Imamura Ayako: Japanese Deaf Filmmaker and University Professor

I completed my teaching practicum for the University of Arizona at the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in some past century.  I've always enjoyed the time I spent with my Deaf/deaf friends and colleagues while in the US.  My current city, Suncheon, has a rather large deaf community, and I have always enjoyed spending time with the group and with individual friends.

Topics on Deaf Japan is a blog I follow regularly.  Recently, I read a couple of posts at ToDJ about Imamura Ayako who is a Deaf filmmaker in Japan and who also happens to teach Japanese Sign Language at Nagoya Gakuin University, which is a private university in Nagoya.

Imamura Ayako made and released a short movie some time ago about Deaf people who were in the region of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the resultant tsunami that devastated many areas of Japan.  One can correctly surmise that many Deaf people in those areas never knew of the evacuation announcements and orders that were broadcast using the community alert systems and loudspeakers.

Read a couple of posts about her at the Topics on Deaf Japan blog here and here.

Learn more about Imamura Ayako at her website here.  She has a couple of short clips of her film on her site that can be seen here.

Zach Rensberger -- Nagoya to Nagasaki for a Better World

I had the good fortune to meet Zach Rensberger in Suncheon, which is a city in the southern part of South Korea, when we both happened to be living and working there at the same time.  We even exhibited together as part of a Gwangju Artist Collective group show at the Jami Gallery in Gwangju-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea.

Zach has since moved to live and work in Japan, and he made me aware of a project that he is starting there.  He is a cycling enthusiast, to say the least, and his project involves a 1,000 kilometer bike tour for a cause.  This is part of his project statement:

"Like many people, I always wish I could be better or wish I could do more. When I first decided to do a long-distance cycling trip I just wanted to test myself. I thought it would be a chance to see what I am really capable of, and of course it would be a great experience as well! Then I thought that this would be a great chance for me to do more! I decided to use this journey as a way to spread the word about a cause that’s important to me. And because I’m totally convinced that creating a better world for our children is the best thing we can do, I wanted to advocate an amazing organization that helps and supports children! Save the Children is an independent organization that strives to better the lives of children all over the world, including Japan!

So as I am about to embark on this adventure across western Japan, I ask you to please visit the Save the Children website and donate! Your donation, whatever amount, will be a chance for you too to do something more, to make an impact and make the future a better place!"

To read more about Zach's project in fine detail, please visit the Common Road site here.  I believe you will be impressed, too.

Why am I promoting Zach and his project?  Because the catastrophe at the Fukushima nuclear plant that was destroyed by the tsunami in 2011 continues today as it will for years to come.  Read a recent Reuters news article about it here. 

 

Good luck, Zach!

Prewar Osaka at japanCRUSH

Beth at japanCRUSH wrote a nice article, with the accompanying photos, about the prewar years of Osaka, Japan.  Take a look at the article here.

japanCrush and Michael Wolf

The photographer Michael Wolf is receiving a bit of attention in Japan for his photographing commuters on trains during rush hour in Tokyo.  The blog japanCrush displays the photos taken by Mr. Wolf as well as several translated comments posted by netizens.  Take a look at what the hubbub is all about here.

Michael Wolf has a great many series on his website titled, Life in Cities.  His photographic work is seen here.

William Ropp Exhibits in Tokyo

If you live in Japan, or if you are visiting Tokyo from the middle of August to the middle of September, attending this photography exhibition by William Ropp will be a treat.

I like the emotional impact of his photography.  There are no distractions to lessen the strength of the compositions, and the subjects pop out with intensity.