Identity Transcription

Q. What is your first impression of Japan?

A. Is it your first impression of Japan?

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Q. It's okay to say it in one word, and I can understand enough from the list of impressions. I'm sorry for the rather vague question.

A. I've been to Japan many times, so it's difficult to remember my first impression.

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Q. So when did you first go to Japan? How many years will it be?

A.  I first went to Japan right after graduating from university in 1993. Well, the first impression is that you came to a world completely different from the one I'm used to living in. Of course, there were many other impressions. Because when I first came to Japan, I first stayed in Tokyo for a few days and then went to rural areas. It was a small town in Nagano prefecture. Therefore, my impression is divided into several layers. Well, it might be better to say that Japan has noticed that it has many faces. The first impression was that Japan was a very complicated place.

  It turns out that people outside of Japan do not have much understanding of Japan. It turned out to be very difficult to understand from the outside. This is my first impression.   

  Seeing the city and the countryside in a week means seeing a very Japanese part and a future part. In rural areas you can see the very Japanese part: tradition and the lives of each and every one, while seeing the astonishing, crazy, inhuman future city. It sounds like two simple views, but it's not. People not only see the future of Japan, but also remember Japanese traditions. However, I don't think people outside Japan can understand these two worlds that Japan has. It is understandable that people outside Japan value tradition and the future world. But I don't understand that the two are linked. That is a very different part from Japan.

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Q. What do you mean by saying that Tokyo is inhuman? 

A. Inhumanity may not be appropriate, but it means that people are disconnected from each other.

Q. The next question. What are the pros and cons of Japanese high school students compared to the United States?

A.  First of all, I would like you to understand that I am not a teacher in the United States. I have never taught in an American high school. So I can't really answer those questions. Are you interested in what American high school looks like?  Let's apply it to my work. Japanese young people are trying to find their own identity. However, we are suffering between what is accepted and what is not accepted by Japanese society. I think Japanese young people are a very interesting target. Young people are somewhat disconnected from the times when their parents and grandparents lived, and they cannot feel or experience those times. Their parents have never noticed the little things that are happening in Japan, but young people are trying to break their own mold. However, I'm not sure what I'm doing is right, and I don't know if I can believe in my feelings. They are in a very weak time now. Still, I am looking for what the younger generation of Japan can do to improve my life.

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Q. This is the third question. What did you feel and what did you exchange with your students during the lesson? Has anything changed?

A. What I tried to do in class was to get students to understand the very elusive and inaccessible thing of identity. I tried to get people to understand it while using the pictures I took. And while identity is invisible, I wanted people to understand that it's very important when it comes to how people connect and relate to each other. I wanted people to understand a lot, but first I tried to create an interaction between the people in my portrait and the students themselves. There are several steps to creating such an interaction. First, I asked them to think in a general concept. Simply think that they are Japanese and the people in the picture are American.   I wanted the students to understand that they never understand, never speak, and it is impossible to communicate personally with the people in the picture. I thought it was important to get a deeper impression from that. I wanted them to have a second and third impression, not a first impression, and change their mindset.

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Q. So, could the students identify themselves with the people in the photographs who had never met and had no superficial commonality?

A. Of course, the way I let them do it was to compare myself to foreigners. But I first designed them to make comparisons at a very general level. After that, the students themselves interpreted what they felt when they saw the pictures. Of course, that interpretation is something that you do yourself, but in the end it made you think about your own identity in your own interpretation.

Q. Did you see any clear changes? At the beginning, the students were just talking about what identity was, but gradually ...

A. The following has happened. At first, they didn't even know what the word identity was. More than that, I thought there was nothing I couldn't understand. In Japan, there is no public discussion and people cannot establish their own ideas. That's how identity is born. So they don't know what their identity is.

Students do not know how important it is to "think", that is, to think, make decisions, and understand the changes for themselves. Changes in thinking when choosing an action are important not only in cultural exchange relationships, but also in understanding oneself and other people in Japan. From the beginning they didn't have a place to stand up and give their opinions.

As I said before, I don't even talk about such ideas in general. So the first thing I had to do was explain the importance of identity.  And what happened at the end?   First, the students were just looking at these pictures from a distance, thinking that "Americans have different races and different jobs." I had no idea how to connect myself with the people in the picture. So, while first introducing the different parts of the people in the picture, I taught them that in other directions this kind of connection is possible. This triggered the students to begin their own interpretation.

The change that has happened is that students have stopped thinking that identity is inherited from history and parents. I no longer think that identity is like knowledge or an idea given by someone else. Then the students began to realize that they had a personality that controlled many issues such as their own identity and perspective.

It has also become clear that identity is also attributed to ethnic groups and countries. The students thought they were the same as the people around them, but they began to recognize their experiences and future outlook, and realized that their classmates were very interesting.

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Q. The fourth question is, "What is very important when thinking about identity?", But you may have already said that. A. Is that so? What did I say is important? 

Q. You said that identity is not something you are given, it is something you can create.

A. Identity is not given. That is impossible. What is identity? I think it is a source of meaning and experience. It's like a filter, through which we understand and shape our thoughts and our lives. It's a very vague explanation, but it's unique to each person.

What forms the identity of a person? In Japan, identity, understanding, perspective or a person's "filter" is considered to come from culture. It is considered that "identity = Japanese culture". "I'm Japanese. That's my identity." No, it's not right.

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It is true that some people have cultural influences such as Japanese way of thinking and tradition. But what if a Japanese student has the same identity as an 80-year-old Japanese? Perhaps the student's grandfather is that person. But when I ask the students this question, they say, "That's not the case." So what's the difference? I have a lot in common with my grandfather. They speak the same language, wear the same clothes, live in the same country, and are of the same ethnicity. In other words, they are different people, even though they are in the same culture.

The difference is that the student has his own experience, memory and vision of the future. 80 and 15 years old think. Think about what you see, think about yourself, and choose the path to reach your goals. What's the difference? Yes, the idea is the student's own. It was not inherited from his father. Identity is a filter for understanding one's life, and it is established under a great deal of influence.

As I mentioned before, there are collective influences such as culture, but there are also influences that are not. Each human being is very different and is a psychological creature. It's a mixed effect. There are collective influences and individual influences.

Even in Japan, there are individual influences.  

Q. What did you pay most attention to when teaching your students about identity?

A. I had many purposes to go as a teacher, but I especially wanted to value the intersection of American and Japanese culture. First, we had conversations that helped our students understand America. Japanese students could have a little understanding of American society while I was teaching.

I noticed that the students were trying hard to learn English and trying to make a lot of contacts. Students now have many contacts. However, when the Japanese in general look at foreign countries, they divide the problem into two, inside and outside, and think that "we are Japanese, and everyone else is of another race."

They see America that way, and they always take that view when they look outside Japan. So you can't really understand what's really going on outside. I can't understand.

So I wanted the students to see a different part of America.  In America, identity is made up of many layers. Some are pure Americans, some are African Americans, some are Baptists, some are Southerners. It may be a person with four brothers and four sisters, or it may be an orphan.

Just because you're in the United States doesn't mean you can be categorized as an "American." There are many layers of identity. I wanted my students to think about it. Otherwise, there will be no contact between students and the United States.

And I wanted them to think the same thing in Japan. In other words, they are all Japanese, but they are from rural areas or urban areas. They also have different families and have their own ideas about the future.

In that direction, I wanted the students to think about cultural fellowship through conversation. I wanted you to think about every detail, from a small community to a large society. I wanted them to "connect". I wanted them to use the pictures to find out the personal connection between the person in the picture and themselves, and I wanted the students to help each other for that purpose.

Q. Did you find yourself having an American or Western identity? Or is such a way of thinking peculiar to Japan?

A. I was careful to avoid the expressions of one human being or one ethnic group. We were all the same in being human. I just speak a different language. Identity is not determined by humankind or ethnicity, and no one is the same.

Also, the questions about identity vary from person to person, and the answers to them also differ. For example, in the United States, it's not so difficult to think of identity.

There are many different things in American society. Various people live in it. When I ask what is unique to me, the answer is clear and it is natural to think so.

However, in Japan, such questions arise in society as a whole. It happens in the individual in America. This question is not held by individuals, but by society as a whole. That's fine.

What I mean is not that that idea is wrong. But that idea cannot answer all the questions about identity. As long as we think that way, we cannot fully answer the question of how to connect each other.

This is very important, especially in countries other than Japan, and the fact that they are different is a factor that connects them to each other. Questions about identity are different in Japan and the United States. It is generally said that all Japanese are the same and each American is different, but this does not solve the problem. If you try to see America in my work, you'll see that each and every one of those portraits is that there are many different Americans who are trying to connect each other in society as a whole. People are crossing in such a situation.

In Japan, the opposite problem holds. Everyone is the same but different. In Japan, the "relationship between the outside and the inside" justifies all the relationships.

Q. What do you try to express the most when you take pictures of Japanese people?

A. Portraits are, in a sense, personal, and the portraits I take do not depend on what kind of connection I like. I also take American portraits as I do Japanese portraits. But there are also portraits that start to have different meanings.

For example, Japanese high school students did not have the "strength" to connect with each other. Everyone thought they didn't have an identity. But in my portrait, I try to express a connection that can only be created from the individual identity of the student.

If my portrait proves that young people have such strengths and identities, or helps them to come to the surface, my job is successful. All Japanese portraits were taken for that purpose. It is a series of connections for each and every student, and the strong things inside each student appear outside and become a series.

And my hope is to disappoint those who see these pictures. Anyone who sees this will find that the expression of identity is different.

If you ask a question before looking at the pictures, they will answer, "All Japanese are the same." I want to express something elusive that people inside and outside Japan cannot feel. 

Q. Did you discover anything important during your stay in Japan?

  A. Well, when considering culture and society, Japan is a very attractive place for me. There is a lot to learn from people and culture.  I tried to open my heart and learned about various things in Japan. Japan has a beauty not found in the United States. I think the best culture I think is a well-balanced combination of 50% in the United States and 50% in Japan. Both good and bad. I went to many places in Japan and thought about myself.

Q. What do you like and dislike about Japan? This is a vague question.

A. I think Japan has sensibility in thoughts, relationships and personal interactions. There is tradition, there is history, and I think it is of great quality. But the most important thing for me is sensitivity.

Q. Is there anything that I just can't accept?

A. Well, it can be said that it is a big problem in Japan, but it is not to open what you have.

Q.  It may be related, but are there any elements that Japanese people who are trying to go abroad to grab something are lacking?

Not for tourism, but for Japanese people who are trying to do something there. Looking at all of those Japanese people, do you think there are some Japanese-specific factors that hinder your activities?

A.  As I said before, understanding people, communicating between Japanese individuals, opening their hearts, understanding individuals, all of which cannot be done in different ways. It is done in a kind of ritual. To do this requires personal interpretation and opinion to establish an identity.

Therefore, it is not common to make such an interpretation, and as long as the necessity of this interpretation is true, it will be difficult for Japanese people to have personal ties even if they go abroad. I think that the problems that Japanese people have when they go to other societies have already occurred in Japan. This means that it is difficult to establish a personal connection.

Also, people often come up to me and say, "You came from a foreign country." Perhaps these people have the feeling that they are completely Japanese or completely Japanese. It means 100% Japanese or 100% non-Japanese. They are either open or closed. I don't do anything else.

Through my work, I want Japanese people inside and outside Japan to know that you are Japanese forever and at the same time more than that. They can continue to create their identities by choosing their lives and pursuing them actively. By doing so, they will be enriched and their sense of Japanese will ultimately help. I guess so? It's not a matter of how open or closed your mind is. What is important to them is not lost. What is really important to the individual is not lost.

Q.  Is Japan unacceptable to foreigners because of the idea of being an ethnic group?

A. There are many things that Japan can offer to the world. And I think Japan needs to speak more to the world. I think we can contribute to the world not only by getting people to understand Japan, but also by providing a Japanese perspective.

Japan has a lot to offer to the world, and in order to do that, it is necessary to be Japanese, but at the same time, it is necessary to understand the meaning that Japanese people are Japanese. It doesn't mean Japanese vs. other people. That is the strength and weakness of Japan. There are many important things from a Japanese perspective that should be disseminated and provided around the world. It is not limited to biased ideas such as race.

Q. There are many Japanese who have reached something overseas and are respected abroad. I have seen many Japanese talking and writing in the media. He (the person who thought about the content of the interview) lives in Japan, so he may have had the same question as before, but Americans admit when the Japanese reach something, but later, "So much. It's not a big deal. " I do not know well. 

The conductor Seiji Ozawa is Japanese. It was not accepted while in Japan, but it was accepted in Germany. It is now very famous. From the Japanese point of view, did they have no respect or self-esteem?

  A. Encouraging individuals is in great demand, even when considering society as a whole. And this is also something that is not often talked about in Japan.

Q. As an American, what are the good and bad points of Japanese people? Is there anything that Americans should change when compared to the United States? A. Yes, there is. There are many wonderful things in America. Is it most important to have a range of choices?

Each person stands up for freedom and choice. We also act in society according to what makes them like them. However, Japan has reached different goals of poverty and ethnic issues. The United States is not failing, but there is still work to be done to protect the rights of these people.

It may be said that Americans are generally selfish and think only about themselves. However, Americans have a sophisticated eye for personal interaction. They also don't have to try to understand the concept of multicultural relationships. It's very complicated, but as I said, the Japanese are not good at what Americans are good at, and the Americans are not good at what Japanese are good at.

Therefore, it is very important that these two societies are connected. Once the bridge is completed, people will cross. Only in that way can humans understand each other. And again, as an artist, my goal is to meet people face to face. There are already many links in the research institute and business fields, but not many are crossing this bridge. Despite the many bridges, there are still many confusions and misunderstandings.

Q. What is the most important thing for mutual understanding between people and culture? 

A. People are open, listen and feel. I want to make such a connection through portraits.

Q. Did you have the best communication during your stay in Japan? 

A. Yes. Proven in the photo.

Q. Did you have any problems? Have you ever tried to communicate and moved in the wrong direction? 

A. That kind of thing is common. It also happens between me and my father. So, of course, that kind of thing is more likely to happen with people you've just met. But the important thing is not to close your heart, but to try to understand each other. Let me give you an example. In Japan, we often talk to strangers at stores and train stations.

I'm not very good at Japanese, but I can speak it, and I don't know much Japanese, but I can speak Japanese well. I think the accent is pretty good, and you can understand what I said. But that's not always the case. If you try to reach out to someone you don't know, even if you speak in perfect Japanese, they won't understand you.

That's because the Japanese think I can't speak Japanese. If you say the same thing again, you will understand.

Q. Do you have any advice for Japanese people who will land in New York for the first time?

A. Just walking.

Q. So what if your acquaintance goes to Japan for the first time?

A. It's about walking around.  

Q. I have two more questions. What is the most necessary thing in establishing an identity?

A. First, know who you are, not where you were born or where you are going. Perhaps the most important is the small concept within the large concept.

Who you are depends on your past and future. It depends on your country, your culture, and what you want to do in the future. In such a situation, you will learn that identity is always moving and changing. Yes, it's changing.

The question of what identity is is a great question. Understanding that your dreams for the future are changing really means that you can build your own life. Life is about forming an identity and rebuilding it. You don't have to leave the past behind. Make important choices.

Q. This is the last question. When thinking about the Internet society, what should we do to develop this society for the better? Please answer especially in terms of international communication in the Internet society.

A.  It's the same as words. Even if you can use the Internet, you cannot really understand the other person. This is a means, not a result. The Internet can help connect people, but like words, it can hurt others.

In Japan, learning English is very important, but studying English does not always help you to connect with people, and on the contrary, you want to avoid contact with foreigners. It may remind you. The Internet may or may not be useful at all. I think that personal philosophy and hope will be important there. Isn't that the most important thing in understanding? So the Internet can help but not solve it. Q.  Thank you very much.