Hello Photohomies! September and October are Mental Health Months! And on October 2nd, we’ll be climbing Tokyo Tower, with our pals and our cameras, in the spirit of goodwill! Our goal will be to use our passion for photography to raise awareness about the importance of mental well-being, to destigmatize mental illness, and to acknowledge of the number lives lost to suicide in Japan last year. We’ll be fundraising support for organizations committed to these issues, including TELL – Tokyo English Life Line! We’re happy for you to join us for “PhotoHope 2022  – The Tokyo Tower Climb for Suicide […]

PHOTOHOPE – October 10, 2021 A Community Photowalk Across Tokyo for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Totem Pole Photo Gallery to Sensoji via Tokyo Tower UPDATE: Thanks for coming everybody! Amazing event! Full report coimng soon. In the meantime, fill out the PHOTOHOPE 2021 – Feedback Survey where you can also upload images! HOT OFF THE PRESS! PHOTOHOPE 2021 NEWSLETTER with all the Photowalk details in both English and Japanese 🙂 Quick Guide: 1. Register to take TELL’s Step up Challenge here: https://www.tellevents.org/events/2. Let us know you’re coming by signing up here (or form below): https://bit.ly/photohope_2021_signup3. Be at Totem […]

The first time we arrived in Tohoku, we had nothing but a beat-up camera, some expired instant film, and a few good intentions. Not having any idea of what to expect, or how to even go about what we hoped to accomplish, to give photos rather than just to take them, we just went on the wings of a prayer. 10 years later, with 50 photo-giving efforts behind us, we are carried north again on the wind of literally hundreds of volunteers and thousands of supporters, all of whom have been instrumental in restoring a sense of normalcy to […]

Tokyo Tower Climb 2019 – IN THE BOOKS! DUN AND DUSTED! Herculean effort by a crack squad of PhotoHomies who rallied to the cause for World Suicide Prevention Day! Together, we lugged an offensive amount of photo gear up Tokyo Tower’s 600 stairs, taking a step to destigmatize depression and mental health care. We came. We saw. We made photos. We kicked some ass. Goddamn Heroes, this posse, every one of them. Champions of the World! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! And to everyone who supported us OTSUKARE!!!!!

Our friend Matt Miller, who is the grandson of a Japanese woman and an American G.I. whose son (Matt’s father), unfortunately, had to be given up to institutional care, like many children born during the war and subsequent US occupation. To understand his father’s past, Matt came to Japan to look for his biological roots and uncovered a story with as much heart as heartbreak. Through this journey, Matt decided to dedicate his heart to kids who, like his father, face the complicated circumstances of life in orphanages without parents. And on that path a special kid names Tomoya […]

Forever in an instant, 8 years ago today, for so many in Japan, life was irreversibly turned upside down. Lives lost, livelihoods gone, but not the will to live. While nothing can replace such unfathomable loss, so much good will and brotherly and sisterly love has blossomed from this tragedy that one can’t help but to be uplifted by the human spirit found in the hearts and smiles of the people of Tōhoku who never stop reminding us what’s most important in life: eachother. Through the Photohoku project, which continues today (and started with the two images here), we […]

Last weekend, for the 7th year in a row (possibly 8th), and for Photohoku’s 47th photo-giving activity, we participated in Shinchimachi’s annual local summer festival called the “Yarushikanebe Matsuri” (やるしかねぇべ祭実行委員会）, which in a very local Tohoku dialect roughly translates something like “The ‘Nothing-left-to-do-now-but-have-a-festival’ Festival” which started after the big 2011 Tohoku earthquake and Tsunami. It’s our annual summer blowout and this year was no exception. It was billed as the last year of the festival (who knows what next year will bring) but that didn’t stop 15 of us caravanning from Tokyo toting 8 adults, 7 kids, 3 big […]

Brian here. The Tokyo Tower Climb last weekend for World Suicide Prevention day and Tokyo English Life Line was a super success. It was great to get behind such a worthy cause and make some raucous about mental health, something that most definitely needs more attention. Got me thinking about Photohoku too, even though this technically wasn’t a Photohoku activity. Basically photography in a humanitarian capacity has traditionally been used as a way to shed light on the plight of a bad situation, bringing attention to people and circumstances that need addressing. Photohoku has been a bit different in […]

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 […]