Project Report : Hiroshima

The Hiroshima team toured the cities of Hiroshima, Shobara, and Onomichi, shooting photos with a focus on meeting as many people and seeing as many things as possible. Kosuke and Emily hadn’t had much experience taking photos, but they were able to make full use of their cheerful and friendly personalities to take wonderful portraits. Merely having a camera in hand created opportunities for conversation and an exchange of smiles. As the team experienced more and more of these interactions, it appeared as if weights were being lifted and they were truly enjoying themselves.

At Peace Memorial Park on August 6th, the team struck up conversations with and photographed people who had come to pray with bouquets of flowers or strings of a thousand paper cranes, people who were campaigning for the elimination of nuclear weapons or calling for the end of all wars, and groups of elementary, junior high, and senior high school students who had come on school trips. The shoot continued for approximately four hours in the extreme heat, but everyone did a great job. Sawako was especially enthusiastic, running around the park as she took pictures. The number of people in the park began to dwindle around lunchtime, which gave the team a chance to listen to the old men and women who were there to talk about their experiences of the atomic bomb.

In Shobara, team members visited artisans. Daniel, who visited a hanko (signature seal) shop and watched a hanko being carved both by hand and with a laser machine, was impressed to discover that the skills of artisans and the most cutting-edge technology are both being used in pursuing a traditional Japanese craft. In Onomichi, the team walked all over the place, shooting the beautiful harbor and the alleyways lined with old buildings rich with history.

Improvements could have been made in the organization of the final presentation, but it was impressive that the four team members were able to come up with what they did in the limited time they had. These photos would never have existed were it not for the bonds of trust and tolerance between the photographers and the subjects, even if for a moment.

(Fujikake Toshiya, Hiroshima Team Guide)