Making a 100-year old dream come true! 
A grandmother and grandchild’s 141-year-old photo exhibition in Beppu

The “141-year-old photo exhibition” is an exhibition being held by a 100-year-old grandmother and her 41-year-old grandchild. The exhibition will be free to visit at TokiwaBeppu, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, from Friday 27th March – Sunday 12th April 2020.

Introduction ・ Greeting

Hey everyone, nice to meet you. My name is Sinpu Tokyo, I’m a photographer. I’m also a 41-year-old who loves hot springs, music, movies and photography. Thank you to all those who have looked at my page.

One of the reasons I got into photography was my grandmother.
My grandmother, who turned 100 in the first year of Reiwa (1stMay 2019 – present), started taking photographs as a hobby from the age of 61, and even today, when her back is okay, she photographs the flowers in her garden. I’m saying this as a relative, but I love the warmth of her photos. It is perhaps because I was able to see my grandmother taking photos that I am working as a photographer now myself.

And so, I decided to hold a photo exhibition in Beppu in 2020 with my grandmother. We decided that the venue would be the Tokiwa department store in Beppu.

“I would be so happy if I could have a photo exhibition at a department store”

After hearing my grandmother say those words, I knew I wanted to help her fulfil her dream, so with a feeling of determination, I decided to go for it, and it has become a reality. The information ban was lifted on 4th November 2019, and preparations are steadily being made. This time, we have launched a project to collect expenses to help towards this photo exhibition.

This photo exhibition will be held at the same time as the BeppuHatto Onsen Festival (1st April – 5th April 2020).
The photo exhibition will be part of the scheduled events of the hot spring festival. The Beppu Hatto Onsen Festival and the Body, Health and Heart Association (in charge of the event to be held on 5th April) were sponsored by Beppu City, the Beppu City Board of Education, and the Beppu City Tourism Association. Without the cooperation of these people, the executive committee, and the people of Beppu, this event and exhibition could never have happened.

We want to create an exciting atmosphere in Beppu and show the wonders of our city to the world. These are the feelings that are the basis of our photo exhibition.

Inspiration ・ Hope

“Photographs taken by someone who has lived for 100 years have worth and value”

It was upon hearing these words, when I met the photographer Youzou Fujita in the spring of 2019, that I decided to hold a photo exhibition with my grandmother.
This day was also the day of the wake of Ms. Mami Sato, who had helped us a great deal. After leaving Youzou and going to Ms. Sato’s wake with my mother and saw her face, a feeling swept through my heart. This thought was,

“Oh. So people really can die”.

It’s something that happens as a matter of course, but we usually spend our days ignoring it. We could die at any time, and death is a personal topic for everyone.
Life never turns out exactly like we imagined, and so we shouldn’t miss a moment. I remember that on that day, for the first time, I really felt deep in my heart that I had so little time to spend with my grandmother.

So I thought, could I repay her somehow now and give her this special present for her 100-year celebration? What inspired me was the DNA we shared as a grandmother and grandson who love photography, so I planned this photo exhibition to give my grandmother her time to shine.

I suppose it may be a very different experience for those who come to the photo exhibition, who don’t necessarily have a connection with my grandmother. However, I hope that looking at her photographs may be a way to recall emotions buried in everyday life, as I did. I personally think these photographs will evoke various feelings because they were taken by my grandmother, who has lived in four different eras of history (Taisho, Showa, Heisei and Reiwa).

“Macro of a Flower”

Photographs of flowers that my grandmother has taken for many years using a film camera with a macro lens will be on display at the exhibition. We hope you enjoy these fresh and colourful images which have a different atmosphere to that of landscape photography, and which you wouldn’t normally think could have been taken by someone’s grandmother.

“Wartime Photographs”

We will also display wartime photographs which we found in a chest in my grandmother’s house. There are many photos that were not taken by my grandmother herself, but I will exhibit them as a part of her history.

“Reversal (Transparent)

I will be making a reversal film experience corner using film from photos taken by my grandmother.

*A reversal film is a piece of film that allows you to see the colour and brightness of an image exactly as it was captured, as opposed to a negative film, which is inverted. It used to be a favourite of professional photographers in the past because of its high resolution, but now they are rarely seen.

“Letter Person”

For more details, please take a look at the website! (Japanese only)
手紙人

“Beppu Onsen Route88”
For more information, please take a look at the website! (Japanese only)
別府温泉ルートハチハチ

 
In addition to all of this, we also plan to exhibit landscape photographs taken on film by my grandmother, and digital photographs such as those of the Beppu Hot Spring Festival taken by myself, Sinpu Tokyo.

 
How the Support Money will be Used

Rough estimates of costs for photo exhibitions

Press release distribution, seo measures: ¥50,000
Design fees for posters, flyers, t-shirts : ¥100,000
Production costs for posters, flyers, t-shirts, signage : ¥500,000
Printing costs for exhibition photos : ¥1,000,000
Design, production, operation, and domain costs for website : ¥500,000
Transportation of exhibition pieces, setting up of venue : ¥1,500,000
Other miscellaneous expenses : ¥50,000
Total: ¥3,700,000
Amount being contributed by Sinpu Tokyo : ¥500,000
Total remaining amount needed: ¥3,200,000
* The minimum amount we need for this is 1.7 million yen, but this would require us to receive more voluntary support and cut costs a lot, so we want to make sure that we reach our target to make this event the best it can be.

 
About the Donation Incentives

I realise there may be some people who feel that the cost for the incentives is high for what they are, but within each incentive is our feeling of support for the photo exhibition, so if you were to add your own feelings of support to ours, I would be delighted.

Take a look at the incentives provided by our Executive Committee here!

* Even those without a CAMPFIRE account or those who do not have a credit card can support projects! For details, please visit “3-minute how-to! Using CAMPFIRE for the first time”, where one of our executive committee members has written a useful guide.

 
Akinori Arinobu
FUN-FARE GRAPHICS
Graphic Designer and Art Director

Profile

Born in Beppu, Oita Prefecture. Currently living in Beppu, Oita Prefecture.

A designer and art director who specialises in graphics such as posters, logos, pamphlets, editorials, and advertisements. After graduating from a local art university, he worked for a printing company in Oita City, and was involved in launching an advertising agency.

His thoughts on the photo exhibition and Sinpu Tokyo

Sinpu’s works have a fascinating charm to them. I am always learning from his bold colour photos and casual copies, they make excellent, creative ads. I am very honoured to be able to help with his grandmother’s photo exhibition, and I think the combined age of 141 makes for an appealing exhibition, so please come and see it.

Incentive: Original Limited Edition Exhibition T-Shirt, ¥4400

A collaboration “141-years-old Photo Exhibition”x“AkinoriArinobu” t-shirt. An original limited-edition t-shirt that will only be available through this crowdfunding and at the exhibition itself.

Sayo Fukuda

Profile
Born 20th August 1919 (100 years old)

Born in Kitsuki, Oita Prefecture. Living in Beppu, Oita Prefecture.
Married in 1942 and went to Manchuria with her husband, who worked in the military. Blessed with two children, after the war the family settled in Kamegawa, Beppu. She then moved to Nakasuka Higashi in Beppu in 1970, and now runs a laundry shop.

Incentive: Set of 10 Original Photo Postcards, ¥3300
* Please see below for the photos included in this set.

We will send you a set of 10 original “141-years-old Photo Exhibition” postcards. Five photos of flowers taken by my grandmother (no.01-05) and five photos taken by SinpuTokyo in New York (06-10). A perfect picture postcard for someone special, or some wonderful new décor for your home.

We also have a wide variety of other incentives to choose from.

Check out the other incentives available here!

Final Remarks

This will actually be my first ever photo exhibition. 
Of course, there are things I myself want to convey with my photos, and it’s true that I want many people to come to know the photographer Sinpu Tokyo, but most of all I just want to make my grandmother happy.

The “141-years-old Photo Exhibition” is a gift to the grandmother I’m so proud of, and probably her last photo exhibition. I think this will be the last chance for people to see the photos my grandmother has taken.

Thank you for reading my long explanation. Finally, I’d like to give a message from my grandmother to everyone who comes to the photo exhibition.

I turned 100 years old in August of the first year of Reiwa (2019).

This year I will hold a commemorative photo exhibition 
with my grandson who lives in Tokyo.

I hope you will enjoy seeing through the new generation (digital) 
and the old generation (film) of photography 
how the world is constantly, rapidly changing.

Sayo Fukuda

Photo Exhibition Overview

Exhibition Period: Friday 27th March – Sunday 12th April 2020
Opening Hours : 10:00 – 19:00 (free entry). 10:00 – 16:00 on the last day of the exhibition

google map
Venue: Tokiwa Beppu (1F Central Mall Area)
2-9-1 Kitahama, Beppu, Oita, 874-8558
(8 minutes’ walk from JR Beppu Station)

Co-host: Tokiwa Beppu
Sponsors: Creates Co. Ltd., Hyotan Onsen, Sento Funeral Company, Beppu Bluebird Theater, Kamado Jigoku, BeppuDaikosan Co. Ltd.
We are still open to accepting additional sponsors (for more details, check the PDF of the official website (Japanese only))
Cooperating Entities: Beppu Hatto Onsen Festival, KenkoKokoro Association, NEW YOKU CITY, Renobeya Co.
Support: Beppu City, Beppu City Board of Education, BeppuCity Tourism Association

For more information, please look at the official website (Japanese only)
「141歳の写真展」

Messages of Support

We have received various messages from those who have a connection with Sinpu Tokyo, those who have a connection to Beppu and Oita, and other local celebrities. Thank you all for your kind words.

Haruaki Deguchi
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University President

I think it is a wonderful thing for Sayo Fukuda, who has turned 100 years old, and her grandson, Sinpu Tokyo, to be holding a joint photo exhibition. Four of our own APU students are also participating as Executive Committee members. I hope many people will visit. 

Shinya Kiyokawa
Composer, Music Producer
Spa-musement Park Producer

Sinpu Tokyo’s photographs are like music.
With a rhythm that makes you feel like the photos themselves areabout to move, a harmony of colours, and the melody of the soulcontained within, they are like a hymn of humanity in and of themselves. Just like the hot water which gushes forth from the earth in his hometown of Beppu, Sinpu burns with passion and creativity. Without theory, without words, he exposes everything and breaks any silence. And isn’t that just so rock n’roll?

Yasuhiro Nagano
Beppu City Mayor

Sinpu Tokyo’s photographs beautifully show our casual, everyday lives, and to me it’s no coincidence that we are now celebrating his 100-year-old grandmother’s beautiful casual photographs as well!
I hope they continue to capture Beppu’s legacy in the frames of their cameras!
My utmost congratulations to you both! I hope that the “141-years-old Photo Exhibition” is a great success.

You can view other comments and messages we received on the official website! (Japanese only)
「141歳の写真展」

Terms and Conditions

(Please read if you are considering supporting us)

* Even those without a CAMPFIRE account or those who do not have a credit card can support projects! For details, please visit “3-minute how-to! Using CAMPFIRE for the first time”, where one of our executive committee members has written a useful guide.

* This project will be implemented on an all-in basis. Even if the target amount is not met, we will still execute the plan and deliver the incentives.

* The delivery and implementation of incentives for this project is scheduled for around the end of April, after the exhibition. We hope that those who support us will be understanding of this.

* This project and the photo exhibition are not for profit. Even if the support money collected is more than the target amount, all money will be allocated to the operation fees for the photo exhibition.

We’re also holding a pre-event party!
“100-year Photo Exhibition”
https://camp-fire.jp/projects/212681/activities/113295