Immigration Museum Tokyo: Everyday happenings
Experiencing different cultures through art
Immigration Museum Tokyo (IMM) introduces the lifestyles of local newcomers and their cultural backgrounds, as well as develops projects exploring how these transform over the course of daily life through the three key themes of adaptation, preservation, and assimilation. These activities form an opportunity to rediscover life in Tokyo from the unique perspectives of these newcomers.
In this exhibition, new participants join those from last year to exhibit artworks experimenting with a range of means of expression and building on their experiences of interchange with newcomers. The event aspires to be a guidebook for people to interact with other cultures they rarely have the chance to encounter.
Shigeaki Iwai
■Exhibition
Dates: 9/5-9/23 (weekends & national holidays only)
Hours: 10:00-19:00
Admission: Free (no reservation required)
Venue: 3-17 Senju-akebono-cho, Adachi-ku
Access: 30 seconds’ walk from Keisei Sekiya Station
30 seconds’ walk from Ushida Station (Tobu Skytree Line)
13 minutes’ walk from Kita-Senju Station (JR Joban Line, Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line & Hibiya Line, Tobu Skytree Line, Tsukuba Express)
No parking available at venue. Please use public transportation.
Kazuyuki Miyamoto + Momoko Hibino, Sky ear
This work collects examples of words or phrases in an unknown language that sound like a language you know, filtered through the concept of soramimi. Literally meaning “sky ear”, soramimi is mishearing similarly sounding words (also known in English as a mondegreen). The video work recreates anecdotes of people who, soon after arriving in Japan from overseas, misinterpreted certain words and fell victim to soramimi.
Kazuyuki Miyamoto + Rumi Kitano + Yuko Izumi + Yasuko Yamada, Kita-senju Multi-national Council
How does the much-cherished community of Kita-senju look through non-Japanese eyes? This participatory art exhibit allows visitors to create new Kita-senju stories, based on maps of Kita-senju as guided by non-Japanese residents. Using the collected narratives, a “multi-national gossip session” will be held examining the mysterious charms of Kita-senju.
Kang Hyeon-sik, Voice
While my language is Japanese, it is not the same “Japanese” as other people speak. People might say that my accent is part of my identity: my identity as a foreigner. However, this assumes something greater than me. My voice then feels not like a controllable area (expression) functioning as a means of communication, but rather an impediment.
Naho Morimoto, Can’t take my eyes off you
Last year, IMM became involved with Umeda Catholic Church in Adachi, through which I encountered a vibrant range of people who always enjoy singing and dancing. At times surprised, at times fascinated, I became completely enamored with the community and wrote this love letter to it.
■Talks & Performances
Admission: Free
Capacity: 15
・Talks
“Immigration Museum and the Perspective of Travelers”
Speaker: Shigeaki Iwai
Shigeaki Iwai, who is responsible for the planning and direction of IMM, introduces case studies of other immigration museums and multicultural scenes overseas.
Dates: 9/5 (Sat) 16:00-17:30
・IMM Gallery Talk
Commentary on the exhibits and overall show by members of IMM
Dates: 9/5 (Sat) 18:00-19:00
・Performances
Hyun-Mook Lim, snapshot
An improvised piano performance using the sounds and scenes of everyday life in Japan
Dates: 9/20 (Sun), 9/22 (Tue)
Times: 10:00 / 14:00 / 16:00 (each performance lasts 30 minutes)
Produced and supervised by Shigeaki Iwai
Technical Support: Keitetsu Murai
Supported by ICHIBA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION