IIDA Kinichi
Born: 15 March 1890 – Died: 17 June 1943
Particulars:
Kinichi was born in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. He was a single man working as a salt maker in Nouméa, Kanaky / New Caledonia when the Pacific War broke out. He was taken to Australia and interned at Hay Internment Camp in New South Wales. He was admitted to the camp hospital in May 1943 and died one month later from cancer, aged 53. His grave is in the Japanese Cemetery in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
–Mayu Kanamori
More info:
Taka Takiguchi
Artist/s Statement:
Dear Iida Kinichi,
Welcome back to Hiroshima. Your hometown, near Tadano Umi / Tadano Sea, has flourished as a salt field for hundreds of years since the Edo period. Your extensive experience and knowledge in salt production must have played a key role in your success in New Caledonia. When I visited Tadano Umi, the brilliance of the sea stretching toward the sky was breathtaking. I fondly imagine you gazing at Okunoshima with your family and colleagues, perhaps while sharing lunch.
Along the shore
pilgrims sometimes
look at the sea
–Chizuko Shigeta
This is a haiku by my grandmother. National Route 185 is a scenic coastal road that runs along Tadano Umi. In the past, during pilgrimages to Shikoku, many ohenro san or pilgrims would have travelled this route, with the calm Seto Inland Sea of spring on their left, heading toward the sacred sites. I share this haiku with you while reflecting on those times.
Welcome back, indeed.
Sincerely, Taka Takiguchi
Artist Bio:
Taka Takiguchi (滝口貴) is an independent artist and producer of Japanese (Hiroshima) heritage related stories based in Naarm / Melbourne, Australia. His practice delves into personal stories, places, their historical contexts, and our presence within them today. He explores relational phenomena – between memory, time, and language – bringing them to life through poetry, scriptwriting, and movement based techniques, including the Suzuki Method, Butoh, and shamanic/trance dance. His late grandmother’s thousands of haiku and handwritten journals remain a constant source of inspiration for his passion for writing poetry.