We are pleased to inform you about a photography event currently taking place at The Japan Foundation, "Travel Road of Kiso: Photographs by Jeff Kucharski."
The Nakasendo was one of the major travel roads in Japan, established during the governance of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Edo period (17th-19th century) which linked Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and Kyoto via Kiso. Kucharski, a Canadian diplomat, lived almost alongside the Nakasendo when he and his wife Hideko were first married.
The Kucharskis lived in Itabashi, on the outskirts of Tokyo, which used to be one of the post towns on the Nakasendo route. Encountering many preserved signs and references to the Nakasendo in his neighbourhood, Kucharski developed an interest in various aspects of this travel road, such as transportation, culture, politics, trade, and commerce. He became especially fascinated by the Edo and Meiji eras, in particular, the opening of Japan in the 1850s and the subsequent arrival of foreigners who traveled and wrote about early modern Japan.
Over 50 photographs introduce the beauty of Kiso, where history, the nostalgia of the rural community, and the serene mountain scenery are all peacefully combined.
This exhibition is running until December 12, 2012. For more information, please visit The Japan Foundation website.
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