With that as a motto, the 58-year-old photographer founded Artistic Peace Operation for Connecting Citizens (APOCC), an NGO sponsoring the five-day photography workshop beginning today in TuyHoa City, PhuYen Province. During the workshop, about 30 children ages 15 to 20 will be given cameras to use, with the help of Hashiguchi and his team. After some instruction, the children will be allowed to explore and take photographs of their choosing, on which they’ll receive feedback to develop their abilities.

"I have often been astonished by the amazing work they do," he said.

Next week, a drawing workshop will be held in the same province for 100 children.

Early next year, Hashiguchi plans to exhibit in Japan the works done by Vietnamese, Indian, Japanese and German children who attended similar workshops held by APOCC in their respective countries. That way, Hashiguchi says, Japanese people can see how common teenagers in Viet Nam think about the world around them and what their dreams are through viewing photographs they take. Regardless of their race, nationality or culture, people in Viet Nam and Japan have similar worries and emotions, he says.

Hashiguchi’s interest in cultural exchange runs deep: in April 2004, he was appointed as the special advisor for cultural exchange by the Japanese government’s Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

On September 1, Hashiguchi’s film A Journey to Know Our Contemporaries will be shown at the Viet Nam-Japan Co-operation Centre at HCM City Foreign Trade University, depicting portraits of ordinary people in Japan talking about their dreams, personal worries, family problems, occupational conflicts and romantic relationships. The still movie genre was his original method of displaying his photographs, combined with monologues and music.

The workshops are funded by the Japan Foundation and supported by the Embassy of Japan, the Japanese International Co-operation Agency, Canon Marketing Japan, Fuji Film and Pentel. — VNS

(Source: Vietnam News, 13 August, p: 25)

Photography program for students

From 13 to 18 August, the photography program for students will be organized in Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen. This program is under the Workshops for Experiencing Photography and Drawing organized by Mr. HASHIGUCHI Joji and APOCC with support of the Japan Foundation, the Embassy of Japan to Vietnam, JICA Vietnam Office...  Organizers will give cameras to about 30 local youths for them to take photographs of what they are interested in.

Their works will be exhibited on 25～ 26 August in the Children’s Palace in Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province and expected to be brought to Japan and have exhibition in Tokyo and Osaka in early 2008. The project’s purpose is to explore the youths’ creativeness through photography as well as to help Japanese people feel and connect to Vietnam and its people.


(Source: Saigon Giai phong (Liberated Saigon), 13 August, Website: The photography program for students)

The “Experiencing Photography and Drawing Exhibition Vietnam 2007” workshops will be held in Phu Yen province’s Tuy Hoa City from August 13-18.

Participants between 15 and 20 years of age will use cameras, all brought from Japan, to take photographs of anything that catches their eye.

The purpose of the workshop is not to teach students how to take nice photographs, but to help them find their own character, talent and dignity through photography, and to share the pleasure of expressing their qualities through their work. The workshop also means to help the Japanese understand the land and people of Vietnam

The works will be on display at the Children’s Cultural Palace from August 25-26 and in Tokyo and Osaka at the beginning of 2008.

The project was organized and produced by Joji Hashiguchi and the non-government organization APOCC (Artistic Peace Operation for Connecting Citizens), subsidized by the Japan Foundation, supported by the Embassy of Japan in Hanoi, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), Canon Marketing Japan, Fuji Film, and Pentel Co., Ltd. (SGGP)

(Source: Nhan dan Online, 14 August, p:
http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/culture/140807/culture_j.htm)

Japan Supports Photography Program for Vietnamese Students

The “Experiencing Photography, Drawing and Exhibition in Viet Nam 2007” workshops will be held in Phu Yen Province’s Tuy Hoa City from August 13-18.

Participants between 15 and 20 years of age will use cameras, all brought from Japan, to take photographs of anything that catches their eye.

The purpose of the workshop is not to teach students how to take nice photographs, but to help them find their own character, talent and dignity through photography, and to share the pleasure of expressing their qualities through their work. The workshop also means to help the Japanese understand the land and people of Viet Nam.The works will be on display at the Children’s Cultural Palace from August 25-26 and in Tokyo and Osaka at the beginning of 2008.

The project was organized and produced by Joji Hashiguchi and the non-government organization APOCC (Artistic Peace Operation for Connecting Citizens), subsidized by the Japan Foundation, supported by the Embassy of Japan in Hanoi, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), Canon Marketing Japan, Fuji Film, and Pentel Co., Ltd.

(Source: Sai gon giai phong Online – Liberated Saigon, 13 August, p: http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Culture_Art/2007/8/57573/)

Sharing pleasure “to express”...

Respect the difference, sharing the pleasure to express “my self” is the living and creating motto that the Japanese photographer HASHIGUCHI Joji will share with nearly 150 youths and students in Phu Yen and HCMC from 13 August to 1 September.

APOCC (Artistic Peace Operation for Connecting Citizens) founded by Mr. HASHIGUCHI Joji in 2003. He was born in 1949 and has have many publications.

In 2004, he was appointed Special Advisor for Cultural exchange by the Appointment of the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural affairs, Government of Japan. He thinks his activity is not to teach the students how to take nice looking photographs or how to draw a picture but help them find their own characters, talent, affirming their feelings, concerns, and dignity and more over, finding and respecting the difference between themselves and others, and sharing the pleasure “to express”, joys during creation.

It is also the purpose for the Workshops for Experiencing Photography and Drawing organized by APOCC for the first time under the subsidy of the Japan Foundation and support of the Embassy of Japan to Vietnam, JICA Vietnam Office, Canon Marketing Japan, Fuji Film and Pentel Co., Ltd. Similar projects were carried out in India, Japan, Germany from 2000-2005.

From 13 to 18 August, 25~ 30 youths aging 15 to 20 of farmer’s and fisherman’s in Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen will participate the photograph workshop. Mr. HASHIGUCHI will talk with each of them before giving them a camera and then, they will use cameras to take photographs of what they are fond of. After each working day, pictures will be developed and shown to everyone. It is the same with drawing group which has 50~ 100 children during 20~ 22 August. On 25~ 26 August in the Children’s Palace in Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province, photographs and paintings will be exhibited.

Early in 2008, all these works will be brought to Japan and have exhibition in Tokyo and Osaka together with the works of the youths in 3 countries participated into the project. Reason for selecting Phu Yen is quite of family matter: Tsukada Shozo, his son was a JOCV of JICA who had a time working with the Children’s Palace in Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province.

“Many Japanese people know Vietnam as a friendly country having good development of economy and an ideal place for travel. I want to deeper understand it, I am concerned to normal people’s life. From my experience after meeting various people in Japan and over the world, I think in term of talent, a professional photographer and a young person is same. The core is the opportunity to express and share. I sometimes stayed frozen in front of a photo taken by a child as it  gave me a fresh , cool and ordinary sight that my old soul missed.

I believe that when the exhibition is organized in Japan, Japanese people can know better about what people in a Central coastal province in Vietnam think and how they live. And for my self, I can learn something from Vietnamese youths,” Mr. HASHIGUCHI Joji said.

(Source: Lao dong and Lao dong Online – Labour, 14 August, p: 5 & http://www.laodong.com.vn/Home/vanhoa/2007/8/50443.laodong)

Soul Gift
(Summarized)

About 25 youths in Phu Yen province were selected to meet each other by chance yesterday at the Children’s Palace in Tuy Hoa City, Phu Yen Province in a special cultural activity entitled the Workshops for Experiencing Photography instructed by Mr. HASHIGUCHI Joji and APOCC. The workshop itself with its participants and regulations are worth to its speciall title: cameramen are amateur “photographers” who are still small and have never touched to a camera before.  Keeping camera in their hands in 4 days, they are taughts 3 points: Keep camera with them always, don’t put into water and don’t open before finishing film. The first lesson: how to use and how to take photos. Other than that, there is no more lesson as each of them will find experience themselves after each day of taking photos.

Why is it so simple? A camera is not a toy and how can photography art be absorbed within just one or two days? There is some reasons that HASHIGUCHI Joji- 58 years old artist insists on: “In term of talent, a professional photographer and a normal young person is same. Young people have their soul there. Our work is to create  opportunity for them!” 39 year taking photo man affirmed. Let them be happy with the camera and be free in their own art sky!

He is never disappointed with unskillful pictures taken by the children after 4 days. What Hashiguchi finds is behind the photo that is the message each wishes to send to audience.

With an experiencing art heart, Joji believes in the coming days in Phu Yen he will discover many Vietnam’s beauties, accessing to it, sharing and contributing to connect Vietnam and Japan’s culture. Connection is a wish of nearly 60 years old artist and for us, we can call his and other Japnese frineds’ effort is a soul moving gift.

(Source: Nguoi Lao dong (Laborer ), 14 August, p: 8～9)

(Source: Saigon Times Daily, 15 August, p: 7）

Taking photos to share and connect with community

A cultural activity has been first ever organized in Vietnam by a team of Japanese photographers and artists headed by Mr. HASHIGUCHI Joji and the NGO namely Artistic Peace Operation for Connecting Citizens in Phu Yen. A Workshop for Experiencing Photography for adolescents has been organized in Tuy Hoa City from 13 to 18 October 2007. Phu Yen Newspaper has a talk with Mr. HASHIGUCHI Joji about this Program.

Why do you organize this activity in Phu Yen?
-I have spent most of my time for social activities through doing art works. Workshops for Experiencing Photography were organized in India (3 times) and Germany (twice) and Japan (once).

-Why is Phu Yen selected? Because there is Mr. Tsukada Shozo here, who is a JICA’s JOCV teaching children at the Tuy Hoa City Children’s Palace for 01 year. He introduced us about Phu Yen where is beautiful land and people are friendly.




How do you implement the above mentioned project?
-We has organized a Workshop for Experiencing Photography for 28 youths in Phu Yen province. They are provided with Canon cameras to take picture of whatever they like, to be fond of. We don’t teach those technical matters, everything beyond their thinking and hobby. After each day, films will be developed and we will provide comments to promote their capacity of feelings and taking snapshot.

-We expect to organize a Workshop for Experiencing Drawing after Workshop for Experiencing Photography closes. On 25~ 26 August, best pictures will be selected for exhibition at the Tuy Hoa City Children’s Palace. We will bring these pictures to Japan for exhibitions in Tokyo and Osaka in early 2008.

What is purpose of the Project, sir?
-As I said, the Project is not to teach the Phu Yen youths how to take nice looking photographs but help them find their own characters, talent, affirming their feelings, concerns, and dignity and more over, finding and respecting the difference between themselves and others, and sharing the pleasure “to express”, joys during creation. Keeping camera in hand, feelings that so far they have not been aware will come.

-Their natural products will be exhibited in Japan to help our people to understand partly about the life, and wish of young people in Vietnam. Although Vietnamese and Japanese are living in two different cultures, we share the same moment of time.

* Phan Dang Bao Chau, Math Class of grade 12, Luong Van Chanh Upper Secondary School
Besides Tuy Hoa’s landscapes such as Nhan mountain, Chai top, … I will focus on people on the streets, children, market, horses come from rural villages… I hope they are special and of good feeling to Japanese people.

* Nguyen Thi My Huyen, English Class of grade 10, Luong Van Chanh Upper Secondary School
I will take pictures of the sea and life on the sea. But I like to take shot of vulnerable children such as those who must sell lottery, waste collectors,… I think, beside the good things, our life is still hard and I wish Japanese friends to know and share it.

* Dao Nhat Minh, 7A Class , Tran Quoc Toan Lower Secondary School
Japanese instructors are so close and enthusiastic that I feel much encouraged. This is my first time to use camera but I hope I can take good pictures which can say particular features of the country and people in Phu Yen to introduce to Japanese people.

(Source: Phu Yen  (Provincial newspaper ), 15 August, p: 6）