Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

"I want to give people a new perspective through the unique expression of photography."

Yoshiki Henmi, 1st year doctoral student, Graduate School Graduate School of Social Sciences

At the Spatial Imaging Laboratory (Professor Yoichi Sato) in Building No. 14 Waseda Campus. He is holding his own drone, which he uses for aerial photography.

Yoshiki Hemmi won the grand prize at the 1st GRAPHGATE, an audition to discover photo and video artists held by Canon Marketing Japan in November 2023. The theme of his winning work was solar power generation, which has been installed in many places in recent years. He has been taking photographs for about three years since 2020, when he was Research Associate at the Department of Photography,Nihon University College of Art. He is currently conducting research on solving regional issues caused by solar power generation development in the doctoral program at the Graduate School Graduate School of Social Sciences Waseda University. We asked Hemmi about what inspired him to become a photographer, his thoughts on the work he exhibited at GRAPHGATE, and his future prospects.

--What made you decide to become a photographer?

It all started when I saw my older sister, who is three years older than me, in the photography club at high school and wanted to try taking photos myself. I actually started taking photos towards the end of my third year of junior high school. I took pictures of all kinds of things using the camera function on the flip phone I had at the time. I then went on to a technical college where I majored in chemistry, but also joined the photography club and spent five years taking photos. I even entered amateur photo contests and won several times. As I continued these activities, my passion for photography outweighed my specialty of chemistry, so I went on to Nihon University College of Art, Department of Photography, despite my family's objections, in order to study photography in earnest.

Left: A photo that won second prize in a photo contest during his time at the technical college. A snapshot of a sports festival.
Right: A photo of Izumi when he was a third-year student at Nihon University College of Art. After entering university, he got a single-lens reflex camera and always had a camera in hand to take pictures of things that caught his eye.

--After graduating from the Department of Photography at Nihon University College of Art, you went on to study for a master's degree at the Graduate School Graduate School of Social Sciences at Waseda University. Please tell us why.

After graduating from Nihon University, I worked as a photographer at an apparel photo studio for one year. After that, I had always wanted to work at a university, so I worked as Research Associate at my alma mater, Nihon University College of Art, Department of Photography, for three years. As I continued to take my own photos, I became interested in social issues such as "why solar power development is not accepted in the community, and how can development be accepted in the community?" However, I realized that I would not be able to understand the fundamental problems by simply taking photos, so I searched for a place where I could research by combining photography and social issues, and came across Professor Yoichi Sato 's Spatial Imaging Laboratory at Waseda University.

From college to university, I focused on "making things," but in graduate school, I spent a lot of time thinking about "things made," which changed my perspective on learning 180 degrees. The interdisciplinary perspective that is unique to the Graduate School of Social Sciences has allowed me to explore photos that are thought-provoking, rather than just superficially beautiful. I also feel that my work has gained more depth because I am in an environment where people from various positions, such as Professor, seminar students, and friends, give me their opinions and feedback from a variety of perspectives.

A photo with his classmates after the graduate graduation ceremony in March 2024. Mr. Hemmi is on the far left.

--Please tell us about the work you submitted to the 1st GRAPHGATE and your thoughts on winning the Grand Prix.

"GRAPHGATE" is an audition sponsored by Canon Marketing Japan to discover photo and video artists. Unlike general contests that evaluate only the beauty of the work, this contest emphasizes the intention and communication of the artist in the photograph or video. So I decided to submit a work with the theme of solar panels. In 2016, land development for the installation of solar panels was carried out in my hometown of Aomori Prefecture, and the parks and vacant lots where I used to play as a child disappeared in an instant. Since then, I have had a sense of loss and disgust that I cannot put into words, but I wondered if I could express those feelings through photography, and in 2020 I began photographing landscapes with solar panels installed.

Photo on the left: "1st GRAPHGATE" A photo of solar panels in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture.
Photo on the right: A photo of Hemmi's hometown, Rokunohe Town, Aomori Prefecture

In this situation, I submitted the photos I had taken with the hope that "GRAPHGATE" will be held in 2023 and that I would like to raise awareness of the problems caused by solar panel development in many places. Winning the Grand Prix gave me more opportunities to let people know about my activities, and I was happy to have achieved that goal. Furthermore, I gained even more confidence from the fact that many people sympathized with the activities I am doing.

Photo of when I won the Grand Prix at "GRAPHGATE"

--The title of your work, "(Un)acceptable Landscapes," suggests both your feelings about what you think is acceptable and what you don't think is unacceptable about the existence of solar panels. How do you think people should interact with solar panels?

We must avoid the loss of scenery that people treasure as a result of the installation of solar panels, but in order to realize a sustainable global environment, the spread of power generation facilities that use renewable energy, including solar panels, has reached a stage where it is essential. Solar panels, which are intended to reduce environmental impact, also have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years, so I think we need to consider what to do after that and take measures accordingly.

In areas where solar power generation development has been carried out in various parts of Japan, local residents have raised their voices in opposition to the development, creating conflict between the government and power generation companies, and causing divisions within the community. Who is this development for? What is it for? How will the development change the local environment? I think we should calmly seek solutions to the fundamental problems without getting emotional. By understanding each other's positions, respecting each other's opinions, and engaging in repeated dialogue, I believe the path to coexistence will naturally open up. I also hope that people other than local residents will think about and face this issue as stakeholders.

-What do you think you can do as a photographer to address the solar panel issue?

There are two main reasons. The first is to bring people to the doorstep of the problem. For example, even if you hold a lecture to talk about the challenges of solar power development, only those who are already interested in the issue will actually attend and listen. On the other hand, with a photograph, you can express the scenery or events captured in an instant without using words, and without losing momentum, so I believe that I can use my camera to create an opportunity for many people to learn about the problems that arise from solar power development.

The second is to encourage a change in people's awareness. When I showed a photo of solar panels I had taken to a resident who had a negative opinion of solar power development, he said to me, "They're beautiful." I was convinced at that moment that a photo has the power to greatly change the impression of the subject.

The camera he uses on a daily basis. Recently, he has been carrying around a film camera given to him by his uncle to record his daily life.

--By winning the Grand Prix you have gained the right to hold a solo exhibition, but do you already have a solid idea?

My big goal is to "not limit myself to photographic expression." In my solo exhibition, I want to approach it from other angles, not just display photos. For example, I plan to place parts of actual solar panels in the venue, and to use trees that were cut down to install solar panels as photo frames.

Preparing for a solo exhibition. Arranging a large number of printed photographs and considering the spatial composition of the exhibition.

--Please tell us about your future prospects.

In my master's program, I was able to clarify what social issues currently exist by conducting basic social surveys such as unannounced interviews with citizens and residents I passed on the street and interviews with government and activist groups. However, I was not able to reach the stage of discussing how to solve these issues, so I would like to work on this throughout the next three years of my doctoral program. I also want to create a work on the theme of "Aomori's landscapes and Aomori people," as well as photograph the changing landscapes of Japan due to the development of renewable energy sources other than solar power, such as wind power. I will continue to actively take photographs and publish them so that more people will know about my activities.

No.874

Interview, text and photography: Waseda Weekly Reporter (SJC student staff)
Ukiya Hinari, 3rd year School of Culture, Media and Society

Self-Portrait Photography

【profile】
Born in Aomori Prefecture. Graduated from Hachinohe National College of Technology and Nihon University College of Art, Department of Photography. Photographer. Winner of the 2023 Azusa Ono Memorial Award for Art. Hobbies are piano and stargazing. She likes Haruka Nakamura, a musician from Aomori Prefecture, and often goes to her live shows.

Instagram: @yoshiki_hemmi