AUTHORIZE EXTREMIST
2008.2.28
ARAI Shin-ichi (Tokyo,Japan)
"Happy Japan!"
ARAI said
In 1999, Japanese diet decided what are Japanese flag and Japanese anthem
in the law.
Before there was no law for Japanese flag and the national anthem. Now
in some school ceremonies like graduation, People should show Japanese
flag and sing the national anthem. And sometimes teachers and students
who do not like to respect the flag and sing the national anthem in the
ceremony are punished by the director because of the law now.
Before there was some agreement among people with Japanese flag was symbol of militarism and the anthem celebrate the Emperor in spite of them not agreeing.
From '92 to '94 as a member of Japan Overseas Cooperate Volunteers something
like the Peace Corp of United State,
I lived Zanzibar, Tanzania and I taught wood block printing to Zanzibar
young artists at the art school of Nyumba ya Sanaa, Zanzibar. Before I
went to Tanzania , all members of volunteers had to meet the Emperor who
is the hornoly president of the organization. I wanted not to meet him.
But if I did not meet him I could not go to Tanzania. So I did meet him.
In Tanzania we got 200USD per month for meals, books and patrols for motor
bike from the organization. Those days (also now days) Tanzanian people
got 30USD per month from their jobs as usual. In Tanzanian bars, I had
a lot of girl friend who loved my money.
ARAI showed audience the Japanese Passport which has the emblem of chrysanthemum which is almost same as the emblem of
the Emperor family.
ARAI showed the Japanese passport over his ass hole.
Then put it off and showed his real ass hole.
ARAI sung Japanese National anthem
"Kim ga Yo" means "Long live our Emperor"
with having a shit down red paint.
ARAI was dancing in cercle.
ARAI Said
In 1997, The Manga (comic book) "The War Theory" by KOBAYASHI
Yoshinori was published.
In his Manga, KOBAYASHI says that Japan must have more military power.
We Japanese must have a patriot spirit.
There was no Nanjing genocide by the Japanese Emperor army. There were
no Korean or E.A. women sex slaves in the Japanese Emperor army. They were
only commercial prostitutes.
More than a million people bought copies of this Manga and almost all of
them are under 30.
He then tore out each page of the comic book, giving some of the pages to the audience and keeping some to put in his mouth to chew on.
Then ARAI shouted "Happy Japan!"
again and again until he can not do it.
Shouted "Happy Japan!"
ARAI Shin-ichi (Tokyo,Japan)
"Happy Japan!"
"Happy Japan!"
The work explores sevaral issues involved in relation to contemporary national
devotion
ARAI Shin-ichi lives and works in Tokyo. He studied his B.A. in Chinese modern literature
at Tokyo Metropolitan University under Mr.llKURA Shohei. Later he majored
in printmaking (Intaglio/Copper printing) from 1981 to 1987 under ex Mr.YOSHIDA
Katsuro (Mono-ha group.) He also began experimenting in sound, voice and
language performance actions since 1982. As a Japan Overseas Cooperative
Volunteer he taught at Nyumba ya Sanaa Art school in Zanzibar, Tanzania
1992-94 where he experienced various insights into the relationship between
culture and politics in contemporary society. This led to his radical social-political
performances today. In his raw and direct style, ARAI's body appears as
a site of social tension presented with humor yet biting criticism. Often
exposing the conservative and xenophobic cultural tendencies and contradictions
in global and local situations. Besides performing regularly in Japan,
ARAI has also presented his works internationally and especially in China
such as Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Xian, Chengdu, Changchun, and Beijing. He
is based inTokyo with a body of works that is quite unusual among the contemporary
artists in Japan. He is the director of Small East Asia Co-Prosperity Restaurant Live art festival in Japan. And recently the Asian curator of 8th Open Art Festival in Beijing,China.