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Created page with "On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami devastated much of eastern Japan. On that single day, many of our lives were changed forever. For some, it was the loss of..."
On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku earthquake
and tsunami devastated much of eastern
Japan. On that single day, many of our lives
were changed forever. For some, it was the
loss of all material possessions. For others,
it may have been their cars, houses, companies,
or even their entire city. Countless
people lost dear family and friends. Lives
were lost, memories were swallowed whole,
and all hope had vanished.
==Article Transcript==
Over a year has now passed since that tragic day.
Although we as a nation lost so much then, we were
also able to learn many lessons from the disaster.
Some of these lessons include love for our families,
bonds of friendship, community spirit, and preciousness
of life. Each individual’s experiences will lead
him or her to discover these lessons in a unique way.
In any case, the reality is that following this tragedy,
it is imperative that we move forward into the future,
rather than just dwell on the past. It is our responsibility
as adults to create a better world for future
generations.
The moment the earthquake struck, I felt that I had
to do something. As a professional caricaturist, I
considered my options. I came to the realization that
drawing caricatures was essentially my only skill,
and I wondered how I could possibly use artwork
to help the situation. Sadly, I concluded that there
wasn’t really anything I could do. Even after discussing
this predicament with other caricaturists in my
company, we all felt helpless given the circumstances.
However, I had faith that one way or another, we
could come together and help those affected by the
disaster.
Today, over one year after the earthquake and tsunami,
we are using caricature art to spread laughter,
emotion, and joyous surprise throughout the Tohoku
region.
I’m delighted to take this opportunity to share some
of our company’s experiences from the past year.
Specifically, I would like to focus on the amazing potential
of caricatures. Hopefully this article can help
spread pride and encouragement in our line of work.
On that fateful Friday afternoon last
March, I found myself in the Shibuya
district in Tokyo. Shibuya is a famous
gathering place for young people
and is one of Tokyo’s most famous
entertainment areas. I was putting the
finishing touches on three months of
negotiations to acquire a prime retail
location for a new Caricature Japan
shop. With a targeted opening date of
April 1, we all definitely had a positive
outlook for the spring.
While en route to sign the contract, I
exited the Shibuya train station and
waited to cross at a large intersection,
just across the street from my
destination. This particular intersection
is actually famous for being the
busiest in Tokyo, with up to 3,000
individuals crossing during a single
green light. Also, the Starbucks on
that corner proudly claims that it is the
most profitable Starbucks in the world.
At the exact moment the earthquake
hit, I experienced a ferocious shaking
unlike anything I had ever felt before.
The entire intersection bellowed, many
around me screamed and the buildings
above shook violently. Worried
people flowed out of the buildings and
onto the streets. Instantly, I was enveloped
by the crowd. Perhaps if the
glass windows above shattered, or if
one of the buildings collapsed, I would
not be alive today.
Tokyo’s impressive public transportation
system came to a complete
standstill, and the only option for
people to return to their homes was
on foot. I actually ended up walking
five hours from Shibuya back to our
company headquarters located all the
way across the city in Asakusa.
It is no surprise that our company’s
ten shops were forced to close that
day. Many of the artists in our company
could not return to their homes
and were therefore stuck in our office.
I wondered what challenges the next
day would bring.
In light of the giant earthquake that we
experienced, our immediate priority
was the safety of all our company
employees. Suffice to say, generating
company sales was definitely not an
urgent matter. But then, one of our
new employees spoke out: “I want to
go back to work. I want to cover my
shift tomorrow. This is my job, and this
is all that I can do. It is our responsibility
to try our hardest and do whatever
we can do.” It soon became clear that
we all understood what she meant.
So then I thought, “In that case, the
shop managers should arrive to
work 30 minutes early, confirm all
evacuation procedures in the event
of another immediate emergency,
pay close attention to the developing
news, and happily open our doors to
the public while ensuring safety as
our top priority.”
The next day, our shops that were
located in larger buildings and malls
remained closed, but those located
directly on streets opened to the public.
Then we waited with heightened
curiosity. Amazingly, our sales for that
day were virtually identical to our average
sales from before the disaster! I
would like to share some words from
our customers that day:
<blockquote>“It’s so great that you’re open! Most
of the shops on the street had their
shutters closed, and this is the only
place that’s open. We’re so sorry for
the areas that were affected by the
disaster.”
“It might be inappropriate for me to
say, but today is actually our wedding
anniversary. I’m so thankful that I
was able to find someplace that is
actually open!”</blockquote>
“I need to immediately return to my
hometown, which was severely hit.
I’ll be traveling alone and leaving my
wife and child here in Tokyo. That’s
why I’d like to first have a drawing
of our family together to leave with
them. Time for me to be on my way!”
Some people were even taking trains
(which had started to run again) to
visit our shops. At that moment, I realized
that in this time of tragedy, there
actually was something we were doing
to help! Our work as caricaturists is
to create not just a drawing, but also
a physical manifestation of a memory
from a fleeting moment in time.
We pledged to donate all proceeds
from our Asakusa headquarters during
a ten-day span in late March towards
disaster relief. Even in this period of
an incredibly poor national economy,
our Asakusa shop had 373 customers,
which enabled us to donate ¥794,360 (about US $10,350). We continued
with our efforts to support the disasterstricken
area from afar for the next three
months, until they were able to achieve
some semblance of normalcy.
As July rolled around, the public was
finally able to get a more clear picture
of what was actually happening in the
devastated region, and we decided to
send a team of five artists there. One of
our first stops was at a refugee shelter in
Ishinomaki city, Miyagi prefecture. The
refugee shelter was located at a local
gymnasium. The accommodations were
shockingly crude; towels were laid out
on bare ground and cardboard boxes
were used as partitions. There wasn’t
anything in that shelter that could bring
joy and happiness to those relegated
to such depressing conditions. As soon
as we entered the gymnasium, crowds
of people had already gathered, many
clutching photographs in their hands.
One mother had lost her husband and
three children, so I drew her a caricature
of them. While crafting the caricature
based on a few different photographs
that had been collected, she shared a
heartfelt tale about one particular summer
trip to the beach. She told the story
in such vivid detail that it was as if the
entire family was right there with us. For
her mischievous young boy, I drew a
beetle on the top of his head. For her
two daughters that loved watermelon, I
drew them with their cheeks stuffed with
the refreshing fruit. Behind them in the
distance, she and her husband could be
seen fondly watching over their children.
Throughout the drawing process, she
was smiling and crying tears of joy, and
ultimately decided that the caricature
would become her new good luck charm.
It became evident that many people had
lost their pets to the tsunami, so I also
drew some dogs. For many, pets are
also important family members.
For the grandfather who had lost his
grandchild and consequently his will to
live, a grandmother brought a photograph
of the two and requested a caricature
be drawn of them together.
For the woman who lost her son, I made
a composite caricature using images
from both his early childhood and from
when he was 20 years old and ready to
start his new full-time job.
Photographs can serve as clear reminders
of the past. But caricatures are
unique in their ability to safely enable
someone to take a memorable journey
back in time.
While listening to people share their
stories, it was clear that there were
countless memories in that gymnasium,
both painful and sweet. While memories
will never be completely forgotten, it is
important to move forward in life and
not dwell on the past; this all begins with
being able to take that first step. It is my
sincere hope that our caricatures were
able to provide some of them with that
initial nudge of encouragement.
Spring turned into the hot summer, then
autumn led to the snow and cold of winter.
And while paying attention to the changing
seasons, I went back to Tohoku.
I went to all sorts of places. I started at
the shelters, then moved on to temporary
housing units, children’s day care
centers, fishing spots, festivals, etc.
Wherever I could be of service, I went.
At a children’s day care center, I was
encouraged by the countless smiles on
the faces of the children. But deep within
each of those smiles, I was saddened
to see the pain and grief that they will
undoubtedly be burdened with for the rest of their lives. After the earthquake,
some children were petrified
and speechless by just a puddle of
water. Some children lost both of their
parents and had to come from their
grandparents’ house. Others came
from temporary housing units since
their homes were washed away.
For these children, sharing a caricature
and getting them to smile for
even a split second is a miracle. In
life, there will definitely be hardships,
but there will also be plenty of joyful
moments, and that is what I ultimately
want them to understand.
While going from place to place and
meeting so many people, there was
never a moment that I took my service
for granted. I realized how truly fortunate
I was to have so many people let
me draw them and their loved ones.
Everyone I encountered was so grateful
throughout. At one of the shelters,
an elderly woman served me some
scraps of bread that were beautifully
arranged on a plate. She did not even
hesitate to spare the few resources
that she still had.
At the children’s day care center, we
were given some soup. The children
were responsible for bringing their
own rice for lunch, so the soup was
all they had to offer us. It was cold
and had only a few mushrooms, but
for those of us that were drawing
caricatures from morning until evening,
it truly tasted delicious.
I’m especially grateful today for the
work that we all do as caricaturists.
Our jobs are about so much more
than generating sales or increasing
profits, and I truly am thankful for the
special way that caricature art can
serve the greater good.
And that’s why we won’t be defeated
by this earthquake and tsunami. I’m
doing my part by trying to create jobs,
train workers, open new shops, and
strengthen our national economy.
Thanks to your help, our new Shibuya
shop eventually opened and has been
a success, just like our other new
shops in Kyoto and Odaiba. At these
three shops and the rest of our retail
locations, we are fortunate to have
many customers every single day.
The one year anniversary of the
earthquake and tsunami has come
and gone. Did you know that in the
cases of huge natural disasters, it is
not uncommon for the local suicide
rate to dramatically increase? We are
now at a point that there is sufficient
material aid in the Tohoku region.
But what is still desperately needed
there is the nurturing of the hearts
and minds of those whose lives were
devastated. While Tokyo remains my
base of operations, I am dedicated
to moving forward with this important
project, and will be going back to
Tohoku again soon.
In conclusion, through everything
that I have been doing, I’ve come to
an even greater realization of how
amazing and powerful caricature art
can be. A single caricature has the
power to create a genuine smile in just
a few minutes. In fact, the possibilities
of caricature art are endless. This can
be illustrated in the way that a piece
of artwork can create a single moment
to represent an entire lifetime, while
simultaneously providing hope for the
future. Perhaps through fate, we have
all been blessed with a unique talent
and ability to go to work and spread
happiness with others. Each day I
can feel more and more proud of my
profession and myself.
Following the Tohoku earthquake and
tsunami, I received so much support
from so many friends around the
world. On behalf of all of the people
of Japan, I would like to thank each
and every one of you from the bottom
of my heart. I promise that Japan
will rise once again. We may have
been knocked down from the disaster,
but we were not knocked out. We
sincerely thank you for being in our
corner and helping us back to our
feet. In early 2012, we are once again
taking our first steps, dragging our feet
along for now, but working our way
back onto solid ground. We couldn’t
have done it without you!
It is now my mission to continue to
seek out smiles in the affected areas,
and eventually share them through
an art exhibition in Tokyo. I hope to
continue this work for the next ten
years. It is my dream that by 2021,
Japan will once again be a strong and
resilient nation.
''[[Kage Nakanishi]] is an artist and owner of Caricature Japan, Inc. He has been a member of ISCA since 2003, and won the Golden Nosey in 2007. [http://www.caricature-japan.com www.caricature-japan.com]''
{{2012.2Navbox}}
and tsunami devastated much of eastern
Japan. On that single day, many of our lives
were changed forever. For some, it was the
loss of all material possessions. For others,
it may have been their cars, houses, companies,
or even their entire city. Countless
people lost dear family and friends. Lives
were lost, memories were swallowed whole,
and all hope had vanished.
==Article Transcript==
Over a year has now passed since that tragic day.
Although we as a nation lost so much then, we were
also able to learn many lessons from the disaster.
Some of these lessons include love for our families,
bonds of friendship, community spirit, and preciousness
of life. Each individual’s experiences will lead
him or her to discover these lessons in a unique way.
In any case, the reality is that following this tragedy,
it is imperative that we move forward into the future,
rather than just dwell on the past. It is our responsibility
as adults to create a better world for future
generations.
The moment the earthquake struck, I felt that I had
to do something. As a professional caricaturist, I
considered my options. I came to the realization that
drawing caricatures was essentially my only skill,
and I wondered how I could possibly use artwork
to help the situation. Sadly, I concluded that there
wasn’t really anything I could do. Even after discussing
this predicament with other caricaturists in my
company, we all felt helpless given the circumstances.
However, I had faith that one way or another, we
could come together and help those affected by the
disaster.
Today, over one year after the earthquake and tsunami,
we are using caricature art to spread laughter,
emotion, and joyous surprise throughout the Tohoku
region.
I’m delighted to take this opportunity to share some
of our company’s experiences from the past year.
Specifically, I would like to focus on the amazing potential
of caricatures. Hopefully this article can help
spread pride and encouragement in our line of work.
On that fateful Friday afternoon last
March, I found myself in the Shibuya
district in Tokyo. Shibuya is a famous
gathering place for young people
and is one of Tokyo’s most famous
entertainment areas. I was putting the
finishing touches on three months of
negotiations to acquire a prime retail
location for a new Caricature Japan
shop. With a targeted opening date of
April 1, we all definitely had a positive
outlook for the spring.
While en route to sign the contract, I
exited the Shibuya train station and
waited to cross at a large intersection,
just across the street from my
destination. This particular intersection
is actually famous for being the
busiest in Tokyo, with up to 3,000
individuals crossing during a single
green light. Also, the Starbucks on
that corner proudly claims that it is the
most profitable Starbucks in the world.
At the exact moment the earthquake
hit, I experienced a ferocious shaking
unlike anything I had ever felt before.
The entire intersection bellowed, many
around me screamed and the buildings
above shook violently. Worried
people flowed out of the buildings and
onto the streets. Instantly, I was enveloped
by the crowd. Perhaps if the
glass windows above shattered, or if
one of the buildings collapsed, I would
not be alive today.
Tokyo’s impressive public transportation
system came to a complete
standstill, and the only option for
people to return to their homes was
on foot. I actually ended up walking
five hours from Shibuya back to our
company headquarters located all the
way across the city in Asakusa.
It is no surprise that our company’s
ten shops were forced to close that
day. Many of the artists in our company
could not return to their homes
and were therefore stuck in our office.
I wondered what challenges the next
day would bring.
In light of the giant earthquake that we
experienced, our immediate priority
was the safety of all our company
employees. Suffice to say, generating
company sales was definitely not an
urgent matter. But then, one of our
new employees spoke out: “I want to
go back to work. I want to cover my
shift tomorrow. This is my job, and this
is all that I can do. It is our responsibility
to try our hardest and do whatever
we can do.” It soon became clear that
we all understood what she meant.
So then I thought, “In that case, the
shop managers should arrive to
work 30 minutes early, confirm all
evacuation procedures in the event
of another immediate emergency,
pay close attention to the developing
news, and happily open our doors to
the public while ensuring safety as
our top priority.”
The next day, our shops that were
located in larger buildings and malls
remained closed, but those located
directly on streets opened to the public.
Then we waited with heightened
curiosity. Amazingly, our sales for that
day were virtually identical to our average
sales from before the disaster! I
would like to share some words from
our customers that day:
<blockquote>“It’s so great that you’re open! Most
of the shops on the street had their
shutters closed, and this is the only
place that’s open. We’re so sorry for
the areas that were affected by the
disaster.”
“It might be inappropriate for me to
say, but today is actually our wedding
anniversary. I’m so thankful that I
was able to find someplace that is
actually open!”</blockquote>
“I need to immediately return to my
hometown, which was severely hit.
I’ll be traveling alone and leaving my
wife and child here in Tokyo. That’s
why I’d like to first have a drawing
of our family together to leave with
them. Time for me to be on my way!”
Some people were even taking trains
(which had started to run again) to
visit our shops. At that moment, I realized
that in this time of tragedy, there
actually was something we were doing
to help! Our work as caricaturists is
to create not just a drawing, but also
a physical manifestation of a memory
from a fleeting moment in time.
We pledged to donate all proceeds
from our Asakusa headquarters during
a ten-day span in late March towards
disaster relief. Even in this period of
an incredibly poor national economy,
our Asakusa shop had 373 customers,
which enabled us to donate ¥794,360 (about US $10,350). We continued
with our efforts to support the disasterstricken
area from afar for the next three
months, until they were able to achieve
some semblance of normalcy.
As July rolled around, the public was
finally able to get a more clear picture
of what was actually happening in the
devastated region, and we decided to
send a team of five artists there. One of
our first stops was at a refugee shelter in
Ishinomaki city, Miyagi prefecture. The
refugee shelter was located at a local
gymnasium. The accommodations were
shockingly crude; towels were laid out
on bare ground and cardboard boxes
were used as partitions. There wasn’t
anything in that shelter that could bring
joy and happiness to those relegated
to such depressing conditions. As soon
as we entered the gymnasium, crowds
of people had already gathered, many
clutching photographs in their hands.
One mother had lost her husband and
three children, so I drew her a caricature
of them. While crafting the caricature
based on a few different photographs
that had been collected, she shared a
heartfelt tale about one particular summer
trip to the beach. She told the story
in such vivid detail that it was as if the
entire family was right there with us. For
her mischievous young boy, I drew a
beetle on the top of his head. For her
two daughters that loved watermelon, I
drew them with their cheeks stuffed with
the refreshing fruit. Behind them in the
distance, she and her husband could be
seen fondly watching over their children.
Throughout the drawing process, she
was smiling and crying tears of joy, and
ultimately decided that the caricature
would become her new good luck charm.
It became evident that many people had
lost their pets to the tsunami, so I also
drew some dogs. For many, pets are
also important family members.
For the grandfather who had lost his
grandchild and consequently his will to
live, a grandmother brought a photograph
of the two and requested a caricature
be drawn of them together.
For the woman who lost her son, I made
a composite caricature using images
from both his early childhood and from
when he was 20 years old and ready to
start his new full-time job.
Photographs can serve as clear reminders
of the past. But caricatures are
unique in their ability to safely enable
someone to take a memorable journey
back in time.
While listening to people share their
stories, it was clear that there were
countless memories in that gymnasium,
both painful and sweet. While memories
will never be completely forgotten, it is
important to move forward in life and
not dwell on the past; this all begins with
being able to take that first step. It is my
sincere hope that our caricatures were
able to provide some of them with that
initial nudge of encouragement.
Spring turned into the hot summer, then
autumn led to the snow and cold of winter.
And while paying attention to the changing
seasons, I went back to Tohoku.
I went to all sorts of places. I started at
the shelters, then moved on to temporary
housing units, children’s day care
centers, fishing spots, festivals, etc.
Wherever I could be of service, I went.
At a children’s day care center, I was
encouraged by the countless smiles on
the faces of the children. But deep within
each of those smiles, I was saddened
to see the pain and grief that they will
undoubtedly be burdened with for the rest of their lives. After the earthquake,
some children were petrified
and speechless by just a puddle of
water. Some children lost both of their
parents and had to come from their
grandparents’ house. Others came
from temporary housing units since
their homes were washed away.
For these children, sharing a caricature
and getting them to smile for
even a split second is a miracle. In
life, there will definitely be hardships,
but there will also be plenty of joyful
moments, and that is what I ultimately
want them to understand.
While going from place to place and
meeting so many people, there was
never a moment that I took my service
for granted. I realized how truly fortunate
I was to have so many people let
me draw them and their loved ones.
Everyone I encountered was so grateful
throughout. At one of the shelters,
an elderly woman served me some
scraps of bread that were beautifully
arranged on a plate. She did not even
hesitate to spare the few resources
that she still had.
At the children’s day care center, we
were given some soup. The children
were responsible for bringing their
own rice for lunch, so the soup was
all they had to offer us. It was cold
and had only a few mushrooms, but
for those of us that were drawing
caricatures from morning until evening,
it truly tasted delicious.
I’m especially grateful today for the
work that we all do as caricaturists.
Our jobs are about so much more
than generating sales or increasing
profits, and I truly am thankful for the
special way that caricature art can
serve the greater good.
And that’s why we won’t be defeated
by this earthquake and tsunami. I’m
doing my part by trying to create jobs,
train workers, open new shops, and
strengthen our national economy.
Thanks to your help, our new Shibuya
shop eventually opened and has been
a success, just like our other new
shops in Kyoto and Odaiba. At these
three shops and the rest of our retail
locations, we are fortunate to have
many customers every single day.
The one year anniversary of the
earthquake and tsunami has come
and gone. Did you know that in the
cases of huge natural disasters, it is
not uncommon for the local suicide
rate to dramatically increase? We are
now at a point that there is sufficient
material aid in the Tohoku region.
But what is still desperately needed
there is the nurturing of the hearts
and minds of those whose lives were
devastated. While Tokyo remains my
base of operations, I am dedicated
to moving forward with this important
project, and will be going back to
Tohoku again soon.
In conclusion, through everything
that I have been doing, I’ve come to
an even greater realization of how
amazing and powerful caricature art
can be. A single caricature has the
power to create a genuine smile in just
a few minutes. In fact, the possibilities
of caricature art are endless. This can
be illustrated in the way that a piece
of artwork can create a single moment
to represent an entire lifetime, while
simultaneously providing hope for the
future. Perhaps through fate, we have
all been blessed with a unique talent
and ability to go to work and spread
happiness with others. Each day I
can feel more and more proud of my
profession and myself.
Following the Tohoku earthquake and
tsunami, I received so much support
from so many friends around the
world. On behalf of all of the people
of Japan, I would like to thank each
and every one of you from the bottom
of my heart. I promise that Japan
will rise once again. We may have
been knocked down from the disaster,
but we were not knocked out. We
sincerely thank you for being in our
corner and helping us back to our
feet. In early 2012, we are once again
taking our first steps, dragging our feet
along for now, but working our way
back onto solid ground. We couldn’t
have done it without you!
It is now my mission to continue to
seek out smiles in the affected areas,
and eventually share them through
an art exhibition in Tokyo. I hope to
continue this work for the next ten
years. It is my dream that by 2021,
Japan will once again be a strong and
resilient nation.
''[[Kage Nakanishi]] is an artist and owner of Caricature Japan, Inc. He has been a member of ISCA since 2003, and won the Golden Nosey in 2007. [http://www.caricature-japan.com www.caricature-japan.com]''
{{2012.2Navbox}}
