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Araki Takuji
Born 1974, in Kumamoto prefecture, he is a professional oceanic athlete and writer. He started lifesaving when he was an undergraduate student, and became the Japan National Champion of lifesaving in surf-skiing category. He won the title four times includes a continuous victory through three years. Then he tried to the Molokai Hoe and other paddleboard and canoe races. He founded Outrigger Canoe Club Japan in 1999 and start introducing the oceanic culture of Hawai'i into Japan. He also invited as an occasional lecturer by many schools.http://www.arakitakuji.com/ |
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Uchino Kanako
Through her photography, Kanako Uchino captures the essence and moments of time around the ocean, from above and below the water. With a deep understanding of marine environments, she explores the dynamic energy and profound beauty of the sea, as well as the lives it embraces.Born and raised in Japan as a child of the Zen landscape architect Yasuhito Uchino, Kanako developed strong sense of love and kinship to nature. Above all, she found herself most at home around the ocean. She developed the skill of free diving, and soon began to take her camera into the water. She was also interested in studying the ocean environments and pursued her studies at the University of Hawai'i. While studying coral reef ecology, she has captured hundreds of underwater scenes through her camera lens. The rich island marine life has always been an inspiration for her photography, and has taken her all around the islands in Hawai'i, including the north western Hawaiian islands, as well as the ocean of Okinawa and Japan. Kanako's personal vision also explores the relationship between people and the ocean. She learns the art of traditional navigation in Polynesia, and is involved with the voyaging canoe Hokule'a, which re-established the ancient tradition of sailing without the use of any modern instruments. Kanako became the first Japanese crew member of Hokule'a, and participated in the voyage from Hawai'i to Midway in 2004, in which she captured the crew's life on the canoe as well as the precious wildlife in remote islands. She will also join the Hokule'a's next expedition in 2007; a 5 month voyage from Hawai'i to Micronesia, Palau and Japan. Her photography has appeared in feature articles in numerous magazines and publications in Japan, including Coyote, Nalu and Tarzan. Her work was recently exhibited at the International Olympic Center in Tokyo. http://www.kanaphotography.com/ |