Exhibition and Talk in Liège, Belgium

Exhibition and Talk in Liège, Belgium

From 22nd November to 11th January Point Culture Liège will be displaying 55 portraits and questions from the Hāfu2Hāfu project.

On Saturday 23rd November, I had the chance to hold another gallery talk. This time, my children and family were able to join too.

Special thanks to Point Culture and Passerelle Japon for organising this event and Sylvain Lintzen and Karina Kimoto for helping me translate all the questions in French.

Youtube: Life Where I’m From x Hāfu2Hāfu

Youtube: Life Where I’m From x Hāfu2Hāfu

This summer I had the chance to meet Greg Lam from Life Where I’m From for the second time. The first time, he interviewed me for his documentary about being Japanese. This time I try to answer a few questions from the then newly released Hāfu2Hāfu photo book.

The questions I try to answer are:
• How can Japanese changing society benefit from your hāfu-ness?
• If for some reason you have to choose, which nationality would it be?
• In what moment did you first realise you were different?
• Would you feel more relaxed in a third country that does not make part of your identity?
• Have you ever met a hāfu with the same roots, but who grew up in the ‘other’ country?
• What would you tell your younger self?
• What is your first impression of the word ‘hāfu’?
• What is in your lunchbox?
• What is being Japanese?

Although never easy, I hope I gave useful answers to these difficult questions.

Thanks Greg for having me on your show.

Hāfu2Hāfu x Maastricht Photo Festival

Hāfu2Hāfu x Maastricht Photo Festival

See original post and more photos on Tetsuro.Photography

From 20 to 29th September 2019, you can visit the first edition of the Maastricht Photo Festival. The theme is Up Close and presents photographers with a connection with the south of the Netherlands.

There are 24 different venues throughout the city, exhibiting work of more than 30 photographers including some 50 photos from my own Hāfu2Hāfu project.

Many thanks to Bert and Uschi at Maastricht Photo Festival, Pathé Bioscoop Maastricht for this awesome location and FujiFilm Original Photopaper for the fantastic prints.

Asahi Shimbun:「日本人とは?」 120人の「ハーフ」の写真集を出版

Asahi Shimbun:「日本人とは?」 120人の「ハーフ」の写真集を出版

日本人と外国人の間に生まれた「ハーフ」と呼ばれる人たち120人の写真と、彼らが持つ疑問をまとめた写真集が出版された。撮影した日系ベルギー人の男性は「日本人、ハーフ、外国人それぞれの多様さを考えるきっかけになれば」と期待する。

Continue reading →

NEW: Limited Edition Photo Book  • 限定版写真集

NEW: Limited Edition Photo Book • 限定版写真集

Thanks to a collaboration with FujiFilm Original Photopaper, we have been able to make 60 beautifully crafted Limited Edition Photo Books.

Each book has a unique cover with a different photo from the project. Each photo in the book is printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive Album Paper XS. For the book binding we used a Flat Lay technique that folds the pages open completely. This allows you to experience each photo to the fullest. Continue reading →

Hāfu2Hāfu on Radiant Mix podcast with Hope McGrath

Hāfu2Hāfu on Radiant Mix podcast with Hope McGrath

This week, I had the honour to join Hope McGrath for a conversation about being mixed Japanese for this episode of her Radiant Mix Podcast.

About Radian Mix Podcast: Conversations about race are complex. Then imagine the outlook from the bi-racial, multi-racial, and multicultural perspective? Join Hope McGrath, a mixed multi-passionate coach and fashion veteran, who shares enlightening stories of the mixed experience each week. If you are open to expand your mind, connect to mixed experience and also happen to love the arts, spirituality and overall inspiring, powerful life lessons, then this podcast is for you.

Please also check some of her other podcasts and don’t hesitate to subscribe if you like what you hear.

SOLD OUT: Book Presentation @ Embassy of the Netherlands, Tokyo

SOLD OUT: Book Presentation @ Embassy of the Netherlands, Tokyo

* EVENT – SOLD OUT * Continue reading →

Book Introduction by Nina Cataldo | ニーナ・カタルドからの紹介

Book Introduction by Nina Cataldo | ニーナ・カタルドからの紹介

Please read the introduction Tokyo based American Japanese hāfu Nina Cataldo wrote for the book here. Continue reading →

Book Review in Japan Today

Book Review in Japan Today

Japan Today and GaijinPot editor Vlisides Leannah has been following the project since 2017. Please read her review of the Hāfu2Hāfu book in her article titled: ‘120 interviews later, photographer releases book about Japanese ‘hafu’ identity’

Japan Forward: “Mixed-Raced Japanese Ponder Identity in Book of Portraits”

Japan Forward: “Mixed-Raced Japanese Ponder Identity in Book of Portraits”

“The piercing, poignant looks of those who were photographed, coupled with soul-searching questions, make for a powerful combination that almost stumps the reader.”

Continue reading →

13/4/2019: Book Launch & Presentation in Amsterdam

13/4/2019: Book Launch & Presentation in Amsterdam

I am very proud and happy to announce that the Hāfu2Hāfu photo book will be presented at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam on 13th April, from 14.00 to 16.00. Continue reading →

Press Release Hāfu2Hāfu Photo Book

Press Release Hāfu2Hāfu Photo Book

After completing the crowdfunding campaign in March 2018, and a wonderful year full of exhibitions, workshops and meeting many more haāfu people to photograph and interview, I am extremely happy to say the Hāfu2Hāfu photo book is now in the caring hands of the printing company. We are expecting the Hāfu2Hāfu photo book to be printed early April 2019 and will ship worldwide. Continue reading →

Tokyo Interlopers – an interview with Tetsuro

Tokyo Interlopers – an interview with Tetsuro

In January 2019, Tetsuro was interviewed by Isaac “Tac” Aquino, the founder of Tokyo Interlopers.

“I was born and raised in Belgium to a Japanese dad and a Belgian mom. My father, who was a karate teacher, passed away when I was 14. Continue reading →

西日本新聞のトップページ | Front page of Nishi Nihon Shimbun

西日本新聞のトップページ | Front page of Nishi Nihon Shimbun

大分合同新聞と西日本新聞(トップページ)にハーフ2ハーフの議事が出ました!
Rai Enomotoさんありがとうございます。

WOW!
Oitagodoshimbun and Nishinihonshimbun (front page!!!) published an article about the project. Continue reading →

Shortlist: Looking for hāfu from these 10 countries

Shortlist: Looking for hāfu from these 10 countries

English follows after Japanese

ショートリスト:以下の10ヶ国からのハーフをまだまだ募集中です!

Continue reading →

Interview and 26 hāfu in De Volkskrant

Interview and 26 hāfu in De Volkskrant

Dutch quality news paper ‘De Volkskrant’ published an interview and a selection of 26 portraits. The whole article is available here (in Dutch).

九州・佐賀県でのイベントおよび展覧会 • Exhibition and events in Saga, Kyushu

九州・佐賀県でのイベントおよび展覧会 • Exhibition and events in Saga, Kyushu

From 16th to 26th August, the Saga Holland House was the scene for a Hāfu2Hāfu exhibition and a series of related events.
8月16日から26日まで、佐賀オランダハウスは、ハーフ・2 (トゥ)・ハーフの展覧会および一連の関連イベントの場となりました。
Continue reading →

Looking for African Japanese hāfu

Looking for African Japanese hāfu

English follows after Japanese.
皆さんこんにちは。 Continue reading →
Looking for participants in Tokyo • 東京での参加者募集

Looking for participants in Tokyo • 東京での参加者募集

Looking for participants in Tokyo

After the crowd funding campaign, it is finally time again to interview and photograph hāfu again. Continue reading →

Hāfu2Hāfu at ICP Projected in NYC

Hāfu2Hāfu at ICP Projected in NYC

During the day, a selection of 12 photos and questions from the Hāfu2Hāfu project can be viewed on monitors inside the ICP (International Center of Photography) Museum in New York City and during evening hours, images are literally “projected” onto the windows of the ICP Museum; they can be viewed from the sidewalk outside the Museum and are most visible after sunset. Learn more about Projected.

Continue reading →

Crowdfunding succeeded! クラウドファンディング、成功です!

Crowdfunding succeeded! クラウドファンディング、成功です!

With your help, we have managed to collect the much needed funds to keep the Hāfu2Hāfu going and we will be able to make a beautiful photo book in 2019! This is absolutely amazing! Continue reading →

Video by Brightvibes

Video by Brightvibes

BrightVibes picked up our story, during the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. By sharing our story and sharing it with more than 1 million follower on Facebook, they significantly contributed to the success of this campaign.

Continue reading →

Ask Me Anything Type Interview in Gaijinpot

Ask Me Anything Type Interview in Gaijinpot

Some non-Japanese editors at Gaijinpot selected 8 (hāfu)identity related questions from my Hāfu2Hāfu project and asked me to answer them.

Continue reading →

Why I watched the Hāfu Film, again.

Why I watched the Hāfu Film, again.

I had already interviewed about 24 Dutch Japanese hāfu for Hāfu2Hāfu when a friend forwarded a link to the Hāfu Film (Hafu – the mixed-race experience in Japan). Continue reading →

世界中の日本ハーフに共通している、たったひとつのこと

世界中の日本ハーフに共通している、たったひとつのこと

自分のアイデンティティは何か、と聞かれたら。

「アイデンティティ」と聞いて、先に思い浮かぶのは国籍や話す言語、出身地だろうか。

Continue reading →

Nextshark calls Hāfu2Hāfu “one of the most stunning identity projects out there”

Nextshark calls Hāfu2Hāfu “one of the most stunning identity projects out there”

Nextshark, a popular online newsmagazine for Asian youth has written about our project (again) and calls Hāfu2Hāfu one of the most stunning identity projects out there. Continue reading →

Youtube Interview: 8 questions about being Half-Japanese

Youtube Interview: 8 questions about being Half-Japanese

A while ago, Nobita from the Japanese Youtube channel ‘Find Love in Japan’ interviewed me. We talked about my personal experiences as well as my findings about being half Japanese in Japan and in the rest of the world. Continue reading →

Hirado: Where Todays Japanese Hāfu Meet Their 17th Century Predecessors.

Hirado: Where Todays Japanese Hāfu Meet Their 17th Century Predecessors.

When Dutch traders of the East India Company (VOC) arrived in Japan in the early 1600’s, they first settled in Hirado, Nagasaki. Western and Chinese merchants were allowed to live and mingle with the locals here freely before the Shogun restricted international relations by declaring several Sakoku Edicts between 1633 and 1639. Most countries were prohibited all contact and trading, while Dutch and Chinese merchants were moved to the artificial island of Dejima in Nagasaki in 1641. Continue reading →

Hāfu in Osaka (14 ~ 21 January)/大阪のハーフ(1月14日〜21日)

Hāfu in Osaka (14 ~ 21 January)/大阪のハーフ(1月14日〜21日)

Looking for Hāfu in Osaka

For the next phase of Hāfu2Hāfu, I will be interviewing and photographing hāfu in Osaka from 14th to 21st January 2018. Continue reading →

SIETAR x Hāfu2Hāfu Presentation and Workshop, by guest blogger Nina Cataldo

SIETAR x Hāfu2Hāfu Presentation and Workshop, by guest blogger Nina Cataldo

On October 15th, 2017, Tetsuro Miyazaki held a presentation and workshop on his Hāfu2Hāfu Project in partnership with SIETAR Japan (The Society for Intercultural Education Training and Research). In attendance were roughly 40 people from all walks of life. Japanese folks with international backgrounds, parents of multi-cultural/ethnic children, a zainichi (Japan-born Korean) man, nissei, sansei Japanese and of course, many hāfus like myself. Continue reading →

Interview and observation by Japan Today

Interview and observation by Japan Today

In a small second floor Tokyo cafe, Japan Today editor Victoria Vlisides interviewed me and then observed me during the Hafu2Hafu interview with Thai-Japanese hāfu Hisanori Tamura. Continue reading →

Hafu page in The Japan Times

Hafu page in The Japan Times

Prior to my 11 day trip to Tokyo in October, I was interviewed by Louise George Kittaka for the Japan Times about the project and my motives. Their timing coincided with my call for entries and an announcement for the presentation and workshop for SIETAR at Sophia University.

The result is this humbling half page article you can read here.

 

Portraits @ Camera Japan Film Festival

Portraits @ Camera Japan Film Festival

Camera Japan is an annual Japanese cultural festival, organised in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The main focus is on film, but they also explore the visual arts, music, dance, fashion, architecture, food, and much more.  Continue reading →

Hāfu in Tokyo (12 ~ 24 October)/東京のハーフ(10月12日〜24日)

Hāfu in Tokyo (12 ~ 24 October)/東京のハーフ(10月12日〜24日)

Looking for Hāfu in Tokyo

For the next phase of Hāfu2Hāfu, I will be interviewing and photographing hāfu in Tokyo from 12th to 24th October 2017. Continue reading →

30 new photos and questions from Hāfu from 30 countries and 6 continents | 6大陸30国と日本のハーフ30人の新写真と質問

30 new photos and questions from Hāfu from 30 countries and 6 continents | 6大陸30国と日本のハーフ30人の新写真と質問

*日本語は英語の後に続きます。
I am very proud to present the first 30 photos and questions of the new chapter of Hafu2Hafu for which I will try to photograph and interview one hāfu from every country, mixed with Japan.
Continue reading →

Editorial in Ricepaper Magazine

Editorial in Ricepaper Magazine

When I was in Japan, I interviewed and photographed Clara Kumagai for Hāfu2Hāfu. She, in return, wrote about our meeting in Ricepaper Magazine. Continue reading →

Pecha Kucha Tokyo: Hāfu2Hāfu explained in 6.40 minutes

Pecha Kucha Tokyo: Hāfu2Hāfu explained in 6.40 minutes

On June 22nd, I was invited to share Hāfu2Hāfu at Pecha Kucha Tokyo. Continue reading →

Hāfu2Hāfu’s Ambitious Expansion and Welcoming our First Official Partner!

Hāfu2Hāfu’s Ambitious Expansion and Welcoming our First Official Partner!

Supported by the Hapa Japan Project, Hāfu2Hāfu Expands to Capture Mixed-Race Japanese People from each of the 193 Countries Around the World.

Continue reading →

Press: Hāfu2Hāfu in the New York Times!

Press: Hāfu2Hāfu in the New York Times!

Following the Hapa Japan Festival and Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference in Los Angeles in February 2017, this review was published by the New York Times. Continue reading →