Main Bar

The feelings associated with riding waves can sometimes be very sublime, touching on the very essence for living. To express these emotions, I took this perception a step beyond the photographic image. My artworks are a combination of various mixed media including surfboard resin and personal items done with the intent to represent an affinity with surfing and a consciousness for recycling.

NAKI (BProfessional surfer, born in Japan. Grand champion at the NSA all Japan surfing tournament (1989) and a top finisher at the ASP TECATE Pro in Mexico (1992). Moving to San Clemente CA in 1994, he pursued photography as a means of expressing a fascination with waves and their constant state of motion. NAKI's career includes staff photographer for Surfing Magazine and Surfer Magazine. He was also the first Japanese photographer to take the cover photo and featured story for The Surfer's Journal. He has had numberless exhibitions, many of which were supported by fashion brands such as BEAMS and Diesel. His photograph of a heart shaped wave was used as the main visual for Green Room Festival.

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.