Photo shoot update

Posted by Marcia

The weekend photoshoot ended on an excellent note with over 50 people participating. Our special thanks goes to Mamiya who offered us their wonderful camera equipment, Hiroshi and Britt for providing us their excellent studio space and time, as well as all the participants who have happily travelled to Kokubunji. It was lovely meeting you all. Thank you.

Japan - Tokyo/Osaka

We are pleasd to announce that we have had over 80 people sign up for our photo shoot events in Japan so far. With two photo shoots this weekend in Tokyo and another two next week in Tokyo and Osaka, we are very much looking forward to meeting all the different Half Japanese people who are due to participate. We have the following slots available at the moment:

Tokyo, 21 June (Sun) 2:15pm
Tokyo, 24 June (Wed) 6:45pm and 7pm
Osaka, 28 June (Sun) 1:15pm and 13:45pm

The shoot will take 15 mins. For details please visit:
http://www.hafujapanese.org/getinvolved.html

'Hafu' Photo Shoot & BBQ in London

Posted by Marcia

We are proud to say, last Sunday we had about 25 half Japanese people take part in our photo shoot. The weather was so tempting that we had to have a bbq lunch too.

We are very excited to see how quickly words travel: a friend of a work colleague's sister, a friend of a friend of a friend, or the daughter of a friend, etc - the route varies but we were all there for one reason - to be part of the project. It was lovely to meet some of the parents accompanying our participants too. There was a kind of a family feeling to the whole atmosphere, it didn't feel like I had never met any of them.

We are planning another Hafu shoot in London when we come back from Japan, possibly in August. Those of you who live in Japan or know anybody who may be interested in taking part, please check out details of the photo shoot events in Tokyo and Osaka:
http://www.hafujapanese.org/getinvolved.html (English)
http://www.hafujapanese.org/getinvolvedjp.html (Japanese)

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Hafu Photo Shoot in London 31 May 2009

Posted by Marcia

As part of our 'Hafu' project - http://www.hafujapanese.org/, we are organising a photo shoot in London this Sunday, 31 May. We are inviting half Japanese people (over 18 years old) of all mixes and ages to participate. The exact location is Brockley, in south London - zone 2, two stops away from London Bridge. We have 15 mins slots available throughout the day from 10am to 6pm.

About 15 people have already signed but we still have the following slots available:

10:45-11:00
11:00-11:15
11:15-11:30
17:15-17:30
17:30-17:45
17:45-18:00

Please email info@hafujapanese.org for details.

Thank you!


Note: If you are using public transport it would be best to buy a non-oyster paper travelcard covering zone 2 as pay as you go osyter cards don't work in Brockley station unfortunately. It may also be good to check train times before starting your travel:http://nationalrail.co.uk/

The Black Japanese experience in Georgia, US

Posted by Marcia

I found a very interesting short film on the experiences of two Japanese African-American families living in Georgia, the so called "South" of the US. A great addition to your "favorites".

"This is a documentary that deals with the experiences of individuals of both Japanese and African American descent living in Georgia. They live in African American communities. However, because of their dual ethnic backgrounds, their ethnic identity is a major issue. They want to identify themselves as African American, but their African American friends sometimes do not consider them as African Americans. They overcome their issues and start to take pride in who they are."

Watch the documentary here:
http://docupyx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=57


An additional interesting website:

Black Tokyo - a site full of info and discussion on Japan from an Black perspective.
http://www.blacktokyo.com/

Bone marrow donors required - part Caucasian part Japanese

Posted by Marcia

Nick Glasgow, a 28-year-old in California was recently diagnosed with Leukemia and is now in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. The potential match is likely to be somebody who is a mix of Caucasian and Japanese. Please circulate this information to those who may be able to help. For those in the US, please visit this blog site for more information: http://johnkemeny.com/blog/?page_id=592

"Any person whose ethnic background is a mix of Asian and Caucasian, and is in good health with no history of cancer or major illness, and is between the ages of 18 and 60, is a potential donor for Nick. Expanding on the initial information, one does not need to be 75% Caucasian and 25% Asian — any potential mix could work. While the most likely match would be from a person who is 75% Caucasian and 25% Japanese, it is absolutely possible that other combinations of Caucasian-Asian background in different proportions could work. The Asian background should be Sino-Asian, rather than Indo-Asian. Finding an ideal match with all of Nick’s markers is very difficult, and we do not want to exclude any potential donors. "

For those in the US, please visit this blog site for more information: http://johnkemeny.com/blog/?page_id=592

For those in the UK, I just found out that it is possible to register as a bone marrow donor in the UK just by giving a blood sample in the London clinic of the Anthony Nolan Trust. If there is a match on the register from waiting patients worldwide (including the US and many European countries) you will be asked to undergo medical examination prior to the donation procedure. The procedure will take place in a private hospital too which I think is very reassuring. The Trust will pay for all expenses including your transportation costs and your family/friend who is accompanying you.

Please visit http://www.anthonynolan.org.uk/ for more information about becoming a bone marrow donor. Please consider registering as a donor - there is a shortage of registered donors from ethnic minorities including mixed race people. It will not only help Nick but others waiting for a match.

The Role of Photography in 19th Century Japan

Posted by Marcia

"Photography in Nineteenth-Century Japan"
History of Photography
Summer 2009, Taylor & Francis
Edited by: Luke Gartlan
Contributed by: Sebastian Dobson, Karen Fraser, Luke Gartlan, Mikiko Hirayama, David Odo and Mio Wakita.

Check out the Book Launch at Daiwa Foundation to celebrate the birth of this fantastic volume about photography and Japan. It is a shame Natalie and I will miss the event, as we are in Japan photo shooting and interview, but if you are in London and are interested in the historical role of photography in Japan, this is an unmissable event. While you are at it, check out the wonderful facilities of Daiwa Foundation in Baker Street too!

Daiwa Foundation Japan House
13/14 Cornwall Terrace
London NW1 4QP

30 June 2009
6.00pm-8.00pm

Booking is essential:
http://www.dajf.org.uk/event_page.asp?Section=Eventssec&ID=422&ticket=1

Enjoy!

Marcia