The 5-year anniversary of the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami this weekend led Yuko and I back to the very spot where we started Photohoku. We came to Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture back in September of 2011 with just a simple idea, to make a few new family photos for families who might have lost theirs. Little did we know that we were embarking on what has likely become a life-long journey and community of people, profoundly changing our hearts, and hopefully touching many more. After a handful of special moments in those first few efforts, we began to understand […]

PHOTOHOKUxPECHAKUCHA – SUMMER TOUR 2015! Team A: 10 volunteers from 7/29 – 8/2 (Thur-Sat) Team B: 20 volunteers from 7/31-8/2 (Sat-Sun) 7/29 WED <Team A> Kick-off Party and Presentation at PechaKucha Tokyo 7/30 THU <Team A> Depart Tokyo -(6:00) Arrival at Home-for-all, Iwanuma (11:30) http://home-for-all.org/house/iwanuma/ – “Photohoku Day” (13:00-16:30) – “PechaKucha Night” (18:00-20:00) – “After-Show Onsen” (20:30-22:00) – Stay at Iwanuma 7/31 FRI <Team A> Depart Iwanuma (8:00) Arrive Ishinomaki – Home-for-all, Soma (10:00) http://home-for-all.org/house/Soma/ – “Tohoku Recovery Tour” (10:00-11:00) – “Photohoku Day” (13:00-16:30) – “PechaKucha Night” (18:00-20:00) – “After-Show Onsen” (20:30-22:00) – Stay at Shinchimachi City <Team B> […]

Here’s a little peek of Photohoku‘s recent team-up with Living Dreams.jp, Touchy, and Satoshi Aoki. We’re working together on an initiative called Digital Natives thats focussed on children’s homes, and hopes to close an opportunity gap between students who can’t live with their parents, and their peers who can. Most of these kids are not technically orphans per se, but for whatever unique circumstances each child has, they all live together, away from their homes, and as a likely result of that stress, they’re coming out of school several steps behind their peers. So the goal of Living Dreams and this particular Digital […]

A reminder to all our Photohomies! This weekend is our annual Shinnenkai New Year’s Party! Anybody and everybody is invited, those who’ve been, those who want to go, just friends of friends, past/future collaborators, you’re all welcome to join! We would like an approximate head count so please kindly let us know if you will come so we can plan! I think anybody can join/RSVP on the FB event but if you need an invite, ping us! This Sunday, Feb 15th 下北沢never never land in Shimokitazawa, 14:00-17:00 Nijikai After Party at: かまいキッチン　KAMAY KITCHEN 17:00-19:00 ¥1000 for snacks and first drink. ¥500 […]

Photohoku had a truly super fun day hosting our second year of workshops and photo booth for some inspiring young adults all day long at TEDxYouth@Tokyo! Thanks to Jason, Hiroko, Airi, and all the awesome crew at TEDxTokyo and Tokyo International School! And thanks to Photohoku’s own Hiroshi, Alex, Jamie, and Yasuko for being super troopers today! Thanks for all your help! See you all next time! WOOHOO!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/12/06/368858685/half-a-million-flee-to-shelters-as-super-typhoon-nears-philippines Thoughts and prayers with the Philippines as super typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) approaches. Stay safe.

We made it to Oklahoma and had a hugely successful day yesterday with the super cool kids of Briarwood Elementary at their brand-spanking new school. It just so happened to be “Wacky Wednesday” and the kids were decked out in crazy hair, mix-matched shoes, and all around upsides down fashion. It made for a great day of class photos! Everybody remembered us and gave us a very warm welcome! The school’s adjacent neighborhoods that were nearly leveled to the ground last year were budding with new homes everywhere. Still many empty lots and many more homes still under construction […]