On May 15, the Vacant Properties Team went on a study-tour to see the “Toride Art Project (TAP)”. TAP, which started in 1999, is a project carried out in collaboration among 3 parties, the citizens and the city government of Toride and Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, using the city of Toride as a field. The city of Toride is attempting to become a city of art, and the project is attracting attention as a project that is employing “art” for town-development. We asked to conduct the tour to study as a reference case for the Vacant Properties Team’s project to make use of vacant homes and properties in Hojo. It was very interesting and meaningful, since the staff showed us its activity to revive a vacant house with art and let us see other cases, too.
With the inspiration acquired during this tour in our hearts, we would like to continue our activities.
(Muranaka, 4th Year at College of Policy and Planning Sciences)
Toride Art Project (TAP) Website
Category Archives: team
Kamado Project takes part in “Reconstruction: Hojo Spring Market”
On May 6, the Kamado Project took part in “Reconstruction: Hojo Spring Market”. It has been 3 years since the tornado hit the city. The weather turned out to be nice and more people came out than last year.
This year, we conducted a workshop to cook rice on the kamado (Cooking stove) with the students of Hojo Elementary School and Tsukuba High School, and we also sold chimaki onigiri (Bamboo wrapped rice balls), which were cooked on the kamado.
Six elementary school and 5 high school students participated in the workshop. The elementary school pupils were very excited to see a kamado for the first time and had fun starting the fire. Local people also took part on the spot, and some delicious rice was cooked as everyone smiled and had a good time around the kamado. The chimaki was all sold out, and it turned out to be a fulfilling day, and, hopefully, people became more familiar with the kamado. (Touda, 3rd Year at School of Art & Design)
Taikan Taiken (Feel & Experience) Lab: Princess Kubo and Her Secret Friend Workshop
On 2/22 (Sun), “Princess Kubo and Her Secret Friend Workshop” was held at Iwaki Alios. The smiling faces of the children absorbed in making the dolls with some help from the staff of “Asobi (Play) Workshop” and parents of the children were so memorable. The final show was very lively as the children held the dolls they made and danced and sang with Princess Kubo. (Art & Design, MC 1st year, Takahashi)
Information Communication Team held screening of “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)” in Hiroshima.
On Feb. 1 (Sun), the screening and talk event of “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)” were held at the Hiroshima City Plaza for Town Development through Citizen Exchange. The screening event was co-hosted with “OPERATION Tsunagari”, a student volunteer group at the University of Hiroshima.
The manga artist, Daisuke Nishijima, was invited and after the screening a talk session under the theme “New ties and encounters after the catastrophic earthquake” was held. Nishijima deals with the earthquake and nuclear power station accident through his medium, the Tsunagari members are involved in support activities as volunteers, and the student directors created the movie, “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)”, which is trying to spread the voices of Fukushima. All 3 in their own ways spoke about the encounters and ties that developed through their respective activities. In the questions from the floor and questionnaires after the screening, inquiries about what sort of support could be offered from Hiroshima to the Tohoku region, and the necessity to keep talking about the disaster through documentaries and fiction so that the disaster won’t fall into oblivion were pointed out. Four years have passed since the disastrous earthquake, and while it was an opportunity to reconfirm the significance of spreading “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)”, it also raised the issue of coming up with more ways of channeling it. (Iida)
Information Communication Team: Notice of “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)” screening in Hiroshima
On Feb. 1 (Sunday), there will be a screening of “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)” in the city of Hiroshima. The students of the Information Communication Team have been preparing for this project since last year, and they will co-host the event with “OPERATION Tsunagari”, a student volunteer group at the University of Hiroshima. The manga artist, Daisuke Nishijima, who lives in Hiroshima, has also been invited to take part. After the screening, a talk session with Nishijima, Operation Tsunagari and the student directors of“Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)” is being planned. Under the theme, “HELLO after 3.11”, they will talk about, from their individual points of view, the uncanny links and new ties that have formed since the earthquake. A simple workshop with the participants is also being planned. Please come and take part. (Iida)
The Movie, “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)”, Screening & Talk Session in Hiroshima
HELLO after 3.11 – New Ties Since the Earthquake
Date & Time: Feb. 1 (Sunday), Doors Open at 14:00, Film Starts at 14:30
Venue: Hiroshima City Plaza for Town Development through Citizen Exchange, North Bldg. 6F, Multi-Media Studio
Capacity: 112 people
Free of Charge
Calligraphy Team holds “Appreciation of Shosha Calligraphy”
On Nov. 21, the Calligraphy Team visited Iwaki City Tabito Elementary School and Tabito Junior High School in Fukushima and with the children and pupils of both schools held an event to appreciate Shosha Calligraphy. In Fukushima prefecture, many schools take part in the “Fukushima Prefecture’s New Year’s Kakizome Calligraphy Exhibition”, an event of prefecture-wide scale, and the team helped and gave the students support in their practice of this coming year’s assigned theme. The children and pupils all used the various teaching tools that the team had prepared for them and got to work on their assignments in a very serious manner. (kanno)
Kotonoha Team visits the Koike Naganuma Nishi Emergency Temporary Housing
The Koike Naganuma Nishi Emergency Temporary Housing in Minami-Soma City, Fukushima, is a temporary housing project that allows evacuees to come with their pets. The Kotonoha Team focuses its activity on the pets, which are a precious member of the family of the evacuees. We visited 29 homes in July and were able to collect priceless stories and statements full of love for their pets. We are now in the process of creating a booklet filled with their loving words. It is our hope that not only would it be a collection of photographs of cute animals, but that it would serve as a conversation starter for the residents of the temporary housing.
On Nov. 28, we visited the temporary housing again to show and have the residents check the contents of the booklet. We were glad that everyone welcomed the booklet and said that they were looking forward to seeing the finished product. After some revisions based on their remarks, we hope that it will turn out to be an even better booklet. (Chiharu Koike, 3rd year at Comparative Culture Studies)
Information Communication Team: “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE) with English subtitles” shown at the University of Tsukuba, International Students Center
On Nov. 14 (Friday), the Information Communication Team held a showing of “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE) with English subtitles” at the University of Tsukuba, International Students Center. After the showing, the student directors and participants all took part in a group discussion and deepened their thoughts and understanding of the movie and of the earthquake.
The foreign students who saw the movie commented that they were glad to learn about the situation in Fukushima, that they saw the strength of Japan and that they wished they could show the movie to the people back in their countries. They also asked the student directors about the safety of the radiation problem in Japan. The cross-border discussion was conducted in a mixture of English and Japanese, and became far more heated than expected. (Iida)
Itako team takes part in Hinode Junior High School Festival
Oct. 11 (Saturday): Joint-production of Festival Signboard
In preparation for the school festival at Hinode Junior High School in Itako city, we collaborated with the students of the art club to create the stage signboard. Last year and the year before last, we also made the signboards together using designs that the college students had created. But this year, the junior high school students created the design and we gave them our support to complete it. Since a large number of us divided the work among us, the signboard was finished in less time than we had planned. Then, the art club teacher came up with an impromptu workshop to make key chains with plastic boards. As it gave us a chance to mingle with the students that we could not talk to when making the signboard, we had a very good time.
Nov. 1 (Saturday): Preparations on the eve of the Hinode Junior High School Festival
At the Festival, a section was set up to introduce the light art project for the Lantern Festival at Choonji Temple. It was our hope that the exhibit will introduce to the people who did not come to the Lantern Festival the activities of the Itako team, and that it would inspire some dialog about the region. The concept of the project, photographs of the gatherings with the junior high school students, photographs of the lighted lanterns, the layout of the lanterns and comments by the visitors to the Lantern Festival were displayed in chronological order.
Nov. 2 (Sunday): The day of the Festival
Some people stopped by and carefully looked at the exhibit, and some parents even took photographs in front of the exhibit panels. We also saw some students talking with one another as they looked at the exhibit. We were also awarded a certificate for a special prize in the exhibition division from Hinode Junior High School. By having many people look at our work, I believe that we have achieved our goal to inform people of our activities.
What was surprising was that the Festival Decoration Project that we had done the year before last has been carrying on. It was continued by teachers and students who had volunteered. As with the stage signboard, it make us very happy when proposals by the Itako team are continued by the students. We hope that the events that we were involved in will help strengthen the ties among the local people as they plan and conduct these events, such as in the case this time with Hinode Junior High School.
(3rd Year at School of Art & Design, Ogasawara)
Notice: “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE) with English subtitles” will be shown at the University of Tsukuba, International Students Center
On Nov. 14 (Friday), “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE) with English subtitles” will be shown at the University of Tsukuba, International Students Center, Room H. Although it is intended for foreign students, Japanese students and people outside the university are also welcome to take part. After the showing, the student directors will offer greetings from the stage and a group discussion involving all participants will be carried out. Please take part. (Iida)
Screening of “FUKUSHIMA VOICE”
Time & date : 11.14（Fri） 16:00～18:30
Place : 留学生センター教室H
Cost: Free!
Eligibility :
International students of the U. of Tsukuba,
Japanese students, faculty and staff,
and people from outside the university!
Program :
15:45 Open
16:00 Introduction & screening（86min）
17:30 Workshop :
Explanation from the production staff,
Q & A, Group Discussion
18:30 End
