On Mar. 22, Tuesday, a screening of “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)” was held at the Sapporo City University, COC Campus (Makomaru, Sapporo-shi). It was the last of the screenings organized by CR, but as many as 45 people attended the event, making it a success. After the screening, the student directors and participants exchanged comments. Questions about how the interviews were conducted, how the production was carried out and many others were asked.
Along with the screening, an artwork by the CR Okuma-cho Team was exhibited. It is an artwork of photos and text of a family living in Iwaki-shi that the team followed and took records of after the catastrophic earthquake. The Okuma-cho Team students also stayed throughout the event and, before and after the screening, met and exchanged comments with the many people who came to the screening.
We would like to sincerely thank all the visitors and people at Sapporo City University! (Iida)
Category Archives: Okuma
Screening of “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)” at the Ibaraki Prefecture Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Symposium & An Exhibit by the Okuma-cho Team.
On Jan. 14, Thursday, a screening of the movie, “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)” and an exhibit of an artwork printed on large canvas sheets by the Okuma-cho Team were carried out at the Ibaraki Prefecture Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Symposium held at Ibaraki Sougou Fukushi Kaikan.
The symposium is administered by the Mega Quake Risk Management project, led by the College of Policy and Planning Sciences at the University of Tsukuba, and it is being held in various locations, mainly in Fukushima and Ibaraki, to promote effective approaches towards mitigating risks and disasters associated with large earthquakes. It is already the third time that “Iwaki Note (FUKUSHIMA VOICE)” has been shown at the symposium.
After the screening, a talk show session with the student directors and staff members was held. They spoke about their thoughts and feelings now, 5 years after the earthquake and 2 years since the movie was shot, about their recent visit to the temporary housing, and how they feel about the future of the movie.
In the lobby of the venue, the Okuma team displayed a large printed artwork of photos and words of a family that the team followed and took records of after the catastrophic earthquake.
The contrast between the academic analysis of the symposium and the more personal depictions by the CR teams seemed to inspire an opportunity to re-examine the whole catastrophe from many different angles. (Iida)
The Okuma Tsukuba Summer Festival 2014
On Aug. 10 (Sunday), “The Okuma Tsukuba Summer Festival” was held at the North Emergency Temporary Housing of Johoku Elementary School in Aizu-Wakamatsu city.
This year’s exhibits included cloth-card story shows by the Okuma-Furusato Seminar, stalls set up by the IORI Club and Shichirin-Pottery (Shichirin is a small, portable charcoal grill). People from the Aizu and Kitakata regions gave us their support and cooperation. The weather was unfortunate due to the typhoon, but it appeared that the people from the temporary housing and the local areas had fun participating. In the evening, children carrying the children’s mikoshi shrine paraded energetically around the temporary housing premises, and in the finale, everyone took part in the Okuma Bon-Odori dancing. This year, we were able to talk to and hear more stories from the people of Okuma-cho than last year. We are now discussing how to come up with a suitable way to deliver these stories. (Akagi)
“The Okuma-Tsukuba Summer Festival”
On Aug. 10 (Sunday), “The Okuma Tsukuba Summer Festival” will be held at the North Emergency Temporary Housing of Johoku Elementary School in Aizu-Wakamatsu city. A huge yagura (Tower) of assembled logs will be at the center with many kinds of stalls, including fried noodles, shaved ice with syrup and yo-yo fishing, surrounding the yagura, and Bon-odori (Bon-festival dancing) will be held in the evening. The summer festival this year has been planned and organized by a joint effort between the people of Okuma-cho and Tsukuba University students. We ask people of neighboring areas as well as people from other prefectures to please come to the “The Okuma Tsukuba Summer Festival”, which has been stepped up in size and quality.
The Okuma Tsukuba Summer Festival
Date & Time: Sunday, Aug. 10, 15:00 ~ 20:00
Venue: North Emergency Temporary Housing of Johoku Elementary School, Aizu-Wakamatsu city.
Okuma-machi Team, Aizu Research
On June 13, we visited the North Emergency Temporary Housing of Johoku Elementary School for the second time this year. The objective was to do a presentation of a plan to hold a “Summer Festival” for the people living in the temporary housing, and to exchange ideas and opinions with them. This time, we wanted the people of the temporary housing to not just come as visitors, but to take part in and enjoy the planning and organizing stages of the summer festival as well. We asked for their cooperation in organizing the stalls, decorations and creating publications. Because of the open and friendly attitude of the people in the temporary housing, the discussion was carried out in a pleasant atmosphere filled with laughter. However, at the same time, many things were pointed out and much advice given to us, and in a positive sense, we felt the gaps between the thinking and sensibilities of the Johoku district people and us. We became aware of the fact that the key to the success of the “Summer Festival” lies in narrowing the gaps. They also offered some interesting ideas that we would never have thought of, making the meeting extremely significant and worthwhile. On a personal note, I was very touched by what the children, who drop by on their way back from school, said; “Looking forward to the festival! I’m coming in my yukata! (Japanese summer kimono)”. My wish to produce the best summer festival where everyone can have fun has become even stronger.
We would like to put the feedback from this meeting into good use and, through the exchanges with the people of the Johoku district, continue with our efforts, while not forgetting that one of the major themes of the summer festival is “To Create and Enjoy the Festival Together”. (Akio Suzuki, College of Social Sciences)
Okuma-machi Team, Aizu Research
On May 10 and 11, we visited the North Emergency Temporary Housing of Johoku Elementary School in Aizu-Wakamatsu-city, where people from Okuma-cho have evacuated and are currently living. This activity is now entering its 3rd year. Together with the residents of the temporary housing, we made shiratama-dango and discussed plans for this year’s Summer Festival. It turned out to be a productive research carried out in a lively atmosphere.
The next day, we visited the Fukushima Museum and spoke to Ms. Shoji and Mr. Kamata, who had evacuated from Okuma-cho and are working in Aizu and Sukagawa. Curators of the museum, Mr. Kawanobe and Ms. Kobayashi, who are also supporters of CR, spoke about the many activities in Fukushima as well. It was a very informative and significant two days, as we were able to hear directly from many people.
(Akagi)
Tokyo Designers Week 2013, School Exhibition: Wins the Semi Grand Prix!
The CR team won the Semi Grand Prix at the Tokyo Designers Week 2013 Asia Awards School Exhibition. The activities of the Aizu team
and Food Culture (Hojo) team and their proposals of lifestyles after the earthquake were highly evaluated. Two and a half years have passed since the earthquake and at the Tokyo venue where the memory is gradually fading, the presentation and winning the prize were significant in promoting our activities. (Iida)
Tokyo Designers Week 2013: Upload of Team Introduction Images, Order of presentation announced.
The Aizu team
and Food Culture (Hojo) team created introduction videos for the Tokyo Designers Week 2013. The videos have been uploaded on You Tube. Please take a look.
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The Aizu team
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Food Culture (Hojo) team
On Nov. 3 (Sunday), 9:00-12:30, the presentation order of the exhibiting schools was announced, and the University of Tsukuba, Creative Reconstruction Project will go on 28th among the 30 schools. The venue is in the TDW dome. Please come to this event, too. (Hashimoto)
Tokyo Designers Week 2013, School Exhibition
The Aizu team and Food Culture (Hojo) team will show their works at the Tokyo Designers Week 2013, School Exhibition, which will begin on the 26th of this month. As an exploration to seek, through art and design, new lifestyles and values after the earthquake, a “Yagura tower” and “Kamado cooking stove” will be shown by the respective teams. Please come and visit us. (Iida)
Tokyo Designers Week 2013
Period: Oct. 26 (Saturday) – Nov. 4 (Monday, holiday), for 10 days.
Time: 11:00–21:00 (Final day till 20:00)
Venue: In front of Meiji Jingu Gaien, 2-3 Kasumigaoka-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0013
Number of visitors: 120,000 (Expected)
Ticket: 2,500 yen (On the day)
* On Nov. 3, Sunday, students from each team will give a presentation in the dome at the TDW. The presentation time is from 9:00 till 12:30, but the exact time of the Tsukuba University teams’ turn is undetermined.
東京デザイナーズウィーク2013 学校作品展 (Link to Tokyo Designers Week 2013, School Exhibition)
Okuma Tsukuba Summer Festival!!!
On August 10 (Saturday), The Okuma Tsukuba Summer Festival was held in the emergency temporary housings located to the north of the Johoku Junior High School, in the city of Aizu-Wakamatsu by the citizens of Okuma and the POP CORN team. We made a tower out of beer cases, learnt the dances of the Okuma city Bon-Odori and danced them along with everyone. A lot of food stands were out and the atmosphere was fun and lively. The persons living in the temporary housing told us that it would be great to do it again next year, which made us think that the festival was a success. (Akagi)
Seniors of the city came to help build the tower!
The children put the beer cases together to make a table!
The Festival begins!
Mr. Guren does a performance.
