Kenichi Sawazaki, Kae Amo, Yo Nonaka, et al. “Emergent Use of Visual Media in Young Muslim Studies”
TRAJECTORIA Vol.5, National Museum of Ethnology, Japan, 2024.
The project ‘Young Muslim’s Eyes: Crosswork between Arts and Studies’ (https://project-yme.net/en/) is a collaborative effort between cultural anthropologist Kae Amo, artist/film director Kenichi Sawazaki, and Islam and gender specialist Yo Nonaka. Conceived in 2021 and fully launched in 2022, this project harnesses the power of visual media to engage in research and artistic practice through collaborative film production with young Muslims living in Japan. Its primary objective is to unveil how Japanese society is perceived through the ‘lens’ symbolised as eyes of young Muslims against the backdrop of diversity and multicultural coexistence.
This study explores the role of artistic expression utilising visual media in relationship-building and communication between different stakeholders within the project. It focuses on the exhibition titled ‘Young Muslim’s Eyes: The one being taken a picture of is certainly me, but I wonder who is the one taking the picture?’ (held at Kyoto Seika University Satellite Space Demachi, Kyoto, 2023), offering a critical examination and verification.
Kenichi Sawazaki “Living Montage: The Margins of the Field Research”
Toitoutoi Vol.0, Center for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Education and Research, Kyoto University, 2021, pp.82-89
Many researchers conduct fieldwork to directly experience life overseas. However, isn’t it in the “margins” that don’t fit into the papers that the “experiences” that renew academia lie? The author, who is active as a filmmaker, discusses his own method of giving a new perspective to the value of the researcher’s experience.