Hanayo’s Tokyo
The photographer, geisha, musician and Japanese classical dancer answers the Artguide questionnaire in time for Art Week Tokyo
Hanayo is an artist based in Tokyo. She wears many hats, including those of photographer, geisha, musician and Japanese classical dancer. She creates photographs and collages that capture her daily life in fantastical colors, as well as installations that combine these elements with the body, music and spatial expression. She has held numerous solo exhibitions and participated in many group shows, including at Paris’s Palais de Tokyo. Her photographic collections include keep an eye shut, Hanayome, MAGMA, berlin, and Tenko, whilst her music albums include “Gift / Kenjo” and “wooden veil.” www.hanayo.com
What is your favorite space for seeing art?
I suppose I’ll say the National Theatre of Japan—it’s a venue where you can watch performances centered on Kabuki and Bunraku. As I’ve been dancing there myself since I was a child, being able to interact closely with national treasures such as the musicians in the dressing rooms is an experience I now cherish. It’s currently undergoing renovation.
What is your favorite book set in your town?
Midori Ozaki’s Wandering in the Realm of the Seventh Sense (1931). It’s a wild tale set in the area where I grew up. As I read it, I imagine that exactly 100 years ago, both she and my grandparents were there. The “ghost chimney” and the water tower are still standing today, having survived the Great Tokyo Air Raid.
What is your favorite film set in your city?
I’d actually like to say Possession, which was filmed near my home in Berlin—my second home—but as the theme this time is Tokyo, I’ll go with Toshio Matsumoto’s Funeral Parade of Roses (1969). It’s set in Shinjuku before I was born, but I’m relieved to see it hasn’t changed all that much even now.
What is your favorite public monument?
Nakano Sunplaza, of course. It’s already been decided that it will be demolished. When that happens, the original landscape of my hometown will be lost.
Are there any interesting or little-known historical anecdotes about your town or the surrounding area?
In Nakano, where I grew up, the then-Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi issued the “Edict on Compassion for All Living Things” in 1685—a policy to protect living creatures and the vulnerable. This banned killing, falconry, fishing and the consumption of meat, and 100,000 stray dogs from all over Edo were housed within a 100-hectare area around here. Everyone in the local area knows this, and there are still plenty of dog lovers!
BONUS FAVORITES
Restaurant: Confidential
Café: Confidential
Park: Institute for Nature Study
Bar: Confidential
Cinema: Waseda Shochiku
Theater: As explained above
Nightclub: Confidential
Swimming pool/Spa/Public baths: All the public baths in Tokyo