I first came across Azusa through a mutual follower on Facebook. I had seen her profile on the account of a lovely lady I met at a small Free Palestine protest in Fukuoka that week, and saw that a ‘Visit Palestine’ poster exhibition was being held in Fukuoka. The exhibition includes 14 posters made between the 1970s to now, and are from all across the world. The exhibition has been touring across Japan for some years now from what I gather, and you can buy an A5 version online! If you wish to support their great cause I will add a link to the website below 🙂
At this exhibition, I met Azusa and we talked extensively about Palestine, how the exhibition came about, other events in Fukuoka to support Palestine, etc. While Fukuoka is by no means a small city, there is a noticeable lack of momentum or interest in supporting Palestine during this devastating genocide. Meeting Azusa, who is not only knowledgeable about the situation but also eager to discuss her political views with me, was a breath of fresh air. I went home and searched up her name, and found her wonderful webpage. I was drawn to Azusa’s photography: as a travelling photographer and documentary maker, her photos capture the fleeting nature of moments within our lives, and truly possess a raw and real quality. Intrigued by her dedication to documenting the lives of people not only within Palestine, but across the world, I asked to interview her.
We ended up talking about so many different topics, making for an insightful conversation regarding Japanese youth, politics, history, and our hopes for the future.
Asma: Do you have a memory of a specific moment as a child where you realised there was something wrong with the political system, or just the world, which inspired you?
Azusa: I am of the last generation who saw people who had been injured post-Second World War; as a child, maybe when I was three or four, I would walk around my house and see people who were still suffering and injured. There were people begging for money, people without limbs, and in front of the post office building in Central Tenjin, many activists would gather to protest for workers’ rights. Also, when I was a child the May Day was still celebrated.
Asma: What is May Day?
Azusa: It is the Labour Day, or Workers’ Day. But now its just a holiday. Maybe I am the last generation to see this day being celebrated. In first grade, we would go to school during the summer holidays and watch films, some were specifically about Okinawa, the Second World War, where many children were killed by the American army, and by Japanese soldiers. This also had a huge impact on me.
Okinawa was first an independent country, and then we occupied it; now, Okinawa is technically a part of Japan but still there is a lot of discrimination. You can usually recognise if someone is from Okinawa from their family name.I often visit Okinawa and I feel the effects of the American occupation. They have so many bases, and much of the land is used for these American bases. I have heard sometimes the American soldiers have car accidents in which an Okinawan citizen is injured, yet the trial is conducted under American military law, so they get to go back to the US.
And, there’s a lot of divide in Okinawa. People can sell their land to these American bases and earn money, so it’s easy to cause tension. I around drove in Okinawa and they divided the main road to avoid the bases.
Asma: My friend went to Okinawa recently and he said the top half of a road he saw was American style and the other half was Okinawan, or Japanese style. I find it quite odd because, to me, it feels like an occupation of Okinawa, so why is it still allowed.
Azusa: Well, I searched about this situation, and the airspace over Tokyo is under American military control.
Asma: I didn’t know that!
Azusa: Yes, I read about it in some books. Many Japanese politicians have some connection with big powers in America, so thats why it’s not easy to learn more about our government.
Asma: What do you think the reason is that America and Japan have such a relationship even now?
Azusa: Well, because of the Second World War— we lost. That’s the answer. It’s strange, that they bombed Hiroshima, but then they did it again to Nagasaki. It’s like they were just testing the difference in the bombs, and how they affect humans. My friend’s father is still suffering the side affect of the A-bomb. Every year, he has to go to the A-bomb hospital in Hiroshima. Some of the bomb survivors have had trials so many times.
Asma: I think for the US, it’s important to still maintain this relationship with Japan and have it’s bases in Okinawa as it’s close to China.
Azusa: Yes, and close to Taiwan. I understand why they picked such a location. And Hokkaido, as well.
Asma:Why is Hokkaido important?
Azusa: Hokkaido is still Japan, of course, but have you heard of Hoppo Ryodo, the northern part of the island? It was occupied by Russia and Japan but then we negotiate with the Russian government and its getting worked out currently, but… America. If we get it back, then America would make a base on the islands, but Russia doesn’t want that, of course, so now we have this problem that we can’t find a solution for.
In my childhood, every August a TV channel would show a drama about the Second World War. It was easy-to-understand and would make you feel something, but these days I haven’t heard anything about this program or similar shows. Maybe that’s why it’s natural for my generation to think about politics as daily life, and maybe we are the last generation. Our generation is referred to as ‘ushinawareta sanjūnen sedai’(失われた三十年世代). It’s very hard to find job after graduating university. My generation has struggled the most in getting a job. Still, the government supports our generation. I am very lucky to have found a good job but many couldn’t, and the occupation system was changing. I found a full-time job, but many worked as haken shain (派遣社員), part-timers. This was a real problem.
Asma: The next question I wanted to ask was, what did you study in university?
Azusa: Photography. Art and photography.
Asma: I saw your website where you upload your documentaries and photos, and wanted to ask, why did you choose the medium of photography specifically?
Azusa: Actually, I wanted to go into the film industry, but I’m not the best at communicating with others. The director especially has to communicate with many people. With photography, it’s a lot easier to do by yourself, so that’s why I chose photography, but I found that I still have a passion for film, so I’m going into documentary making, but it’s not easy.
Asma: I’m glad you could do it eventually. I am interested in documentary making and investigative journalism but I hear it’s a very hard industry to join.
Azusa: I like writing too, and reading especially— in my childhood I read a book everyday. My elementary school had a library, which wasn’t big, just a small one for kids, but I read every single book. I didn’t have many friends, nor was I a party person, but the library was the place for me. I had read many books and learned many things.
When I was in junior high, I didn’t know much about North Korea, but then I read many books about it and learned through books. When I was 22 I went to Russia, to Bradvadtock which is close to Japan, and I talked to the Russian youth, especially university students. They asked me to join them at a beach party, we had a lot of fun together, and my ideas of Russia completely changed. I realised the government and country’s opinions are all different, and then I started to travel around. It was very fun at the time, but for me its also a part of politics.
I watched a TV show about the Berlin wall when I was younger, but when I started to travel around the world I realised there are many walls which still exist, and after the Berlin wall many walls have been built, not only in Palestine, but I didn’t know when I had just been reading Japanese news and TV.
Asma: What made you go to Russia?
Azusa: Well, Russia is our neighbour.
Asma: So just for holidays?
Azusa: Yeah, I wanted to go somewhere nearby. I went to South Korea, so I could go to North Korea but it was very expensive and the process was hard, so I just went to Russia.
Azusa: In Fukuoka, there is actually many places where there is a lot of discrimination, like in Chikushi City, younger people probably don’t know it, but the older generation remember.
I lived in Chikushi for a few years when I was a child. I didn’t understand it at the time, but a few years later I realised and understood the discrimination. The school I went to was a little bit left-wing, so we learned about discrimination at school. Our teacher taught us about discrimination and war victims, so we watched lots of films on the topic, and our school didn’t make us sing the national anthem.
Asma: Was that considered very strange at the time? That you didn’t sing the anthem at school?
Azusa: I went to another elementary school after and everyone sang the anthem, but I was like, “What is this song?”
Asma: That’s so interesting!
Azusa: I was like, “I don’t know this!” That elementary school was public school, not private, but I heard their junior high school taught too much about discrimination, so it was difficult for students to pass the high school exam. We did have subjects that we legally had to learn but the school didn’t care.
Asma: I only had one module in secondary school that taught us about civil rights in America, Partition and the suffragettes movement, but that doesn’t really get taught in all schools in the UK, we just had one teacher who really cared about teaching the truth of Britain’s ugly history.
Azusa: In Kyushu, the man is considered strong. My family wasn’t like that though, my grandmother was very strong, but I knew of this system, which still exists. The Kagoshima Mayor told the people that girls don’t need to go to university, maybe a year ago or two. He said this in public!
Asma: Did he receive a lot of complaints?
Azusa: Yes. Also at my friend’s wedding party, the bride boss did a speech where he told all the guests, “I hope she will be pregnant soon”, but that’s a really private thing.
Maybe thirty years ago it would’ve been seen as okay, but now… And in the public high school I went to I saw teachers use violence and they didn’t want to have discussion in class. It was very strange, but normal. I don’t like debating but we need it. If something happens we need to discuss it. But if I showed disagreement to what the teacher said, they would just use violence. I did a little boycott campaign but it was just me, the other students followed the teacher because they needed good grades, which I can understand but I couldn’t accept it.
Asma: That sounds like a very horrible experience.
Azusa: Then after the exam for University, which I passed, the teacher’s behaviour completely changed, but my behaviour didn’t change, I didn’t change.
Asma: Did they use physical violence?
Azusa: Yes, well both.
Asma: In the 90s?
Azusa: Yes.
Asma: Does it still happen?
Azusa: Yes. I think 5 years ago I met a girl who goes to the same high school I went to. I asked her and she said yes. I told that teacher that this caused the start of the war, using power and not having discussions. The student learns this behaviour, violence and how to use power.
Asma: So, in regards to Palestine how did you first get involved?
Azusa: I learned from a history book. In 1948 Israel was established and then Middle East war happened, something like that. I only knew small things.
Maybe in 2013, I was in India for three months and I met some people from Jordan and Gaza, and they were university students, maybe masters. I am still good friends with them. Sultan got married in Jordan and he invited me, so I went for one week, enjoyed the wedding party and after I went to Jerusalem, very easily. It was 5 hours by bus including immigration. So I went to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Tel Aviv. I found… something, I was really emotional: sadness, joy, everything. I knew of Israel and Palestine, and I couldn’t lie against what I was feeling. I met an elder woman and she told me to share with others what I saw and felt, what I think about the situation.
Asma: After coming back from Jordan and Palestine did you do a lot of reading about the situation there?
Azusa: Yes, and this older woman took me around Jerusalem, but not to the tourist places. She gave me a lot of different narratives and took me to the refugee camp in the old city, and I saw many places were occupied. I thought, “This isn’t holy.” At that time I lived in Germany, so it was easy to go to Israel. So I went back to Frankfurt, but I couldn’t forget my experience so after a week I went back to Jerusalem.
Asma: What were you doing in Frankfurt?
Azusa: Before Frankfurt, I belonged to a company working in a small place in Ukraine and then I moved to Frankfurt looking for a job, and there were a lot of immigrants there in about 2014, 2015. I met many north African and Middle Eastern people and then I started to think about my life again.
Asma: What were you doing after graduating from university to 2015, were you working as a photographer?
Azusa: I was working at Softbank. At the time, the HQ didn’t have mobile phone department. The company started as distribution of software and hardware, so I worked in that division. I have a friend who still works for Softbank
Asma: So they’ve been working for them for a while.
Azusa: Yes they’ve worked there for too long! The Japanese system.
Asma: After university did you continue doing photography?
Azusa: Yes, I did it as a hobby. My family was very poor, my parents divorced and I was adopted by my grandparents. My Grandad was retired but they had to pay for university. I had a loan that I had to pay back, so I had to work and get a good salary, so thats why I chose Softbank. At the time it wasn’t so famous, but the salary wasn’t so bad, and it was flexible as it was a new company.
Asma: How much do you think the employment system has changed? It’s very intense from what I hear.
Azusa: It’s different from when I was applying. My stepfather is 56, he is the last generation where it was easier to get a good job, he gradated from a good universety but for him the system has completely changed. Now if you are above a certain age, your salary won’t increase or it will be cut.
Asma: So after spending all your time in one company they can just cut your salary?
Azusa: Yes. My stepfather is facing a challenging system. Next year he’ll need to get a new position so the salary will stay the same but if he doesn’t, the salary goes down. The system is changing.
Asma: So, what do you do now?
Azusa: Nothing, haha. I don’t ‘belong’ to a company but I work part-time in an educational foundation from Switzerland.
Asma: So you work in Japan, but the company is in Switzerland?
Azusa: Yes, but I do company visits, for example I went to Malaysia because the boss was thinking of moving the HQ to Malaysia. He’s given up on Europe and is focussing on Asia now. I work for them as a photographer editor and sometimes a coordinator.
Asma: It sounds like meaningful work! So, why are you interested in the Arab world?
Azusa: I’m interested especially in the Levant area, like Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan— they still have the old community and family system, and the middle east is a part of Asia, maybe they prefer Europe, but they are Asia and their philosophy and food is also really nice.
Asma: When did you first become interested?
Azusa: Maybe in beginning of the 2000s. It started with food, like hummus and falafel. I didn’t think I’d ever go to Middle East, I just liked to learn world history. And I wanted to learn the history, and I like Japanese history especially when it’s connected with the world. I learned from Japanese history books and English books, and i liked travelling.
Asma: Where are you planning on going next?
Azusa: I’ll maybe go to Palestine in summer, I think it will be hard to enter, but I will go to Jordan, and then through the Jordan river. There’s a cinema in Jenin, I worked there, and they were nominated for a peace prize.
Asma: I hope by then there will be a ceasefire. I had another question, how does supporting Palestine and other political cleansing align with your wider hopes or dreams? Its a bit of big question…
Azusa: I want to be involved with education, especially in Japan. The younger generation, its hard to tell what they want for their own future, but this country education system isn’t so great, so we need more critical thinking and creativity, but its hard to learn from public system, so I want to help young kids with this.
Asma: Would you want to be a teacher?
Azusa: No, just a friend figure. I already have learned the skill of photography, so I want to use it for storytelling. I want kids to be able to show what they like or love, so if they have a hobby they like, its a good tool for confidence. And now, the young generation say they like things because it’s popular, always caring about what others think about them. I think it’s strange.
Asma: I think because of social media, people feel the need to document and show their best selves, so they might be scared of having an unpopular hobby, or opinion or something.
Azusa: I think its strange. Kids lack confidence in having an opinion. Opinions can always change but they don’t want to say what they like or dislike, but really anything is okay.
Asma: Yeah, I think people confine themselves to one box too much, which is damaging to their self growth. One last question, do you have any advice for people who want to engage in meaningful work like what you do, like using photography, or working in education?
Azusa: Advice?….It’s not advice but when I listen to issues people tell me, I try to have a birds eye view of the situation and think about the different angles.
Asma: What do you think makes a good photographer?
Azusa: Photography is not just superficial pictures, it’s actually very deep. A photo of a face can make one think deeper and think about the story behind that face. Just learn, and try. No matter how many times you push the shutter, maybe hundreds of times, you’ll gain good skills. And also try to think deeper and have a bird eye view.
Thank you for reading! And thanks to Azusa for her time. Below are the links for the Visit Palestine zine, and Azusa’s webpage.
https://calobookshop.shop-pro.jp/?pid=171155060
Ramblings and Photos 
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