The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation is pleased to present Miyuki Okuyama’s first UK solo exhibition, Japan, outside Japan. The show will feature Okuyama’s two recent works, Dear Japanese: Children of War (2012-17) and Michinoku Homeward: Walking towards the Northeast (2021).
Dear Japanese: Children of War (2012-17) is a documentary made from her personal point of view as a Japanese individual living in the Netherlands, portraying the children of Japanese soldiers and Dutch-Indonesian women, born during the Pacific War in Indonesia, now living in the Netherlands. In the portraits, the models look straight into our eyes, as if beyond the lens. Their gaze challenges us to see them as they really are. A Dutch/Indo viewer might notice the dissimilarity of appearance to him or herself, while a Japanese viewer might find a striking resemblance. Similarly, the ordinary Dutch landscapes might be very strange in the eyes of the photographer and those photographed. This is a subjective archive of compatriots abroad, sharing with them the complexity of having pride in being Japanese, coupled with feelings of alienation and guilt.
Michinoku Homeward: Walking towards the Northeast (2021) is a very personal documentary about Michinoku, Okuyama’s home region in north-eastern Japan. Michinoku is the ancient name for the area, first appearing in a 7th century chronicle, and means “the end of the road”. 2011 was an unforgettable year of disasters there, including a catastrophic earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident, causing more than 22,000 deaths. Okuyama was devastated by her powerlessness as a native of the region living abroad. Ten years later, in 2021, she walked 400km following the Edo period “Kaidо̄” route – officially created at the beginning of the 17th century – from the zero mile point in Tokyo to her home town of Yamagata. Michinoku Homeward is a photo documentary of this trip, combining journalistic topicality and the poetic feelings that occurred to her along the way, capturing her way home with an awareness that it might disappear.
7 March 2024 – 20 May 2024
Monday–Friday 9:30am–5:00pm (except UK public holidays)
Admission free
Events at Japan House are free of charge. As space is limited, booking is essential.
Private View: Japan, outside Japan by Miyuki Okuyama
Thursday 7 March 2024
6:00pm – 7:00pm
Drinks reception: 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Join us for a private view of Miyuki Okuyama’s first UK solo exhibition, Japan, outside Japan. This event will provide the opportunity to explore Okuyama’s two recent works, Dear Japanese: Children of War (2012-17) and Michinoku Homeward: Walking towards the Northeast (2021) at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. Find out more information and how to book here.
[Online] Artist Talk: Miyuki Okuyama in conversation with Jonathan Watkins Tuesday 16 April 2024
6:30pm – 7:30pm
Online Webinar: This event will start at 6:30pm BST
To mark the opening of Japan, outside Japan at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, Miyuki Okuyama will discuss with Jonathan Watkins the historical background to and recent events related to her projects Dear Japanese: Children of War (2012-17) and Michinoku Homeward: Walking towards the Northeast (2021). Free admission but booking is necessary. Find out more information and how to book here.
Photo credit: ©Miyuki Okuyama