The Winds Project 2010
13 Oct. 2010
Teatro da PUC-SP @Sao Paulo,Brazil
ARAI Shin-ichi (Japan)
"Happy Japan!"
Almost 7 years ago 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.
As a member of Japan Overseas Cooperate Volunteers I lived Zanzibar, Tanzania from '92 to '94 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 Japan Overseas Cooperate Volunteers had to meet the Emperor who is the hornoly president of the organization. When I said to the organization that I wanted to not meet him the day before the meeting, They said to me that It was OK,but your mission would be canceled not because of the law.
In Tanzania we got 200USD per month for meals, books and petrols for motor bike. Those days Tanzanian people got 30USD from their jobs as usual.
In Tanzania I had a lot of girl friend who loved my money.
The title of this comicbook is "The war theory"
The comicbook's author says that Japan must have more military power. We Japanese must have more patriot spirit. There was no Nanking genocide by the Japanese Emperor army. There were no Chinese nor Korean nor E.A. women sex slaves in the Japanese Emperor army.
They were only commercial prostitutes. Because They get little money from their customers.
Almost million people bought this book and almost all of them are under 30.
ARAI lives and works in Tokyo. He has a B.A. in Chinese Modern Literature from Metropolitan University of Tokyo 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.(Lee Wen)
©ARAIart.jp
