Toward the True Recovery of the Tohoku Region

Two years have passed since the 3/11 earthquake disasters, but as can be expected, the road to recovery in Tohoku, as undertaken through the national policies, will continue to be rough. This is precisely why I want to be engaged in activities aimed at helping the recovery through cooperating with others, and by being patient, strong-willed and broad-minded. 
The Tohoku region has its own distinctive culture and the history exchanges with the surrounding northern nations. It also has lifestyles and industries that suit the climate and the areaﾕs natural features. Despite this, even today the true colors of the region have not yet been unearthed. This situation was originally due to the conquest of the Emishi (Tohoku natives) by the ancient Yamato Imperial Court. It created a biased view of the Emishi people, which continued on to the subsequent central governments that saw them from that one-sided, prejudiced, historical view. Tohoku has often been referred to as Michinoku (lit. “the end of the world”) or a frontier region, but in fact, it has always been a fertile land. A solid foundation to rebuild the Tohoku region can be created through unearthing its fertile features, while also undertaking a thorough reconsideration of the region.

Exploring the “Tohoku” in the Northern Worlds

The project Spirit of “North” is an activity aimed at introducing cultural expressions both in the Tohoku region and in northern countries outside Japan. We aim to highlight common features of the inner worlds as possessed by the people who reside in the “North,” while also exploring their dispositions, thoughts and sensitivities, seen as the sources that have created those common features. 
Our search for a shared undercurrent among the people of the “North” can be seen as a journey to discover the Tohoku region, which is positioned within the world linked with the idea of the “north.”
Aside from visual art, we also believe in the great importance of making comparative analyses between diverse fields of expressions, including performance, handicrafts, folklore, folksongs, literature, and music. With the Tohoku region serving as the linchpin, this project will initiate intercommunications between the “Northerners” of the world.

Maruyama Yoshiko
Artist, Representative of Spirit of “North” Executive Committee

Spirit of “North” vol.1

lead artist & curator : MARUYAMA Yoshiko (born in Fukushima, Japan)
guest artist : Vigdis HAUGTRO(Norway)
Margrethe AAS(Norway)
Su GRIERSON (Scotland, UK)

research: Aizu region and the coastal disaster area in Fukushima prefecture
site of residence & exhibition: Kitakata city in Aizu region, Fukushima prefecture
residence & research period: 1 January – 21 March, 2013
exhibition period : 3 – 11 March, 2013
venue : Sanju Hachi Kengura (Aza1-4647, Kitakata city, Fukushima prefecture)

organiser : Spirit of “North” vol.1 Executive Committee
Hama-Naka-Aizu Collaborative Cultural Project Executive Committee 
(Agency for Cultural Affairs)