Photohoku 41 – 5-Year Anniversary of Tohoku EarthQuake and Disaster

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 […]

Photohoku Summer Tour

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> […]

Living Dreams Photography Workshop

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 […]

NPO Registration

Hey Photohoku Community! Brian here. Need your help! Photohoku has been steadily moving forward year by year but recently we got some unexpected strong winds beneath our wings and its time to position ourselves to “level-up”. Our vision on moving forward is clear as day, while the perfect storm of collaboration and synergy is right in front of us, and we need some stuff to happen to make the most of all of it. The first thing we need to do (and I’m talking not totally knowledgeable about this stuff) is to officially set up as an NPO. I […]

Photohoku is Teaming up with Living Dreams (and Touchy again!)

Photohoku had the great privilege this weekend of working along side some incredibly passionate and talented people who are dedicated to helping orphans in Japan. We spent all day Sunday sharing our love for photography with children at two local orphanages in Tokyo, St Josephs Home (聖ヨゼフホーム ) and Kiyose Kodomo-no-ie (清瀬 子供の家 – http://kiyose-kodomonoie.com). The event was hosted by @LivingDreams.jp whose current program “Digital Natives” is empowering orphans with technology (computers, tablets, cameras). Our job was to capture their imagination though photography, spark them to get creative with us, and inspire their interest in technology. Our very good friend and […]

Photohoku Shinnenkai New Years Party

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 […]

AIS Grade 7 Art & Photohoku

    Photohoku, very gratefully, was invited back to guest lecture a class for a gracious and inquisitive group of 7th graders in an International Baccalaureate program at the American International School of Kuwait. Thanks guys! It was a lot of fun! Lets make Photohoku in Kuwait!!! WOOHOO!!!

Photohoku at TEDxYouth@Tokyo

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!

Super Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) Approaches Philippines

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!

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 […]