Hafu Way Home: A Kumano Kodo Film by Elina Osborne, 2022 NZJEP Grant Recipient
It had been eight years since I’d last been in Japan. Eight years since I’d last stepped foot in my mother’s homeland. For my brothers, Kento and Truman, it had been over twenty.
To know the land is to know its people, and ever since I caught the ‘bug’– I knew one day I’d hike a trail in Japan. A dreamscape of familiarity on a path I’d never walked: Kumano Kodo, once for pilgrims on their quest for enlightenment, would now be a shared experience for three siblings reaching for a heritage that had never felt further away.
Religious experience or not, I knew this hike would be special.
Stacks of 7-Eleven onigiri in packs, stamping our collector books as we began, the absence of deafening birdsong was apparent – the forested path subduing all external presence. It wasn’t hard to comprehend why this was the trail sought out for rebirth.
We’d soon arrive at an obaachan’s place as she prepared our dinner for the night, a feast for the eyes, the soul, and the stomach; I’d never eaten so many colours, textures, and flavours on a wilderness trail. Steaming miso, steaming rice, buttery fish, crispy tempura; I’d need to recalibrate my expedition-meal expectations after all this was through.
Climbing the stone stairs out of the small village of Takahara, the farewell by local snakes served as humble reminder we weren’t in New Zealand anymore. Shrouded by trees, novelties, and nostalgia, everything marked the multiverse where we grew up. Truman would find Ghibli references, Kento, each tasting note of each intricately-engineered snack. As we arrived at Tetsu’s 100-year-old restored home, we were deep down a rabbit hole of giddiness just being in Japan. As golden light filtered through to the bathtub, I surrendered from my soak to a combined sprint up the hill – we wanted to catch the final rays.
My memories of Japan felt like folklore filled in by VHS, Japan Trip May 1999 slowly being recorded over, mixed in with a 2022 sequel. Our third day would be long and cumbersome, each cat, each abandoned tunnel, each slippery-root climb and descent prompting a day stretched out like fresh mochi. Monks looking for deeper understanding probably found it that day – Oyunohara was our arrival town, home to the largest torii gate in the world. Marking division to this sacred space, we wandered through dwindling daylight, amongst dwindling visitors, under the feeling that something was awry… I wondered if Monks had ever missed the final bus as well.
Waking to smells reminiscent of Rotorua, Yunomine, one of Japan’s oldest onsen towns, had washed and housed our weary bodies. We farewelled our host who had kindly picked us up; an experience both Kento and Truman reviewed as ‘scary.’ Gripping at the sides of the bed of his lego-sized ute, up windy, unlit roads was not their cup of ocha. Today would be shorter, today would give more perspective. Viewpoints littered throughout, we would finally sight the vastness of the Kii mountains. As we sat underneath the umeboshi-red bridge, faded by the sun we sheltered from, each bite from my bento box begged to ask why I had insisted on marmite sandwiches at school all those years ago. Mum obliged and put the onigiri out of sight – I couldn’t have understood what that meant at eight years old.
Succumbing to its beckoning, I jumped into the river near the old school where we’d sleep that night. Succumbing to my beckoning, so did my brothers.
As we walked towards the mist of our final morning, a white crane stood in the distance. It had been just over a year since mum had passed, cancer taking her just as the sun would set, the tides would shift, and the crane would dance. Thought to be mystical creatures, said to symbolise good fortune or change, though none of us could speak Japanese, all of us could begin to understand.
Exhausted by the five kilometres of climbing, by the five days with each other, and the five minutes we’d wait for matcha ice cream, the weight of our packs was no match for the feeling of those final steps towards the distinctive red pagoda. Nachi Falls lay as backdrop to a bento box that had never felt more earned.
Our genetic makeup did not make up for the years of leaving this trail abandoned, but these steps, silent and stumbling, were ones we’d now continue to walk. The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage did not bring three hafu siblings from New Zealand enlightenment; instead, it gave them slippers to the home they never knew.
Article and photos by Elina Osborne
The Colour Room, An Art Exhibition based on Maori and Japanese Philosophy by Laurelee Walmsley 2022 NZJEP Grant Recipient
An Art Exhibition based on Māori and Japanese Philosophy
NZJEP Grant recipient and New Zealand-born artist Laurelee Walmsley, exhibited at Hamilton’s central city gallery; Artspost with her latest exhibition ‘The Colour Room: An Art Exhibition based on Māori and Japanese Philosophy. (Nov 18 2022 – Jan 22 2023)
Having grown up in New Zealand and living in Japan for a few years, Laurelee developed a deep connection to each country and a plethora of experiences from both cultures. One included living out of her car for 6 months while traveling around New Zealand, and another giving volunteer service in Japan for 18 months. Her exhibition explores 6 different philosophies from both cultures that detail how people can live meaningful and fulfilling lives. Her visual style incorporates typography, abstraction, mixed media, and plenty of colour to create vibrant, modern, and visually pleasing compositions. Those that attended in the opening week were able to hear Laurelee give an artist talk, where she gave context to each piece in the exhibition.
For those not able to visit physically there is an online version of the exhibition which includes artwork descriptions, philosophy information, and self-reflection questions. To see the online exhibition visit: www.laureleewalmsley.com
Bunka! A Podcast by Reah Sommerville, 2022 NZJEP Grant Recipient
Over the last 6 months, I have had an incredible journey talking to Kiwis and Japanese people about how they have brought Japanese culture to Aotearoa New Zealand. I was able to travel down to Christchurch twice and travelled all around the North Island of Aotearoa talking to people and visiting cultural heritage institutions to complete this project and was lucky to have very receptive individuals who participated.
I have reached out to various people and even have additional interview left to be used, which I am hoping to produce into new episodes as time goes on, but for now, I have completed 10 episodes, with the help of my partner, which include both audio and video to give an insight into how Japanese culture can be accessed in Aotearoa without having to travel all the way to Japan.
In my interview episodes, I often asked “What do you enjoy about bringing Japanese Culture to New Zealand?” and I think that was my most enjoyable question to ask, as it had varied answers which all had a similar baseline, that we all felt it was important to share interest in other cultures and that Japanese and Kiwi culture are so different from one another that it is nice to introduce something new to Kiwis.
I hope this project can be educational for people, as they all have aspects of history within them, but I think it will also help to broaden people’s understanding of multiculturalism in Aotearoa. There are so many aspects of multiculturalism hidden in and around our country, which is easily discoverable, and each person has such a depth of history to this place.
These episodes will hopefully be helpful for the younger generations of Kiwis with an interest in Japan, as it shows that there are a variety of avenues for you to explore that interest in Japanese culture. Jessie Gibbs, of Narukami Taiko, said her interest in Japan began in High School and with an interest in Anime, particularly Dragon Ball Z, but there are other ways to explore Japan’s deep cultural heritage, such as partaking in ceramics classes, learning Taiko, taking interest in Japanese cuisine, learning a Japanese Art Practice, or just visiting one of our regional museums.
I’m very grateful for all the support I received to create this project, initially from the New Zealand Japanese Exchange Programme for the grant that was provided but also to all the people who were willing to participate in an amateur project. It goes to show that the connection we have with our cultural heritage is important to us all, and that a celebration of that is worth setting time aside for.
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2023 - Term 1 - Japanese Newsletter Articles
Hafu Way Home: A Kumano Kodo Film by Elina Osborne, 2022 NZJEP Grant Recipient
It had been eight years since I’d last been in Japan. Eight years since I’d last stepped foot in my mother’s homeland. For my brothers, Kento and Truman, it had been over twenty.
To know the land is to know its people, and ever since I caught the ‘bug’– I knew one day I’d hike a trail in Japan. A dreamscape of familiarity on a path I’d never walked: Kumano Kodo, once for pilgrims on their quest for enlightenment, would now be a shared experience for three siblings reaching for a heritage that had never felt further away.
Religious experience or not, I knew this hike would be special.
Stacks of 7-Eleven onigiri in packs, stamping our collector books as we began, the absence of deafening birdsong was apparent – the forested path subduing all external presence. It wasn’t hard to comprehend why this was the trail sought out for rebirth.
We’d soon arrive at an obaachan’s place as she prepared our dinner for the night, a feast for the eyes, the soul, and the stomach; I’d never eaten so many colours, textures, and flavours on a wilderness trail. Steaming miso, steaming rice, buttery fish, crispy tempura; I’d need to recalibrate my expedition-meal expectations after all this was through.
Climbing the stone stairs out of the small village of Takahara, the farewell by local snakes served as humble reminder we weren’t in New Zealand anymore. Shrouded by trees, novelties, and nostalgia, everything marked the multiverse where we grew up. Truman would find Ghibli references, Kento, each tasting note of each intricately-engineered snack. As we arrived at Tetsu’s 100-year-old restored home, we were deep down a rabbit hole of giddiness just being in Japan. As golden light filtered through to the bathtub, I surrendered from my soak to a combined sprint up the hill – we wanted to catch the final rays.
My memories of Japan felt like folklore filled in by VHS, Japan Trip May 1999 slowly being recorded over, mixed in with a 2022 sequel. Our third day would be long and cumbersome, each cat, each abandoned tunnel, each slippery-root climb and descent prompting a day stretched out like fresh mochi. Monks looking for deeper understanding probably found it that day – Oyunohara was our arrival town, home to the largest torii gate in the world. Marking division to this sacred space, we wandered through dwindling daylight, amongst dwindling visitors, under the feeling that something was awry… I wondered if Monks had ever missed the final bus as well.
Waking to smells reminiscent of Rotorua, Yunomine, one of Japan’s oldest onsen towns, had washed and housed our weary bodies. We farewelled our host who had kindly picked us up; an experience both Kento and Truman reviewed as ‘scary.’ Gripping at the sides of the bed of his lego-sized ute, up windy, unlit roads was not their cup of ocha. Today would be shorter, today would give more perspective. Viewpoints littered throughout, we would finally sight the vastness of the Kii mountains. As we sat underneath the umeboshi-red bridge, faded by the sun we sheltered from, each bite from my bento box begged to ask why I had insisted on marmite sandwiches at school all those years ago. Mum obliged and put the onigiri out of sight – I couldn’t have understood what that meant at eight years old.
Succumbing to its beckoning, I jumped into the river near the old school where we’d sleep that night. Succumbing to my beckoning, so did my brothers.
As we walked towards the mist of our final morning, a white crane stood in the distance. It had been just over a year since mum had passed, cancer taking her just as the sun would set, the tides would shift, and the crane would dance. Thought to be mystical creatures, said to symbolise good fortune or change, though none of us could speak Japanese, all of us could begin to understand.
Exhausted by the five kilometres of climbing, by the five days with each other, and the five minutes we’d wait for matcha ice cream, the weight of our packs was no match for the feeling of those final steps towards the distinctive red pagoda. Nachi Falls lay as backdrop to a bento box that had never felt more earned.
Our genetic makeup did not make up for the years of leaving this trail abandoned, but these steps, silent and stumbling, were ones we’d now continue to walk. The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage did not bring three hafu siblings from New Zealand enlightenment; instead, it gave them slippers to the home they never knew.
Article and photos by Elina Osborne
The Colour Room, An Art Exhibition based on Maori and Japanese Philosophy by Laurelee Walmsley 2022 NZJEP Grant Recipient
An Art Exhibition based on Māori and Japanese Philosophy
NZJEP Grant recipient and New Zealand-born artist Laurelee Walmsley, exhibited at Hamilton’s central city gallery; Artspost with her latest exhibition ‘The Colour Room: An Art Exhibition based on Māori and Japanese Philosophy. (Nov 18 2022 – Jan 22 2023)
Having grown up in New Zealand and living in Japan for a few years, Laurelee developed a deep connection to each country and a plethora of experiences from both cultures. One included living out of her car for 6 months while traveling around New Zealand, and another giving volunteer service in Japan for 18 months. Her exhibition explores 6 different philosophies from both cultures that detail how people can live meaningful and fulfilling lives. Her visual style incorporates typography, abstraction, mixed media, and plenty of colour to create vibrant, modern, and visually pleasing compositions. Those that attended in the opening week were able to hear Laurelee give an artist talk, where she gave context to each piece in the exhibition.
For those not able to visit physically there is an online version of the exhibition which includes artwork descriptions, philosophy information, and self-reflection questions. To see the online exhibition visit: www.laureleewalmsley.com
Bunka! A Podcast by Reah Sommerville, 2022 NZJEP Grant Recipient
Over the last 6 months, I have had an incredible journey talking to Kiwis and Japanese people about how they have brought Japanese culture to Aotearoa New Zealand. I was able to travel down to Christchurch twice and travelled all around the North Island of Aotearoa talking to people and visiting cultural heritage institutions to complete this project and was lucky to have very receptive individuals who participated.
I have reached out to various people and even have additional interview left to be used, which I am hoping to produce into new episodes as time goes on, but for now, I have completed 10 episodes, with the help of my partner, which include both audio and video to give an insight into how Japanese culture can be accessed in Aotearoa without having to travel all the way to Japan.
In my interview episodes, I often asked “What do you enjoy about bringing Japanese Culture to New Zealand?” and I think that was my most enjoyable question to ask, as it had varied answers which all had a similar baseline, that we all felt it was important to share interest in other cultures and that Japanese and Kiwi culture are so different from one another that it is nice to introduce something new to Kiwis.
I hope this project can be educational for people, as they all have aspects of history within them, but I think it will also help to broaden people’s understanding of multiculturalism in Aotearoa. There are so many aspects of multiculturalism hidden in and around our country, which is easily discoverable, and each person has such a depth of history to this place.
These episodes will hopefully be helpful for the younger generations of Kiwis with an interest in Japan, as it shows that there are a variety of avenues for you to explore that interest in Japanese culture. Jessie Gibbs, of Narukami Taiko, said her interest in Japan began in High School and with an interest in Anime, particularly Dragon Ball Z, but there are other ways to explore Japan’s deep cultural heritage, such as partaking in ceramics classes, learning Taiko, taking interest in Japanese cuisine, learning a Japanese Art Practice, or just visiting one of our regional museums.
I’m very grateful for all the support I received to create this project, initially from the New Zealand Japanese Exchange Programme for the grant that was provided but also to all the people who were willing to participate in an amateur project. It goes to show that the connection we have with our cultural heritage is important to us all, and that a celebration of that is worth setting time aside for.
