mayu kanamori

Raihai is a collection of three works on dvd for larger projection entitled New Year in Wimmera, Hakamairi and Mizuko. It uses still photographs, voices and music to introduce an aspect of the Japanese migrant psyche to Australians.

Mayu Kanamori is the creator, photographer and narrator of Raihai. Collaborating artists include Tom Fitzgerald and Lindy Ferguson as composers and musicians, Anthony Pelchen as visual artist, and Jon Armstrong as on line editor, Malcolm Blaylock, Yumi Umiumare and Bernard Bru appear in the photographs.

New Year in Wimmera is set in country Victoria, where Mayu spent the first day of the new year, observing many of the Japanese New Year rituals with her Australian friends.

Mizuko is an ode to unborn children, introducing the Japanese reconciliation process with aborted children to Australians.

Hakamairi is set in Tokyo, where Mayu took her Australian friend to her father’s grave and explained the Japanese death rituals to him.