Visual Anthropology of Japan - 日本映像人類学

「Africa bigger and U.S. smaller: U.N. adopts new map」

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 14:37:59 +0000

Image and text from The Japan Times, 9/5/26.

United Nations – The United Nations General Assembly voted Friday to adopt a new world map that makes the African continent bigger while shrinking North America and Europe, drawing ire from Washington.

Aimed at “a more accurate representation” of continental landmasses, the resolution was supported by 164 countries while the United States voted against it and six other states abstained.

The new map — known as the Equal Earth cartographic projection — improves “the accuracy of the cartographic representation of the world,” the resolution said.

It urges member states to use the new map in place of the traditional Mercator projection, which was designed for maritime navigation by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569.

Foreign Minister Robert Dussey of Togo, which sponsored the resolution, said maps “guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions.”

“They are therefore never neutral; when they present a distorted image of our planet, they risk perpetuating inaccurate representation that is passed down through generations.”

The United States however slammed the resolution, saying such moves are “the reason this institution is losing its credibility.”

“Instead of focusing on genuine problems ... this body is debating map projects from the 16th century and their role in promoting reparations and cognitive justice,” U.S. representative Yaryna Ferencevych said ahead of the vote.

The Mercator projection focused on accurate depictions of the shapes and angles of land masses, but their relative sizes were often inaccurate — largely due to the challenge of rendering a three-dimensional globe onto a two-dimensional map.

It inflated northern regions and compressed equatorial ones, making Europe and North America appear much larger, while shrinking Africa and South America.

A group of cartographers launched the Equal Earth projection in 2018. It makes Africa, Latin America, South Asia and Oceania appear much larger.

“Equal Earth preserves the relative surface areas of continents and, as much as possible, shows their shapes as they appear on a globe,” one of the cartographers, Bojan Savric, said in 2025.

France — which co-sponsored the resolution in support of the new map — announced Friday that it would abandon the Mercator projection.

In that map, “the United States, Russia and China take on a disproportionate visual prominence compared to Africa, Latin America or southeast Asia,” while “Greenland appears almost as big as Africa,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.

“Changing maps obviously doesn’t change the world,” he said. “But correcting a distorted representation is already an act of truth.”

The initiative comes as France is seeking to improve relations with Africa, particularly in former colonies with which it has prickly ties.

Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/05/world/un-adopts-new-map/

Hanshin Tigers vs. Yomiuri Giants @ Koshien Stadium 8/28/26 ・阪神タイガース対読売ジャイアンツ @ 甲子園球場　2026年8月8日

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 20:57:00 +0000

There were thunderstorms threatening to cancel the classic contest between the beloved Tigers and the dreaded Giants. But the rain stopped right before the ball game started and it remained cloudy. It was also very hot and humid. Baseball is a dangerous game. I am not so much talking about the players getting injured (but injuries seem to be increasing in number and severity) but the hot and humid conditions in a cramped stadium (42,644 people attended that eveving; maximum seating capacity is 47,803) during the games. A beer girl passed out due to heat exhaustion (the beer dispensers they carry up and down those horrible stairs are typically 10-18 kilograms, or 22-40 pounds) direclty behind me. Later in the game an older man had to be taken out of the bleachers on a stretcher, again due to the heat. I hard two Giants fans joking about how weak Hanshin fans are. This was hardly funny. And, sorry to spoil the game results so early in this post, it was the Giants who were weak, losing 4-1.

https://shop.hanshintigers.jp/goods/?ggcd=37718

***

NPB game stats: https://npb.jp/bis/eng/2026/games/s2026082801397.html

Sportsnavi game stats: https://baseball.yahoo.co.jp/npb/game/2021039343/top

YouTube game highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSkmz5jha1s

Hanshin Tigers Official Website: https://hanshintigers.jp/

(Related) Recent Farm Team Game: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2026/08/hanshin-tigers-farm-team-game-against.html

Yotsuya Kakuuchi「Suzuden」・四谷の角打ち「鈴傳」

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 10:19:01 +0000

My first visit to Suzuden in the Yotsuya neighborhood in the southeastern part of Shinjuku ward in Tokyo was in July, 2024, after I gave a guest lecture at Sophia University's Institute of Comparative Culture about my ethnographic research of a tachinomiya「立ち呑み屋」standing bar in Osaka. My colleagues from the University thought a nearby tachinomiya would be an appropriate setting for the after-party. At the time, I was tired and hot from the lecture, and sweating after a 10-minute walk in my sports jacket carrying a heavy backpack containing artifacts and gear. I was also hungry and thirsty. We were lucky to be amongst the last customers to squeeze our way into the shop and make it to the counter. It was almost closing time. I could tell that this place was special. It had that tradtional vibe that I am so fond of in my drinking establishments. The nihonshu was excellent and the last remaining snacks of the evening were tasty. I really didn't have time to take in the full experience of Suzuden or take photographs. But I knew I had to return.

And I did return the very next afternoon, although this time I was too early. The tachinomiya was not open yet. I looked around Suzuden's liquor store (the original and main part of the business) and felt like a kid in a candy shop with all the bottles of nihonshu, shochu, whiskey, wine... I asked a staff member to recommend a nice bottle of nihonshu and was shown a premium sake from a famous brewery in Niigata; the brewery made this particular brand only to be sold at Suzuden. I bought two bottles. I talked with other staff members a bit and asked permission to take photos. Despite a displaying "No Photographs" sign, they gave me permission. I was able to go downstairs to see their sake cellar (described on their web site as a "underground refrigerated storage room, divided into three temperature zones [which] was built [by the family's previous and 6th generation chairman] with the sole desire to provide our customers with sake in the best possible condition, without degrading its freshness or flavor"); it was chilly and a little dark and a very much appreciated cool respite from the hot humid weather outside.

I was able to return to Suzuden in Janaury, 2025. I made sure I went in the evening so I could enjoy the tachinomiya. But before I went again I had done a little more research. Tachinomiya literally means "to stand and drink," and this style of drinking goes back to the Edo Period (1803-1868). It is different from an izakaya「居酒屋」in that one can sit down and eat at an izakaya. There are no chairs or stools at a tachinomiya; one is expected to stand while imbibing, which might limit the amount of time a customer stays at a tachinomiya (although I have seen this "rule" broken many times). Specifically, the drinking area at Suzuden is a kakuuchi「角打ち」, a place where customers can drink right at the liquor store. The kakuuchi is a specific type of tachinomiya that is inside a liquor shop rather than a regular drinking establishment like an izakaya or restaurant. There are some differences in terms of modern business licesnses (since 1948) as well. As a part of a liquor store, a kakuuchi has a Liquor Retail License combined with a basic or simplified food permission (canned food, simple snacks, oden, etc.), whereas an izakaya has a license based on food service hospitality regulations.

Before I started drinking, I looked around the sake shop again and bought two more bottles of the same nihonshu I purchased before. The staff was kind enough to wrap the bottles and keep them in a refigerator until I left. While drinking and eating, I was able to interact with more staff members and customers. I also formally met the founding family's 7th generation owner/chairman/represetative director and his sister, the executive vice presdient. I was took many photographs. It was a great evening.

A couple months later I made a small photo album of the photos I had taken in the previous two trips and sent it to Suzuden. They seemed very happy and signed off their thank you letter with "from your friends at Suzuden."

I returned to Suzuden for my fourth time in July, 2025. It had been a year and a half since I had been there. A few of the staff members remembered me. There were some other employees I hadn't met before. I bought two more bottles of my favorite nihonshu. The owners (I include the brother and sister with this term; they are definitely the bosses, but they work on the floor as well, greeting customers, serving drinks and washing dishes as needed) absolutely remembered me. And they gave me a real VIP treatment. The first drink and food orders were on the house. They gave me a shop towel. And they kept coming back to check up on me and talk. (Other customers wondered who the hell I was...) The kakuuchi technically opens at 5:00 PM. I had arrived at the shop a little after 4:30. I was the first to be allowed in the kakuuchi 15 minutes early. But many other people came early as well. The place was completely packed before the official 5:00 opening time. I told the owners that it was a good thing I got there early so I could get a spot at the counter. The sister told me, "you will always have a spot here."

Suzuden is 176 years old; it opened in 1850 (when Tokyo was still Edo) at the same spot where it is now in. The shop has gone through many changes and has weathered the years well, living though historical and challenging times such as the arrival of Commodore Perry and his black ships, the Meiji Restoration, Great Kanto Earthquake, Tokyo air raids, and COVID-19 pandemic. Suzuden has its own history and stories. I am not sure what I can add to that with more of my own simple words. (I apologize for the large amount of text here...)

What I present here are three batches of photos from the three times I visited and took photographs. This is the first time I am documeting Suzuden on VAoJ. This post starts with the most recent photos and then goes back through time. I hope to show the reader/viewer the development of my research, fieldwork, experiences and relationships with Suzuden. I am going to let the photos speak for themselves.

July 2026 ・ 2026年7月

January 2025 ・ 2025年1月

July 2024 ・ 2024年7月

On my way home to Osaka on the shinkansen...
新幹線で大阪の自宅へ帰る途中です...

***

This photo in January, 2025 is of a photographer from the Asahi Shimbun also documenting Suzuden.

I have already questioned what words I could add the to story of Suzuden. I have attempted to offer my own multimodal visual ethnography. But of course there is so much more to know. Not to worry, I will not leave my readers/viewers high and dry. Suzuden has been documented many times before. And so I am including here links to some of the words and photos (probably more illustrative and perfect than my own ethno-photographic attempts) of others that have been motivated to share the stories and history, usually in the context of enjoying sake along the way. I am also including links to more general descriptions of tachinomiya, often from a Kansai perspective. If you have suggestions for additonal links and/or comments and questions, please contact me. And explore VAoJ!

A sample of other online sources about Suzuden:
「鈴傳」に関するその他のオンライン情報源の例：

Suzuden Specialty Sake Shop Official Website
地酒専門店鈴傳（すずでん）公式サイト
http://suzuden-sake.com/

東京・四谷《スタンディングルーム鈴傳》
江戸時代から続く角打ちの聖地【前編】
｜新しい酒に出合える角打ちの名店①
Yotsuya, Tokyo: Standing Room Suzuden
A Mecca for *Kaku-uchi* (Shop-front Drinking) Dating Back to the Edo Period [Part 1] (2024)
A Renowned *Kaku-uchi* Spot Where You Can Discover New Sake ①
https://discoverjapan-web.com/article/121369

東京・四谷《スタンディングルーム鈴傳》
日本酒が進む呑兵衛好みの味つけ【後編】
｜新しい酒に出合える角打ちの名店①
Tokyo, Yotsuya: Standing Room Suzuden
Flavors that go perfectly with sake, a favorite of sake lovers [Part 2] (2024)
| A famous standing bar where you can discover new sake ①
https://discoverjapan-web.com/article/121378

創業170年、江戸より続く東京・角打ちの名店四谷「鈴傳で一杯。」
"A drink at Suzuden in Yotsuya"—a renowned Tokyo *kaku-uchi* (standing bar) with a 170-year history dating back to the Edo period. (2024)
https://otokonokakurega.com/meet/secret-base/101139/

四ツ谷「スタンディングルーム鈴傳」#225　・　おんな類の酒場放浪記　(BS – TBS)
初回放送：2015年7月10日(金)
Yotsuya "Standing Room Suzuden" #225 *Onna-rui no Sakaba Hōrōki* (BS-TBS)
Original broadcast: July 10, 2015 (Fri)
https://bs.tbs.co.jp/onnasakaba/shop/225.html

男の聖地角打ちに憩う: 全国名物立ち飲み酒屋特選 (ポスト・サピオムック)
Unwinding at the "Kaku-uchi": A Sanctuary for Men—A Selection of Famous Standing Bars Nationwide (Post-Sapio Mook, 2016)
Information about the mook: https://www.shogakukan.co.jp/news/141920
Available at Amazon.jp: https://www.amazon.co.jp/男の聖地-角打ちに憩う-全国名物立ち飲み酒屋特選-ポスト・サピオムック-小学館/dp/4091031684

Related Miscellaneous Sources on Japanese Tachinomiya and Kakuuchi:
日本の立ち呑み屋・角打ちに関するその他の関連資料

創業150余年なんばの老舗角打ち・シバチョウ本店をご紹介 Introducing Shibacho Main Store, a long-established standing bar in Namba with over 150 years of history. (2021)
https://ebisubashi-magazine.com/namba-shibacho-kakuuchi/

The Ultimate Local Experience: A Guide to Osaka’s Kaku-uchi Scene (2026)
https://osakaa.net/experience/osaka-kakuuchi-guide/

The Oldest Kakuuchi in Namba: Going Deep at SHIBACHO (2026)
https://www.osaka.com/drink/the-oldest-kakuuchi-in-namba-going-deep-at-shibacho/

Expoloring Osaka's Standing Bars Sober: A Guide to Friendly Fuse osaka.com/eat/exploring-osakas-standing-bars-sober-a-guide-to-friendly-fuse/

The standing bars of Osaka: Cheap, cheerful and nostalgic (2018)
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2018/11/10/food/standing-bars-osaka-cheap-cheerful-nostalgic/

Kansai Tachinomiya Dive Bar Guide
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1386385474945319

Monzen Nakacho Izakaya「Daruma」Arc (July 2026): Night 3 ・門前仲町居酒屋「だるま」編 (2026年7月): 第3夜

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:01:00 +0000

Photo and headlines on display at「Daruma」:

Arnold's 1985 Visit to Japan: During his visit, Arnold heavily promoted the premier of his action film Commando (1985)... a moment from this trip where Arnold was presented with flowers by a Japanese woman... In a moment of playful gratitude, he broke out into high spirits and gave her a kiss in return.*

Previous「Daruma」on VAoJ: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2023/07/vaoj-s2023rt-arc-izakayadaruma-third.html

*Monzen Nakacho Izakaya「Daruma」was established in 1972, 54 years ago, by the current owner's (she's the one getting a kiss from Arnold) father. The patriarch is said to have had a colorful past in terms of his interests, jobs and love of jazz music. So the shop, family and customers have a lot of history and stories that have been documented through the years in various publications and TV shows, as well as on photos and news clippings on Daruma's walls, the music that is played there and the tales told by long-time customers. I am not sure what a visual anthropologist from Osaka can add to the stories. I am grateful and honored to have been given so many interesting experiences (including indulging in great food and drinks), learning more about Japanese shitamachi/nomunication culture, making wonderful friends and being allowed to take and post photos.

Monzen Nakacho Izakaya「Daruma」Arc (July 2026): Night 2 ・門前仲町居酒屋「だるま」編 (2026年7月): 第2夜

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:59:00 +0000

Previous「Daruma」on VAoJ: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/08/izakaya-darumain-monzen-nakacho.html

Monzen Nakacho Izakaya「Daruma」Arc (July 2026): Night 1 ・門前仲町居酒屋「だるま」編 (2026年7月): 第1夜

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 22:46:00 +0000

Alternative Ending:

Previous「Daruma」on VAoJ: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2023/07/vaoj-s2023rt-arc-arrival-in-tokyo.html

Hanshin Tigers farm team game against Orix Buffaloes, August 13, 2026 @ Nippon Steel SGL Stadium Amagasaki (inside Zero Carbon Base Ball Park) ・ 2026年8月13日阪神タイガース対オリックス・バファローズ（二軍戦）＠日本製鉄SGLスタジアム尼崎（ゼロカーボンベースボールパーク内）

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:11:00 +0000

The Nippon Steel SGL Stadium Amagasaki opened on March 1, 2025 as the home ball park for the Hanshin Tigers farm team, known as 二軍 (ni-gun, 2-gun), the second army, the second string players, the Japanese minor league and/or the farm... It is located inside the Zero Carbon Base Ball Park, and as the name might suggest, the park is commitmented to environmentalism, social contributions and SDGs. It is a quite nice and eco-friendly space where people can hang out to wait for the game to start. The park (but not the stadium) with its walking and jogging paths and multi-use plaza is open to the public on non-game days as well. While the park and stadium have many barrier-free accommodations (rest rooms, elevators, wheel chair user seating) they are still a lot of steps and stairs that are steep. And the stadium seats are on the small side...

Zero Carbon Base Ball Park website: https://zerocarbon-bp.hanshin.co.jp/

I arrived an hour before the stadium opened for the game. The park had friendly, mellow festival vibes. The day up until that time was cloudy and cooler, but the (soothing line of) clouds soon gave way and the sun's piercing heat hit hard...

2-gun team manager Katsuo Hirata (平田勝男 no.78) welcomes you...

The current Hanshin rookie players and maybe a future one...

The outside food trucks: tako-yaki and Beef tongue rice bowls...

Pre-game activities still going on before the game...

Views of the stadium from my seat way up high at the end of the first base seats...

The stadium can seat 4,400 people. There are seats on the first and third base sides. There are standing only spaces in parts of the outfield. Most of the empty seats were filled by the time the game started...

The wheel chair user seat section above the Hanshin dugout (there were 3 sections like this in total in the stadium)...

The starting line-ups...

The sweets food booth with Dippin' Dots! My daughter's favorite...

The curry, player bento and fried foods booth... Although 2-gun had its own "gourmet" program, it was much smaller than the Koshien menus...

As per usual, I ate the カツカレー (katsu kare--), or pork cutlet curry; in Japanese, katsu also means "win!" I have a long streak at Koshien Stadium (home of the first team Hanshin Tigers) that when I eat the katsu curry, the Tigers win...

There were only 3 beer girls and 1 chu-hai girl to tend to the thirsty crowd. The waiting time to get a beverage was a little long. Here, the chu-hai girl navigates the steep stairs with her heavy box containing cans of chu-hai and lemon flavored ice near my seat...

We shouldn't forget that there was a baseball game going on, although on a very smaller scale... The atmosphere of the stadium was very different from Koshien. People were not as raucous. At times the stadium seemed dead quiet. That is not to say that fans were not paying homage to the players. But there was no real organzied cheering. Some pockets of people attempted to sing familiar cheer songs. But other groups were singing different chants in different parts of the stadium at the same time. The dissimilarity of this stadium and the scene at Koshien was striking...

Masahiro Tateishi (立石正広 no.9) was up to bat and the fans were excited. He was probably the biggest name player in the game. The Hanshin Tigers drafted Masahiro Tateishi in the first round of the Nippon Professional Baseball draft on October 23, 2025. There's a lot of hope that he will be a strong player and a super-star.

While he started out well when on the first team, he quickly and unfortunately started to decline. He was recently sent back down to the farm team with hopes he can work hard and improve. The fuzzy picture shows him striking out. For the night he went 0 for 4 (3 strike outs and one ground out to first)...

Struggling veteran Kento Itohara (糸原健斗 no.33) was put in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 8th inning during the tied game...

He struck out swinging... At the end of 9 innings, the game ended in a 2-2 tie... (In the big league games, a tied game will go up to 12 innings before being concluded as an official tied game; this is because most fans take the train to the game and need to return home on the train before they stop running; 2-gun games stop after the completed 9th inning.).

Win or lose, the Hanshin tigers team lines up on the first base line and bows to the fans after the game.

Game summary: https://service.smt.docomo.ne.jp/portal/sports/baseball_f/schedule_live.html?game_id=2021040932#tab-record

For the record, I don't necessarily think my katsu curry winning streak has ended: The Tigers did not lose, and this was only the farm team...

I must admit, this is probably the worst baseball game I have ever seen. The players were mediocre at best. There is definitely a difference in experience and talent between the farm and first team players. Still, there is more to Japanese baseball (and baseball in general across borders) and the Hanshin Tigers than the actual game, rules and outcome. There is a spirit of support, respect and love for, what an anthropologist might refer to as, a performative cultural event - a combination of rituals that reconfirm important collective and individual beliefs. There is a a spririt of hope that the farm players will improve, move up to the first team and help the Tigers win. The stadium was packed, and most fans stayed until the end of the game. I always tell my students that the Hanshin Tigers are an important part of local Osaka (and Kansai) culture (and that they should go to a game at Koshien whether they like baseball or not). This experience at the farm certainly confirmed this claim. GO TIGERS!

Bonus 1!

The game also influenced me to do something that I should have done years ago: Watch Field of Dreams... I had never seen this 1989 classic film until today (the day after the 2-gun game). And it was great, once again capturing much more than the game. If you haven't seen it, you should...

Field of Dreams, Universal Studios (1989) Phil Alden Robinson, Director

Field of Dreams Official Trailer #1 (1989): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut06d4dptWo

Watch the film: https://ok.ru/video/11487319034521

Bonus 2!

「Summer ball park 甲子園」

haiga by Kuniharu Shimizu 清水国治

August 9, 2026.

Shimizu sensei's haiga evokes the Japanese High School Baseball Tournament that is going on now at Koshiem Stadium. Whether it be at Koshien or Nippon Steel SGL Stadium, the line between light and shadow, hot and cold and win or lose is a part of, and transcends, the spirit of baseball...

See Shimizu sensei's work here: https://seehaikuhere2.blogspot.com/

Wow! How often do I get to end my show with a haiku like my hero Yoshida Rui (吉田類)?

@rui.sakeo・Facebook

Funny digital manipulated photo of Toyko Dome Stadium prohibitions which includes the Hanshin Tigers' players Sato and Morishita who hit home runs in the Tigers' 5-1 Victory over the Yomiuri Giants that has gone viral on Japanese social media (I saw this this on fb).

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 03:16:11 +0000

"Mexican man arrested over attempt to smuggle some 200 lizards into Japan"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

Caption: Mexican alligator lizards seized by Tokyo Customs from a Mexican man who attempted to smuggle them into Japan on Saturday through Haneda Airport | TOKYO CUSTOMS HANEDA SUB-BRANCH / VIA JIJI

Photo and text from The Japan Times, 8/12/26: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/12/japan/crime-legal/man-arrested-lizards-smuggling/

Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department said Wednesday it arrested a 23-year-old man after he tried to smuggle some 200 lizards into Japan by hiding them inside socks in a suitcase. Daniel Isaac Velasco Baltazar, who is of Mexican nationality and whose place of residence and occupation are unknown, has admitted to the allegations of attempted import without permission, police said.

Baltazar is alleged to have attempted to bring in the lizards, including nine Mexican alligator lizards, from South Korea without declaring them at customs on Saturday.

International commercial trade of Mexican alligator lizards is strictly controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Tokyo police said they received an anonymous tip in late July saying Baltazar was trying to smuggle lizards in time for a reptiles exhibition and sales event.

The Tokyo Customs officers who had been on alert at Haneda Airport inspected his suitcase and found some 200 lizards squeezed into 22 pairs of socks. One of them was dead.

The suspect reportedly told investigators that he had purchased them in Mexico at roughly ¥560 ($3.50) to ¥750 each.

Mexican alligator lizards that inhabit alpine regions in Mexico are scarce in Japan and are said to be traded at around ¥100,000 each.

The lizards found in the suitcase appeared to include other species as well, and authorities are investigating the details.

"Ainu musician brings tradition and global sounds to New York"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:56:22 +0000

Photo caption: Ainu musician Oki plays the tonkori during a performance in New York on June 4, 2026. (Photo not for sale)(Photo courtesy of Richard Termine/The Japan Society)(Kyodo) ==Kyodo Image: Kyodo

Photo and text from Japan Today, 8/11/26. Source: https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/feature-ainu-musician-brings-tradition-and-global-sounds-to-new-york

Ainu musician Oki returned to the city where he first began exploring his identity, bringing with him a sound that blends the traditional music of Japan's indigenous people with influences ranging from rock and reggae to African rhythms.

In early June, the sound of the tonkori, a traditional Ainu stringed instrument, reverberated through a concert hall in New York as Oki, 69, performed with the Oki Dub Ainu Band, the group he leads.

His music fuses traditional Ainu music with genres such as rock, reggae and Afrobeat. Returning to the city that had prompted him to reflect on his Ainu roots, he performed the distinctive style he continues to refine.

"I'm back home, New York City!" he called out during the concert. The packed hall erupted in cheers.

Oki was 4 when his parents divorced, and he grew up in Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo with his mother and stepfather. He did not learn that his biological father was Ainu until he was 22 and studying metalwork at the Tokyo University of the Arts.

Although he visited relatives in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, he felt like an outsider. He was neither "fully Japanese" nor Ainu, and struggled deeply, feeling lost and unable to define his own identity.

He had aspired to a career in contemporary art but could not find a form of expression that felt truly his own. At age 30, he moved to New York without a concrete plan.

While visiting art exhibitions, he met people from indigenous communities. He traveled to Arizona to visit one of them -- a Navajo artist -- and was struck by their traditional way of life. The experience deepened his awareness of his own roots.

He studied film production in the United States with the intention of building a career in the field, but a Japanese film project he was involved in fell through. He decided to start his life over in Hokkaido.

There, he encountered the tonkori, a five-stringed instrument passed down among Ainu who had migrated from Sakhalin to Hokkaido. At the time, there were no players left, and efforts to revive the instrument were just beginning within the Ainu community.

"Maybe this was the way I could find my own voice," he thought.

Through trial and error, he learned to play the instrument using postwar recordings as a guide and began composing songs in the Ainu language. He combined the electrified tonkori with bass and drums, blending it with reggae and African music he had experienced live in New York.

Today, Oki enjoys international recognition and is invited to world music festivals across the globe.

"I don't want being Ainu to be the first thing people associate me with," he said.

He sees interest in the Ainu -- who have historically faced discrimination -- as separate from appreciation of his own music.

"People who are only interested in the story of a young man of Ainu heritage playing the tonkori aren't really interested in my music," he said.

At the same time, he recognizes the importance of the Ainu telling their own stories.

Last year, he made his directorial debut with the documentary "Everyday Ainu," produced by the National Ainu Museum in Shiraoi, Hokkaido.

Speaking at an event at the Japan Society in New York the day after the concert, he said he wanted to make a film that tells "our own story," noting that many documentaries about the Ainu had been made by outsiders.

This is a rare example of how anthropologiy and salvage ethnography actually helped the Ainu (rather than stealing bodies and artifacts and basically decribing them as primitive barbarians). At the time Oki became interested in the tonkori there were no Ainu musicians who knew how to play it. He found old audio recordings taken by researchers and ethnomusicologists between the 1940s and 1960s. Oki had to listen to the poor quality recordings and learn how to play the instrument by ear, imagining how the fingers moved on the strings to make the tones and sounds.

Additional sources:

Oki / Tonkori In The Moonlight (Varja, 2022). https://note.com/yasuhide1978/n/nc161bc80e256?hl=en

Music as Weapon: Ainu musician fights for cultural survival (Tomoko OTAKE, Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, July 6, 2005) https://apjjf.org/tomoto-otake/1621/article

Tachinomi Banpaiya Monzen Nakacho ・立呑み晩杯屋門前仲町 [Warning: This post is rated R for mature audiences; you'll see why when you enter the shop... ・警告：この記事はR指定（成人向け）の内容を含んでいます。その理由は、ショップに入ればお分かりいただけるでしょう…]

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 07:21:00 +0000

Tachinomi Banpaiya Monzen Nakacho has been described as "a popular, ultra-cheap, no-frills standing bar (tachinomi) located in the traditional shitamachi (downtown) neighborhood of Monzen-Nakacho in Tokyo's Koto Ward. Part of a well-known budget izakaya chain, it is designed for fast, affordable drinking and casual eating." You should note that it is standing only, smoking is allowed and the shop accepts cash only payments.

The Banpaiya chain is run by Active Source Co., Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Toridoll Holdings. There are around 50 shops located especially in the Kanto and Kansai regions.

Upon entering the shop, if you look up, you will see a bit of a surprise (thus the R-rating for this post...). The infamous ceiling "collage" was created in 2016 to give the shop an exclusive and localized shitamachi dive-bar vibe. None of the other chain shops have this unique feature.

I have been to this shop a few times in the last couple years. It is cheap. And convenient. And many of the customers have been friendly and interersting. It opens at 1:00 PM on weekdays and 12:00 PM on weekends. Closing time is 11:00 PM.

UPDATE 8/17/26:

This was on my fb tonight. The English translation: Stopped by Banpaiya at Hanshin Amagasaki on my way home from work. The squid sashimi was nothing special, but the round herring was delicious. So there was a calendar, but still not the ceiling collage...

"Old-Fashioned Sake Bar" Orihara Shoten - Monzen Nakacho ・「伝統的でありながらモダン角打ち」折原商店 - 門前仲町

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 06:23:00 +0000

Orihara Shoten is a liquor shop and a "standing drink bar" usually known as 立ち呑み屋 (tachinomiya). This shop many shelves with various kinds of alcohol and refrigerators filled with cold bottles of 日本酒 (nihonshu) - there is a lot to choose from! They sell bottles and single drinks as well. This kind of shop is known as a 角打ち (kakuuchi); it does not have a license to be a restaurant but can still sell drinks and simple snacks. It is standing room only - there is no seating available.

Orihara Shoten's roots go back to 1924 in Ikebukuro, but the shop in Monzen Nakacho opened in 2011 as a part of its "second foundation." It has the traditional vibes (matching the 下町 [shitamachi] atmoshpere, or old, nostalgic downtown of commoners), with all the modern conveniences (payments accepted in cash, credit cards and various digital wallet services). I like to stop in for a few quick drinks and snacks (usually before I take the shinkansen back home to Osaka) and always manage to have interesting conversations with the staff and customers. The also sell a variety of old-fashioned 駄菓子 (dagashi), inexpensive candies and snacks for children (so I can buy a few last minute omiyage/treats for my daughter).

It is also a great place to take photos (I asked for permission). You can see what I shot on my recent fiedtrip to Tokyo. There are also a few links at the end of the post for information about and access to the shop, and how it was featured in a popular 飯テロ (meshi tero) TV drama.

Orihara Shoten website: https://www.orihara-net.co.jp/oriharashoten/

Orihara Shoten - Monzen Nakacho access ・折原商店 - 門前仲町アクセス (source: https://www.orihara-net.co.jp/oriharashoten/shop/)

Orihara Shoten featured on ワカコ酒 (Wakako Sake), Season 3, Episode 9 (TV Tokyo, 6/2/18): https://www.bs-tvtokyo.co.jp/wakako_zake3/story/index.html?story=s_09

Story about Orihara Shoten featured on ワカコ酒: https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/plus/drama/entry/2017/016147.html

*Setting the record straight (regarding Inō Tadataka @ Tomioka Hachiman Shrine (富岡八幡宮) in Monzen Nakacho)...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000

OK, so Inō Tadataka「伊能忠敬」lived from February 11, 1745 to May 17, 1818. And he wasn't really drinking with me at the izakaya (at least not in person). Inō sensei was a famous Japanese surveyor and cartographer. It is not such a stretch to suggest he was an ethnographer of sorts. I met him, or got to know him, by chance. On the last day of my recent research trip to Tokyo I had to check out of the hotel at 11:00 AM. I had an hour to kill before I could go to one last fieldsite, a close-by kakuuchi (see the next post). The Tomioka Hachiman Shrine was located next to my hotel, and I found a nice shady spot nearby to sit and wait. It happened to be near the bronze statue of Inō. It was a cool statue and I thought I might be able to use a picture of it in a class or something. I got up and took some photos. After a while, and much sweating in the hot summer sun, I was able to go to the kakuuchi (and its air conditioner). It was only later when I returned to Osaka that I did a little research to see who this person was and what his conection to the shrine was.

It turns out that after he retired from business at the age of 50, Inō lived close to the shrine in the Edo neighborhood of Fukagawa Kuroecho, which is now known as Monzen Nakacho. He was said to pray to the diety at this shrine before his first mapping trip to Hokkaido in 1800 and other subsequent trips. It became an important ritual for him, and since he was successful in 10 journeys, the shrine came to be associated with travel safety. The bonze statue of him was built in 2001 to commerate his ritual and work.

So if he could, why wouldn't he want to share some drinks and interesting discourse with a contemporary anthropologist?

This is a photo of Tomioka Hachiman Shrine I took in July 2023.

Scroll down to Set III in the this link of more photos of Tomioka Hachiman Shrine at that time: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2023/07/vaoj-s2023rt-arc-theres-more-to.html

This is the shrine now, undergoing some refurbishment.

English translation:

Tomioka Hachiman-gu Shrine

400th Anniversary of Enshrinement Commemorative Project

Donations Now Being Accepted

Tomioka Hachiman Shrine is conducting a commemorative project leading up to the 400th anniversary of its enshrinement in Reiwa 9 (2027). We ask for everyone's understanding and financial support. For details, please inquire at the shrine office.

Tomioka Hachiman Shrine Office

QR codes to give more information about shrine activies.

The Bronze Statue of Inō Tadataka at Tomioka Hachiman Shrine

English translation of information plaque:

Master Inō Tadataka, the pioneer of modern Japanese cartography, moved to Edo (now Tokyo) at the age of 50 after finding success in business. He established a residence near this shrine in Kuroe-cho, Fukagawa (currently Monzen-nakacho 1-chome). Approximately 200 years ago, during the Kansei era (Kansei 12, intercalary April 19th—June 11th, 1800, according to the solar calendar), he visited this shrine early in the morning to pray for safety before departing on his survey journey to Ezochi (Hokkaido). Master Tadataka went on to plan and execute a total of ten survey expeditions. Up until the eighth expedition, which mapped distant regions, he made it a strict rule to always visit Tomioka Hachiman Shrine before departing. Leading his internal disciples and attendants, he would pray for a safe journey, return to his residence to complete final preparations, and then head out toward the starting point of his survey. Consequently, this shrine is a place deeply connected to the mapping achievements of Inō Tadataka. To mark the 200th anniversary of the start of the Inō surveys, the "Inō Walk" mapping and surveying committee, land and house surveyors, the Inō Tadataka Research Society, and other related parties took the lead in raising public donations to erect this statue. October, Heisei 13 (2001).

Erected by the Executive Committee for the Construction
of the Inō Tadataka Bronze Statue

So you are probably still wondering how Inō Tadataka got to the izakaya (and the Monzen Nakacho Train Station). I was able to use some online tools (pre-A.I. PicWish) to remove the statue from the original background (of the photo I took), and then I pasted it in to photos of the other locations (which I took). OK, so there is the full disclosure...

Sources:

Brock, John. (2019). Japan’s Most Famous Surveyor: Ino Tadataka and His Iconic 1821 Map of Japan! Tokyo: International Cartographic Association (ICA / ICC Meeting Proceedings) Accessed August 4, 2026. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334378209_Japan's_Most_Famous_Surveyor_Ino_Tadataka_and_His_Iconic_1821_Map_of_Japan

Inō Tadataka Society (伊能忠敬研究会) and Watanabe, Ichirō. (2001). Erecting the Bronze Monument of Inō Tadataka: 200 Years of Mapping Japan. Tokyo: Inō Tadataka Monument Committee / Tomioka Hachiman Shrine Archives. Accessed August 4, 2026. http://www.tomiokahachimangu.or.jp/annai/inoTadataka/inoTadatak.html

Home again...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

「VAoJ」has returned safely to Osaka after research in Tokyo・「VAoJ」は東京で研究をして、無事大阪に帰りました

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 10:07:42 +0000

Image: Inō Tadataka (1745-1818), the famous Japanese surveyor and cartographer whose bronze statue resides in the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine grounds in present-day Monzen Nakacho, joined the 「VAoJ」team at the nearby izakaya Daruma for a few drinks, fieldwork and photography*.

画像：伊能忠敬（1745-1818) ―― 現在の門前仲町にある富岡八幡宮の境内に銅像が立つ、著名な測量家・地図製作者である彼が、近隣の居酒屋「だるま」で「VAoJ」チームに加わり、酒を酌み交わしながら、現地調査や写真撮影を行いました。

Additional photos are scheduled to be released soon.

近いうちに追加の写真が公開される予定です。

*I will explain how Inō sensei was able to come to the izakaya in another post soon...

*伊能先生がどうやってその居酒屋に来ることができたのかについては、近いうちに別の投稿で説明します...

2026 Kayashima Shrine Summer Festival / 令和八年萱島神社夏祭り / Dedicated to my friend and colleague Inge...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:23:00 +0000

This post started after talking with my friend and colleague, Inge. Since we probably wouldn't see each other for a while during the summer break, she asked me to send her a couple of pictures. So the nearby summer festival at the Kayashima Jinja gave me a chance to do some interesting photography and get a couple of good shots for Inge. I chose the two shots above because they illustrate the fun and crowded atmosphere of the night fair where people go to meet up with friends and buy delicious summer snacks and drinks. My photos feature my favorite festival treat, tamago senbei: a crisp shrimp cracker with a fried egg, savory sauce and mayonnaise. As I was enjoying my tamago senbei, many people around me were enjoying theirs as well. I hope you like these shots, Inge!

The shrine ・神社・ jinja

Of course, being a visual anthropologist, I wanted to do more in this post and show the context and components of this occasion to add to my several previous posts about the summer festival and other events at or near the shrine. Kayashima Jinja, while small, is famous because its primary deity is a large tree. When the Keihan Kayashima Train Station was constructed, it was built around the tree. The tree/deity is said to be quite powerful and generous, so it attracts a lot of people at new years, the setsubun celebration and summer festival. I have included a list of previous VAoJ reporting with more facts and observations at the end of this post readers and viewers who want more specific information.

This year, this sacred wood branch「御神木の枝」which is part of the camphor tree「クスノキ」at Kayashima Shrine considered to be a Shinto deity「神・ kami」was prominently displayed.

The local standing drink bar ・地元の立ち呑み・ jimoto no tachinomi

For several years, this drinking establishment always sold corn-on-the-cob roasted in butter and soy sauce. I always looked forward to this treat. But recently the tachinomi was bought by new owners who decided not to sell it this year. Very unfortunate...

The night fair ・夜店・ yomise

An egg on a shrimp cracker with sauce ・たまごせんべい・ tamago senbei

Yum! おいしい! うまい!

The trash ・ごみ・ gomi

Yes, Japan is such a clean country... And who says there are no trash bins in public? And don't forget to seperate your recyclable trash...

Goodnight ・おやすみ・ oyasumi

It was probably too early when I limped back home struggling to carry my canes, camera and snacks. For many the party was just getting started... But for me, I needed to get home to watch the Hanshin Tigers baseball game.

Day 2: The portable shrine ・神輿・ mikoshi

Back in the day, the parading of the portable shrine or mikoshi, a large one for the adults and a smaller one for the children, to bestow the blessings of the local deity to the residents of the shrine parish, was grand, energetic and exciting. But in the last several years it has become smaller, mellower and easier; it seems more obligatory rather than fulfilling. This is due to demographic trends and shifts in most areas of Japan (i.e. decreases in birth rates and an aging society), a lack of interest and involvement in neighborhood events (much of the neighborhood has been gentrified and turned into a bed-town) and global warming (every year seems to be getting hotter and more humid). The COVID-19 pandemic certainly did not help. In other words, the majority of participants are older people along with fewer young adults and children willing and able to participate in a difficult, laborious and grueling undertaking under the hot summer sun. The adult mikoshi is now carried on a truck rather than the sweating necks and shoulders of strong, young men (and women). Culture changes. Humans need to adapt to a changing environment (ironically caused by the humans thmeselves...).

Previous VAOJ posts on the summer festival at the Kayashima Shrine:

Here is a list of VAoJ posts related to Kayashima Shrine. It probably is not a complete list, but hopefully these are good sources to explore to find more information. As this blog/website is organized by chronological date and time, these posts seem to be a mish-mash of discourses influenced by my observations, interests and personal circumstances during various ethnographic moments. In relation to the VAoJ website/project as a whole, it is interesting to see when I moved from theories, methods and work of others to my own (auto)ethnographic endeavors and productions. It is not so surprising that this change occurred around the time I obtained my Nikon D-700 camera. It is also interesting (and nostaligic in a way) to see pauses and breaks of my work due to injuries, hospitalizations, the COVID-19 pandemic and other important happenings. So rather than a mish-mash, VAoJ might better be described as a multimodal exercise, where one can explore the posts and put together various pieces of the puzzle that is the visual anthropology of Japan.

2013 summer festival in 5 parts:

Visual Anthropology of Japan, Local Matsuri I: The Mikoshi, posted July 30, 2013.

Visual Anthropology of Japan, Local Matsuri II: Evening Activities, posted July 31, 2013.

Visual Anthropology of Japan, Local Matsuri III: Tamago Senbei, posted August 1, 2013.

Visual Anthropology of Japan, Local Matsuri IV: People, posted August 2, 2013.

Visual Anthropology of Japan, Local Matsuri V: くわしく, posted August 3, 2013.

2014 summer festival

Visual Anthropology of Japan, Local Matsuri, 2014 Edition, posted August 17, 2014.

2018 tondo matsuri post

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2018/01/remains-of-2018-kayashima-shrine-tondo.html Remains of the 2018 Kayashima Shrine Tondo Festival, posted January 15, 2018.

2018 setsubun festival

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2018/02/2018-setsubun-shots-kayashima-jinjya.html 2018 Setsubun Shots @ Kayashima Jinja, posted February 24, 2018.

2018 summer festival post

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2018/07/kayashima-jinja-summer-festival-mikoshi.html Kayashima Jinja Summer Festival: Mikoshi Procession Viewed from the Cool(er) Convenience of My Window, posted July 31, 2018

2019 setsubun festival post

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/02/local-setsubun-celebration-at-kayashima.html Local Setsubun Celebration at Kayashima Shrine, Osaka, Japan, Feb. 3, 2019, posted February 3, 2019.

2019 jalan-jalan post on tachinomiya refurbish

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/06/jalan-jalan-68-neighborhood-tachinomiya.html Jalan Jalan (68): Neighborhood Tachinomiya Under Construction - a noren to protect the entrance and a cover for the whole building during renovation... posted June 19, 2019.

2019 jalan-jalan post on tachinomiya new signage

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/06/jalan-jalan-69-and-heres-new-signage.html Jalan Jalan (69): And here's the new signage for the neighborhood tachinomiya (I wish I could have been there for the unveiling...), posted June 24, 2019.

2020 new year's post

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2020/01/ringing-in-reiwa-2-kayashima-jinja.html Ringing in Reiwa 2 @ Kayashima Jinja, posted January 3, 2020.

2022 summer festival post

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-subdued-2022-kayashima-summer.html The subdued 2022 Kayashima summer festival - no children and the mikoshi is carried on a truck... posted July 24, 2022.

2023 new year's post

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2023/01/first-visit-to-kayashima-shrine-for-new.html First visit to Kayashima Shrine for the New Year 2023, posted January 3, 2023

2023 summer festival

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2023/08/kayashima-summer-festival-july-2023.html Kayashima Summer Festival (July, 2023), posted August 2, 2023

2025 summer festival post

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2025/07/kayashima-shrine-summer-matsuri-july-27.html Kayashima Shrine Summer Matsuri (July 27, 2025) / 萱島神社夏祭り（2025年7月27日, posted July 27, 2025.

2026 new year's post

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2026/01/kayashima-shrine-after-new-years-rush.html Kayashima Shrine 萱島神社 After the New Year's Rush, posted January 4, 2026.

New Book!「The Art of Getting By: Wisdom and Resilience from China’s Migrant Women」by Kevin Ming

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 06:33:24 +0000

My friend and colleague Kevin Ming has published his new book, The Art of Getting By: Wisdom and Resilience from China’s Migrant Women (Algora Publishing 2026). Here is a brief description from the publisher:

Sound Bite

A work that is simultaneously ethnographic fieldwork, social theory, and intimate portraiture, The Art of Getting By takes us into a hidden world and nestles in, learning some of the ways people keep themselves intact in tough circumstances.

Introduction

The Art of Getting By: Wisdom and Resilience from China's Migrant Women invites readers into the disappearing alleyways and vibrant communities of southern China's urban villages, offering an intimate look at the lives of poor migrant women navigating worlds of exposure and exploitation. Through what Kevin David Ming calls a "vagrant anthropology," this book chronicles two decades of walking, listening, and storying with women who work in the sexual labor industry, primarily in falang (hair salon brothels), but also beyond, in China, Malaysia, and Thailand.

This unique narrative gathers fragments of life—snatches of song, shared meals, daily gossip, and poignant personal histories—to illuminate the ingenuity, resilience, and complex desires of its subjects. We meet Wangjing, whose dreams of a modern kitchen reflect aspirations for respectability and security for her family. We learn from Qi Qi about the careful art of "fishing" for customers in upscale hotel bars, a delicate dance of observation and performance. Christine's story reveals a love for literature and a quiet determination to write her own future, even amidst challenging circumstances. These women, often dismissed or stereotyped, are shown to be adept at forming connections and finding temporary inhabitance in worlds designed for their estrangement.

Beyond individual portraits, the book uncovers the broader forces shaping these lives: the relentless pace of urban development that obliterates communities, the "cannibalizing capitalist present" that scavenges on networks of care, and the enduring weight of filial obligations. It challenges conventional notions of hope, offering instead a vision of "present hope"—an energetic continuance born from struggle and the indeterminacy of an uncertain future.

For more information: https://www.algora.com/product/the-art-of-getting-by/

"Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 06:37:00 +0000

Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images. | ©YANAGI MIWA

Photo and text source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/07/10/art/japanese-female-photographers-exhibition/

By Jennifer Pastore, The Japan Times Contributing writer

For decades, women working in photography have had to fight for a place in the spotlight. “I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now,” a 2024 anthology and an ongoing international exhibition, seeks to give them the recognition they deserve.

Tokyo’s T3 Photography Festival previewed part of the exhibition last year, but the larger show, which has toured Europe and North America and attracted some 140,000 visitors, opened July 4 at Hikarie Hall in Shibuya. Organized by Bunkamura, the exhibition expands the roster to 30 women, adding Hisae Imai, Ai Iwane, Aya Fujioka and Tomoko Yoneda and bringing the total number of works on view to 200.

Twenty of the featured photographers attended the show’s preopening at Hikarie Hall. Each was called on stage in an emotional gathering of photographic talent rare in its scope and intergenerational representation.

“For a long time, the Japanese photography world has been a male-dominated society … In most cases, women were either a rare exception or merely an afterthought, says Mariko Takeuchi, a photography critic and the lead curator of the Tokyo exhibition. “The exhibition brought together artists from a wide range of generations. I believe that seeing the journeys of these female photographers come together in this tangible form, as an event that evoked that history, left a strong impression on everyone present.”

Takeuchi says that the participants were selected for their excellence — not just their status as women photographers — and that womanhood was just one aspect among a complex range of identities. The organizers took care to focus on the uniqueness of each photographer, rather than present a generalized survey.

The works are arranged in four sections that explore the possibilities of photography as a medium, its role in memory and documentation, its expressions of gender and the body and its ability to capture both the banality and magic of everyday life. The openness of the high-ceilinged rooms allows large-scale works, some of which hang from the ceiling, to be displayed even more impactfully, as though the photographers are speaking to each other. This characteristic is enhanced by unconventional textures and mediums, including scrolls of photographic paper, ceramic works and even a fabric tent.

The show includes living masters like Miyako Ishiuchi, whose series “Mother’s” (2000-05) meditates on memories of her late mother by documenting her possessions; Mao Ishikawa, who examines the American military presence in Okinawa from her lived experience documenting bars for servicemen; Kunie Sugiura, who blends science and art in photograms that directly capture light on canvas and paper, without a camera; and Miwa Yanagi, who in series like “Elevator Girl House” (1994-99) skewers the rigid superficiality of gender roles through staged, fantastical images, such as a pair of scenes showing dozens of women lined up mannequin-like in glass cases and collapsed onto a conveyor belt.

Foremothers of the genre are also given their dues: Eiko Yamazawa (1899-1995) was a pioneering commercial photographer who developed vibrant abstract compositions in primary colors beginning in the 1950s; Toyoko Tokiwa (1928-2019) opened doors with her 1957 photobook “Kiken na Adabana” (“Dangerous Poison Flowers”) that portrayed Yokohama’s red-light district; Hisae Imai (1931-2009) produced avant-garde images based on literary works like “Hamlet.”

The show also features artists expanding their practices beyond photography and taking the medium beyond two dimensions, as seen in installations by Hiroko Komatsu, Yuki Tawada, Ai Iwane and Yurie Nagashima.

There are also a few surprises: Mika Ninagawa, known for hypersaturated color, turns to black and white with recent video works, while the chance to see Hitomi Watanabe’s shots of the Zenkyoto student uprising of the 1960s, taken from behind the barricades in her urgent yet poetic style, should not be missed as these photographs are rarely exhibited at Japanese museums.

While this exhibition is the first presentation of Japanese women photographers of this scale, it is by no means meant to be comprehensive. It is, however, meant to right a longstanding wrong.

Read more and see more photos of the event at The Japan Times.

A day that will live in infamy: "Trump says 'Islamic Republic of Japan' fired missiles at U.S. aircraft carrier'"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:44:33 +0000

Click on the article to see a clear view.

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/politics/trump-says-japan-rather-iran-in-gaffe-over-missile-attack-on-u.s.-ship (July 9, 2026)

BONUS VIDEO!

Go to 7:00 to see the big news!

Source: The Daily Show with Ronny Chieng, July 9, 2026
YouTube url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpTRbj5mtcM

"EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America" // Exhibition @ Smithsonian National Museum of American History

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 23:45:44 +0000

Image from https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/everybody-artifact-history-disability-america

Thanks to Mori Soya Sensei for sharing information about this exhibition from Corbett OToole's FB post:

Disability History is under attack Right Now.
There’s a new White House report stating that only some Americans should be represented at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
The ONLY comprehensive collection of disability history in the US is at that museum.
If the White House wins, we all lose access to histories of disabled people and all Americans stories and materials. The only materials allowed with be White House approved perspectives (i.e. white privileged)

Links:

EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America: https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/everybody-artifact-history-disability-america

Quote:

People with disabilities have been present throughout American history, but rarely appear in textbooks or shared public memories. Curator Katherine Ott introduces a new online exhibition that helps us understand the American experience and reveals how complicated history really is.

Over 100 years ago, an African American woman named Sarah Savage did something that caused her to be institutionalized at Central State Hospital, a "lunatic asylum" in Milledgeville, Georgia. She died there in 1882. Little else is known about her—when and where she was born, who she loved and who loved her, how she died, and what got her locked up. We don't even know if marker #72 belongs to her or a white man named Nathaniel Cowart—the cemetery was segregated and burial numbers used twice.

In the 1860s or 1870s, Benjamin Franklin was caught in a freezing storm in the Dakota Territory, lost his hands and feet to frostbite, and afterwards made a living selling cartes-de-visite (small photographs printed on thick paper cards) of himself.

There are thousands upon thousands of such stories about people with disabilities that never make it into the history books. To broaden the familiar narratives of American history and give presence to some of the "disappeared" in American history, we created an online exhibition about disability drawn from the museum's collections. The online exhibition is at the center of the museum's work in unraveling the intricate ways in which stigma, rights, and everyday realities intertwine.

The museum has dozens of photographic images of people with disabilities. We know neither the name nor circumstances of most of them. Being anonymous or forgotten does not mean that you are invisible. We can piece together past experiences by combining what the image tells us (about age, clothing, location, era, activity) with what we know about the history of disability in America. Such things as surfaced roads, escalators and elevators, the internet, as well as the closing of asylums and even the availability of inexpensive eye-glasses and a host of medical treatments have created circumstances that enabled political and social change. Our artifacts can explain events such as protests, hospitalization, first communion, and graduation and what they meant in the lives of people. Artifacts give shape and substance to historical experiences in ways that retrieve stories of those who did not have the resources, support, or power to leave a mark.

EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America: https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/everybody

Quote:

Many stories and events related to people with disabilities never make it into the history books or shared public memories. Familiar concepts and events such as citizenship, work, and wars become more complicated, challenge our assumptions about what counts as history, and transform our connection with each other when viewed from the historical perspective of people with disabilities, America’s largest minority.

Knowing these histories deepens understanding of the American experience and reveals how complicated history really is. In addition, when history comes through artifacts, distinct themes emerge—for example, the significance of place, relationships, and technology—that are less apparent when only books and words are used.

The EveryBody online exhibition is an introduction to the history of disability in America, covering politics, relationships, work, technology, health and more. Just as language about disability has changed (with movement away from stigmatizing terms such as crippled, handicapped, or invalid), so has understanding of it, with civil rights becoming paramount.

Check this out! Lots of good and important things to see!

The Rainy Season Indeed is Here (the last three Hanshin Tigers games - including today - have been canceled); the stream looks like pea soup but has an awful stench..

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:54:38 +0000

Dead Cherry Tree Branches and River Weed before the Onset of the Rainy Season

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 06:21:45 +0000

For a good memory post: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-master-of-canal-with-his-long-pole.html

End-of-the-Semester Summer Surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 05:51:00 +0000

After, let us say, a challenging semester, I was able to stay away from campus for a couple of relaxing and stress-free weeks. Upon my return (for a faculty report meeting), I found a wonderful surprise waiting for me in front of my office door: a piece of art and some classic literature. One of my most excellent students, Andrew, saw the Foo Fighters sticker on my computer and made his own rendition of their logo for me. In an addendum to his note thanking me for the semester, he wrote that he originally bought the book for himself but couldn't fit it in his luggage. He said that he thought I would enjoy it if I haven't read it before. I am a little sorry to say that I did read the book before, long before Andrew was even born... But I look forward to reading it again.

Thank you, Andrew, for all of your efforts, the great times in the class and your thoughtful present.

The Re/Construction: January 13 ~ June 13, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 11:22:00 +0000

This rather large post documents the construction of a new apartment complex (corrected name on the apartment signage:「フォレストグクリエオーレ城垣町 I II」or, Forest Creaole Shirogakicho I and II) in my neighborhood very close to my own house. The overall saga begins with two earlier posts, about the demolition of the previous Showa era house:

「Deconstruction: Demolishing a Showa Era House in the Neighborhood (this post is still under construction...)」: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2025/09/deconstruction-demolishing-showa-era.html

and the "pre-construction" of the apartment complex:

「Pre/Re/Construction...」：https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2026/01/prereconstruction.html

The main construction began on January 13 and was supposed to be finished in May. Construction ran longer than promised, continuing well into June. The crews started out at 8:00 AM and finished around 6:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. They also worked on some Sundays and national holidays. The finished product consists of two 3-story buildings with 12 1LDK apartment units in each building (for a total of 24 new apartments).

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS A SOUND-ONLY VIDEO. PLAY AT MAXIMUM VOLUME ON YOUR DEVICE TO GET AN IDEA OF THE REAL TIME EXPERIENCE... This is what woke me up almost everyday for the last 6 months. No snooze button, no shut off button...

This noise pollution has been inconsiderate, disruptive and stressful to say the least, for me, my family and many neighbors (who have sometimes complained to the workers). Sometimes we were notified before hand about work on Sundays and national holidays (the documents are included with the photos below), but many times we were not. Calls to the company headquarters went unanswered on Sundays and national holidays as their office was closed, despite the construction workers themselves having to work.

This documentation is not so scientific as the photos were taken haphazardly in terms of time and number of exposures in each photographic session. I tried to capture the weekly changes on Sundays when I could, but there were some periods of illness and hospitalization that prevented me at times. Most of the photos are structural only, without the construction workers or people walking by the site. Still, this project is ethnographic in that is displays the contrast between Showa era and contemporary architecture, contemporary construction methods (which includes far too few workers - usually 2-4 people - resulting in the slow progress) and the gentrification of the neighborhood (within walking distance of the Kayashima Keihan Train station) that adds to the bed town environment where residents do not know each other or interact as a community. This bed town gentrification unfortunately jives with obervations made in my prior research of the neighborhood fall festival, local Shinto shrine and demographic changes (aging society and low birth rates) that have been ongoing in Japan for nearly 30 years.

What follows are 152 photos, 4 documents, 1 timely social media post and information, diagrams and photos from the rental property company. It is a lot of raw data to digest. Good luck and yoroshiku for going through with it all.

January 13-17

January 18-25

January 27-31

February 1-11 (photos taken on 2/11, National Foundation Day, a national holiday but they were still working and being noisy, even on a rainy day...)

On February 3, we received a notification that construction would block traffic on 2/19, 2/20, 2/21, 3/2, 3/3 and 3/4.

February 12-14

February 15-20

February 21-23

February 24 - March 1

March 2 (Street closed for construction...)

March 3-8

Click on the article for a clear view.

On Facebook, March 16, 2026... I don't know... I haven't seen this kind of curtain in Japan before. And certainly the current construction in my neighborhood does nothing to lower noise pollution or improve the aesthetics of the construction site. As for politeness toward neighbors and functional beauty... NO! These are naive foreign stereotypes and assumptions that are not true. Sources like Japan Daily run rampant with such posts.

March 9-15

March 16-23

March 24 - April 12

We received the following notification that the construction crews would be working on a Sunday (4/26/26) and during part of the Golden Week Holidays (May 4, 5 and 6, 2026).

April 13-18

April 19-26

April 27 - May 3

May 4-10

May 11-17

We received this notice which stated that the street would be closed on 5/13/26.

May 18-24

May 25-31

June 1-8

June 9-13

From the Rental Property Website

The following data and photos are "courtesy of" the Rental Property compnay. Click on the image to get a clear view.

https://rent.sumirin-residential.co.jp/rent/?keyword=%E9%96%80%E7%9C%9F%E5%B8%82

Since today's date is June 13, 6 months after I started photographing the main construction, it seems logical to finally post this monster. I promise to add updates if there are any major changes and/or I have the opportunity to view the apartments myself in an open house. For now, I hope for a little peace and quiet, at least until the 24 new tenants move in...

Old Tobidashi Bōya "Running (or Jumping?) Boy" Sign in my Kadoma-shi Neighborhood

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:45:31 +0000

One day, while out on a jalan-jalan ("walking for nothing") with my camera I happened upon this very old sign. It was located on a storage garage at a Showa-era house in Kamishima-cho in Kadoma-shi.

The sign looked familiar, but I did not know what it really was or what the character on the sign was called. So I did a little AI research...

I uploaded the photo to Google Images and its AI said it was a pictograph or geoglyph. I guess the AI was fixated on the white lines. When I added more information ("Kadoma-shi, Osaka, Japan"), the AI said it was probably something from the Nazca Lines in Peru, because Japanese scientists had done research there (luckily I was familiar with the Nazca Lines after seeing them on the Ancient Aliens show on the History channel...). I typed "no, try again," and the AI said it was an image of Anpanman ("no"), Doraemon ("no"), and then Hoshio-kun (the Baby Star Ramen mascot). I then decided to give up with the AI and try to use my own memory.

I knew I had seen the sign and character before and then I finally found it on another jalan-jalan.

The sign, in flag form, was at an old tako-yaki shop near my home. I asked the master (after I ordered some tako-yaki, a benefit of ethnographic research) if I could take a picture of it. He said yes, of course, and added that the flag had been at the shop for a long time, since the time his father ran it.

I now had a new image to search, and when I did, I found out it was the Tobidashi Bōya (飛び出し坊や, or "Running Boy" or "Jumping Boy"). This character was made by Yasuhei Hisada for the city council of Yokaichi, Shiga Prefecture in 1973 as a warning sign that was adopted by local PTAs and neighborhood associations who placed them around schools and other areas to remind drivers to drive slowly and watch out for children in the street. Tobidashi Bōya spread to other communities who made their own versions.

So the sign I photographed is the Kadoma-shi version (I have seen it in Neyagawa-shi as well). The Kadoma-shi version has made it to also indicate a safety spot (business or home) for children to get help or call 110 to get emergency assistance from the police. I recently noticed that the small hospital behind my house puts the flag up whenever they are open.

Takeaways from this experience? 1) The sign, while severly weathered, is not as old as I thought it was... 2) My memory, also extremely weathered, along with fieldwork, seem to be superior to AI.

For more information, see "50 Years with the "Tobidashi Boy" Sign | Higashiomi, the Birthplace of the Tobidashi Boy Sign": https://tobidashibouya.com/

See also "An Exhibition of Tobidashi Boy": https://www.lmaga.jp/news/2016/08/14038/