TOHOKU Photo Exhibition at the National Museum

The Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) in cooperation with the National Museum of the Philippines, the Embassy of Japan and The Photographic Society of Japan brings to Manila the traveling exhibit TOHOKU－Through the Eyes of the Japanese Photographers, an exhibition composed of 123 photos representing the different aspects of life in Tohoku from its past, present and the future. 

The Tohoku Region is the northeastern section of Honshu, the largest island in Japan.  It is divided into six (6) prefectures:  Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Yamagata, Miyagi and Fukushima.  The region is blessed with a beautiful and abundant natural environment of seas, mountains, rivers and forest.  On March 11, 2011, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 hit Japan and the worst damaged was concentrated in the region.  The media coverage of the destruction made many people familiar with the names of Tohoku cities and prefectures, but few are likely to have a broad knowledge of other aspects of the region.

The exhibition is composed of works by nine (9) photographers and one (1) photographers’ group:  Teisuke Chiba, Ichiro Kojima, Hideo Haga, Masatoshi Naito, Masaru Tatsuki, Hiroshi Oshima, Naoya Hatakeyama, Meiki Rin, Nao Tsuda and the group led by Toru Ito.  Curated by Kotaro Iizawa, a recognized photography critic in Japan, the exhibit showcases the natural and cultural backdrop of Tohoku as well as its people and their way of life.  Photographs taken in the early 50s and 60s are presented together with photos of the present Tohoku to illustrate the varied points of view and generation of each individual photographer.

“TOHOKU－Through the Eyes of the Japanese Photographers”will be on public view at the Gallery XVIII, Old Legislative Building at the National Museum from January 30 to March 17, 2013.  An Art Talk from Mr. Kotaro Iizawa and Mr. Nao Tsuda will be held on March 9 (Saturday).  Film screenings will also be held during the exhibition run. The National Museum is located at Padre Burgos Avenue, Manila. The museum is open every Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The exhibition is part of the celebration of the Japan-ASEAN 40^th Friendship Year.  For inquiries, please contact the Japan Foundation, Manila at telephone numbers (02) 811~6155 to 58 or email@jfmo.org.ph or visit www.jfmo.org.ph