Snapshots of life in Japan are being displayed at an ongoing solo photography exhibition titled Eternal Japan at the Bengal Gallery of
Fine Arts in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
The country of sun rise appears with all its splendor and diversity in 133 photographs captured by Monzurul Haq, a Bangladeshi expatriate journalist living in Japan.The photographs present several perspectives of the country like the glimpses of old Japan, Kyoto at night, shrines and temples, Japanese gardens, stage performances, winter in Japan, summer festivals, Sakura-gone by the river, majestic Mount Fuji and various other aspects of Japanese life.
Nature in Japan with all its beauty and exquisiteness has been put in frames of the photo where deep blue sea water merges into the equally blue sky in the horizon of Okinawa Island. The photo of the sandy deserts of Tottori Prefecture present a sharp contrast to the waters Okinawa Island.
Despite being one of the most developed countries in the world, the people of Japan have still held onto their rich cultural heritages. The traditional martial arts and archery has also been captured by Haq in one of his images which shows a Japanese man, clad in traditional attire of Samurai warriors, on a fast running horse with his bow and arrow in a target practice.
In sheer contrast of the bow and arrow fighting techniques, Haq’s images have also captured Japan as a superpower of the modern world armed with state of the art weaponry. One such image shows high-tech Japanese military tanks and helicopters in practice of protecting the country from threats.
Japan is also famous for its automobile industry. The photographer has also captured images that depict the high-tech cars built by the Japanese, portray the success of the industry.
The beautiful temples and shrines in Japan, which are more important to the people as cultural heritages than as a place of worship, have also been captured through Haq’s lenses. The photo of Shinto shrines, consisting of very old buildings situated on top of a mountain surrounded by green forests, creates a view that can bring peacefulness in the minds of the visitors.
Japan is also renowned for its traditional gardening techniques. One of the images at the exhibition depicts the famous Riwanji Temple garden decorated with trees, plants, gravel, moss bushes and stones beautifully placed in meticulous manner in the middle of the garden. The garden is a place where anyone would spend some time alone and find some peace.
The winter in Japan can become very harsh especially in the regions of Hokkaido and northern Honsu where everything gets covered with a thick blanket of snow during the winter. An image at the exhibition illustrates winter in Japan through a small house almost completely covered with eye dazzlingly white snow.
Inaugurated on Saturday, the exhibition will remain open for everyone from 12:00pm to 8:00pm till December 25.
-With New Age input
