I sincerely want to tell my story to all friends and readers of this blog in New York.
[Event] The Great East Japan Earthquake: Creative Responses & Social Imagination
[Date] Sunday, March 10th, 2013 2:00-5:00PM
[Place] The Diana Center, Event Oval LL1, Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10027
[Reservation] http://nyjapan311.org/registration/ (The number of sheets is limited, please register as soon as possible if you can)
Until last August 2012 before coming to New York, I worked as a staff of “tumugiya,” an organization that was created in response to The Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. I worked on two projects in Oshika Peninsulra: local accessory “OCICA” and food shop “Boppora Shokudo” for job creation and community recovery, collaborating with local women’s groups and professional designers, architects and photographers. I am honored to be invited as a guest speaker of the symposium, The Great East Japan Earthquake: Creative Responses & Social Imagination at Columbia University on 10th March, held by “Consortium for Japan Relief”, and will make a presentation about the stories of those two projects.
“OCICA” – a new brand of jewelry created by mothers in Makinohama, Oshika Peninsula
This accessory is made of deer horn and fish net, both of which are common local resources, and designed by Eisuke Tachikawa at “NOSIGNER”
(Photo by Junichi Takahashi (Left), Lyie Nitta(Right))
Here is the English article at “Spoon & Tamago”
“Boppora Shokudo” – a new food shop run by a local mother’s group “Mermamaid” in Ayukawahama and Niiyamahama, Oshika Peninsula
This food shop sells daily lunch specials to local residents in Oshika Peninsula and carpenters and visitors from outside, who previously did not have enough opportunity to buy and eat lunch because most of the food shops in Oshika Peninsula had been destroyed by the tsunami. The building is designed by Akihimichi Shiba at “akimichi design” and Yasuhisa Nakajima at “DOOGS DESIGN”
(Photo by Junichi Takahashi)
The project is funded by The Japan Society, Architecture for Humanity and The Toyota Foundation. Here is the web-report of the project.
Well, that may sound great when I describe my past works like above. But every time I try to explain about our works and lives in Oshika Peninsula, I feel my words unfit with reality. “Community empowerment?,” “Job creation?,” “Disaster recovery support?,” hmmm, it can be said that as a result. But we project members didn’t think we are “helping victims of the disaster!” “Social business?” well… the projects can be categorized as social actions and sustainable business, not as charity or volunteer works, but we feel our relationships between staffs of “tumugiya,” local mothers, project members of wonderful designers and photographers, and many retailers, online shops and media that introduced and sold the products, were something beyond “business partners” or ‘volunteer members,” but more strong bands. Every time I talk about our projects, I remember each one’s face and words that strongly and warmly supports myself still now, and I realize that is the most important thing of our projects. So, at the symposium, let me share with you my personal experience and feeling, introducing photos and words of my precious “families.”
[Event] The Great East Japan Earthquake: Creative Responses & Social Imagination
[Date] Sunday, March 10th, 2013 2:00-5:00PM
[Place] The Diana Center, Event Oval LL1, Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10027
[Reservation] http://consortiumforjapanrelief.org/registration/ (The number of sheets is limited, please register as soon as possible if you can)
上記英語記事の通り、3月10日(日)に、コロンビア大学にて、”The Great East Japan Earthquake: Creative Responses & Social Imagination”と題されたシンポジウムで牡鹿半島でのプロジェクト(OCICA&ぼっぽら食堂)のお話をさせていただくこととなりました。”Consortium for Japan Relief”というコロンビア大学の団体のみなさんの主催によるものです。
こうして、昨年夏までの牡鹿での活動について語る時、いつも、感情と外形のギャップを感じ、それをどう表現したものかと悩みます。
大文字で「東北復興支援」だとか「被災地支援」だと言われても、ピンとこないし、そういうつもりでやってきたわけでもない。
でも一方で、ローカルアクションとかクリエイティブアクションとかソーシャルビジネスとかコミュニティエンパワメントだというカテゴリーで、なんだか華々しい成果のように語られるのも、こそばゆい。
なんだかどちらも違う気がして。
自分が語ることが出来るのは、自分の目を通して見た風景、自分の心と身体で体感した出来事でしかありません。
それらは、上のような聞こえの良い単語と、どうしてもフィットしない。
だから今回も、とても個的なお話をすることになるのだと思います。自分の物語を、大切なみんなの写真や言葉と共に。
このブログをお読みの日本人の方で、NY在住の方、あるいはNYにお知り合いがおられる方、是非との当ブログのリンクか、下記イベント情報を色々な方にお知らせいただければ幸いです。
[Event] The Great East Japan Earthquake: Creative Responses & Social Imagination
[Date] Sunday, March 10th, 2013 2:00-5:00PM
[Place] The Diana Center, Event Oval LL1, Barnard College, Columbia University, 3009 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10027
[Reservation] http://consortiumforjapanrelief.org/registration/ (The number of sheets is limited, please register as soon as possible if you can)