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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
July 19, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| September 30, 2004 |
In Pictures – Photo Tour 8 of Life Onboard |
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| Tokai Kumi and one of her students practices a song by the popular Japanese boy band Smap |
Every morning Peace Boat participant Tokai Kumi gives a small workshop about the charms of sign language, which Tokai speaks as her mother tongue. In the workshops, Tokai and her ten students practice using their hands in various ways to communicate, such as singing a song together or sharing the experiences each person has had in ports of calls. She said she really enjoys teaching people sign language, both in and outside of her classes. "I especially appreciate the way that my friends try to learn the sign language. They enjoy learning, but try hard, as well," she said. One of Tokai’s students said the workshops remind her of the joy of communication. "By learning the language of another culture, I feel much clearer in what I want to express and communicate with people," she said. Tokai plans to continue teaching until Peace Boat arrives in Kobe, the 46th voyage's final port of call. |
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| Tezuka Makoto on deck filming a short film |
It's hard to follow in the footsteps of a luminary as bright as Osamu Tezuka, the virtual godfather of Japanese anime (animation movies) and groundbreaking comic books. His son Makoto, however, has successfully carved out a unique niche outside of his father's shadow. Alternating back and forth between stints as a media producer and writer, the younger Osamu captured a Venice Film Festival prize for his digital film Hakuchi (The Idiot). "I grew up around animation production, so I had a lot of possibilities to make stories," he said. Coming straight from completing a thriller entitled "Synchronicity," Osamu took on the mantle of a Guest Educator onboard Peace Boat for one week. His third time onboard, Osamu taught filmmaking classes and shot portions of a ten minute short film, which he plans to screen at the Tokyo International Film Festival later this year. After returning to Japan, Osamu will start his next project, a sci-fi "cyber cop" live action feature film. |
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| Calling out bids at the auction |
On September 21, Peace Boat staff organized a charity auction, the proceeds of which would go to two Guatemalan counterpart NGOs, the CEIBA Association and Asociacion Mujeres Vamos Adelante (AMVA). CEIBA supports sustainable progress, and preserving nature and indigenous people's traditional culture, while AMVA works for the rights of women and Guatemala's rural population. On the block were 26 different items, ranging from an overnight stay in the ship's best suite; a two hour Jacuzzi reservation; a party with English and Spanish teachers; souvenirs from various ports; a massage voucher; T-shirts and more. The suite room attracted the highest bid of the night, being auctioned off at US$ 560. At the end of the night a total of US$1510 were raised for the Guatemalan organizations. Norihiko Kakinuki, one of the auction organizers, said the event was a great success. "Someone said they felt they had helped contribute positively to Guatemalan people. That’s had a very inspiring impact on me," Kakinuki said. |
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| Endo Hiromi plays the sanshin in Vancouver, Canada |
Immediately after World War II, there was no forms of entertainment, so many people made crude string instruments from cans of foods provided by the government. Called sanshin, these traditional instruments originally come from Okinawa. As the Okinawan people slowly recovered from the devastating effects of the war, the music of the sanshin and their musicians helped the struggling community a great deal. The sanshin resembles a banjo and is a cousin of the shamisen, a traditional Japanese string instrument. Normally the center part is made of wood and covered by cat skin. A good sanshin now costs between 30,000 yen and 50,000 yen (US$250 to $450). Endo Hiromi, who has been practicing sanshin for about one year, said that playing the instrument and singing songs to the rhythm at the same time is difficult. Endo said her dream is to be able to play and sing while looking at the ocean. Sanshin songs are largely Okinawa folk songs about love, legends, nature and wars. The sanshin in well-trained hands makes a very mellow sound that relaxes both the player and listener. |
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| The Peace Patchwork team |
At every port Peace Boat participants see varying degrees of each community’s culture – as well as poverty, suffering and conflict. Although visiting various communities briefly offers a learning experience with a lasting impact, some participants were left with feelings of frustration for not being able to make a longer and sustainable connection. As a result of this, a group of Peace Boat members, led by Nicola Wall and Tsukamoto Hiroko, were inspired to start a "Peace Patchwork Project." This group of around 30 people of all ages gathered to use their free time to knit together and talk about their experiences. Using materials they brought onboard from their homes, or bought in ports, they have created colourful squares of thick wool. The group's goal is to complete a blanket by hand stitching the squares together. The group focuses less on the symbolism of the blanket and more on its practical use. The group hopes to contribute something that might alleviate hardship and bring warmth to those who need it most. |
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Media Team Contributors:
- Tamiko Hirata
- Tim Wagner
- Katsuma Hiroyuki
- Aya Hiromura
- Tomomi Kusakabe
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