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How far from here?
This project captures the scenery of the countries that have a strong connection with Japan since ancient times.
-The port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands was the only country that was permitted to trade with Japan during the isolation period, a Japanese national policy of shut-out the foreign cultures to nurture their own culture for 200 years.
-The local's life on the beach of Brazil where many Japanese immigrate ever since over 100 years ago and the highest population of Japanese besides Japan.
When I, Japanese started living in Europe, many locals asked me “How far from here (to Japan) ?”
I answered by the length of the flight hour as realistic means. However, their expected answer was the length of distance by kilometer.
A person from the continental culture considers the distance to a neighboring country by the length of a distance on the road of the one continent because they can move to other countries through the road on the continent or through the bridge.
While, the Japanese consider the distance to other countries by a length of flight hours because Japan is an island country and not adjoining to any foreign country, and impossible to go to other countries on the land to the land.
These different senses of distance are reflected in the sense of psychological distance to a foreign country.
Today, the spread of the Internet allows us conveniently to learn about foreign cultures and to easily connect with foreigners.
Thus, the world has mentally become closer. However, even now, we carry necessities from continent to continent through the ocean, and the lives of immigrants continue in their respective lands from the past to the present and the future.
Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands / Sao Paulo & Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
On going project
