Japanese Aquariums

Japanese Aquariums
George Nobechi
2015~
Japanese Aquariums is a journey into some of my oldest, most treasured childhood memories. Whenever I visited my grandparents in the small, northern Japanese coastal city of Otaru, my grandfather, a high school teacher and an enormous influence in my life, would take me to the aquarium.
We would observe the slow “flight” of the sea turtles, the silky-smooth movements of cruising sharks and the alien-like appearance of jellyfish. Particularly memorable were the dynamic dolphin and sea lion shows set to the popular rock music of the time. I was blissfully unaware of the moral dilemmas of keeping mammals in captivity.

These days, the question of the animals’ well-being is very much on my mind when I visit; nonetheless, I see myself reflected in the joy of the young boys and girls like a looking glass through time, and I recall the pure and happy times I spent with my beloved grandfather.

Remarkably, of the 400-odd admission-charging aquariums in the world, 150 are located in Japan. Given the country’s aging demographics, this does not seem to be a sustainable number, even as aquariums attempt to shift their existential purpose toward conservation, animal rescue and education. Perhaps aquariums will go the way of the circus one day, logged in our history books as an outdated, insensitive form of entertainment. For now, pandemic aside, aquariums remain popular and their variety stretches far beyond the paid institutions. From roadside fish tanks to restaurants to modern apartment buildings with Amazonian giant fishes, aquariums are everywhere, and when incorporated into the distinctly Japanese aesthetic, they become surreal.

As Winogrand explored the interactions between people and beasts in his seminal book The Animals, I am interested in the human element that seeks to exploit our curiosities for the unfamiliar by putting these undersea creatures on display, and also in the way that life can transcend the divide, leaving us to wonder who is looking at whom. What I seek to do is to show these other, created worlds that we use to process that which we do not fully understand, while grappling with the
mixed emotions we feel at the intersection of fond nostalgia, genuine fascination, and uncomfortable empathy.

Print sizes and editions for this brand new series are to be determined.

Recognition for this series includes the following awards: 2020 PX3 State of the World Curator Selection Winner, Rfotofolio Merit award winner, Kolga-Tbilisi
Photo Festival Best Single Shot Finalist for “Harbor Seal in Snow”, Critical Mass Finalist.
Near-term goals for the project include publication opportunities as photo essays and exhibition opportunities.