Have you seen the current exhibition of beautiful photographs in the ArtsBuzz? If you’re wondering what it is about, below are some musings from 2 of the photographers themselves on this.

This exhibition shows what Japan’s heritage means to each of us who participated in JS3229: Field Studies in Japan. All the photographs feature various places around the Hiroshima and Kumamoto regions. Using these photographs, we aim to convey our own perception of Japan’s heritage, and also demonstrate how we can view a picture through various angles. By doing so, we continue to uncover the hidden history and heritage behind these landscapes which cannot be easily achieved through simply looking at landscapes and photographs at face value.

This trip was highly beneficial to me, no matter as a student or as a tourist. Being a tourist that had been highly interested in Japanese culture since I was young, I was able to see and understand Japan on a first-hand basis. I could truly understand why traditions and ideas such as furusato-zukuri (native place-making) were firmly rooted in Japanese culture. Being a student on this fieldtrip, I was able to view Japan through the tourist’s lens, and understand the mechanisms used in promoting domestic tourism within Japan in a more academic way. This module exposed me to the ways of Japan tourism, and is definitely the most memorable module and experience that I can take away in my university life.

~ Lu Qianni

 

This exhibition is about lessons we learnt from Kyushu – about heritage and how it is always prevalent precisely because of its importance to society. 

The 10-day trip to Hiroshima and Kumamoto was the most amazing study trip I’ve had the luck to participate in. Not just because of supportive and great classmates and the Professor, but also the friendly and hospitable locals that shared much about their lives and homes, inviting us to be a part of their communities. It wasn’t just a module, but a life experience where I learnt a lot about my own interests, how to look and not just see our surroundings, and about stepping out of comfort zones to talk to strangers. This exhibit provides our reflections on a particular photo that stood out for us in relation to our study of heritage and tourism in contemporary Japan.

~ Peh Chehui

 

The exhibition will run in Central Library Artsbuzz until 25 August 2014.