From October 25th to November 3rd, 1997
Exhibition by Yanaka Kaki tree Network + 『Revive Time』 Kaki Tree Project Executive Committee

The first exhibition that was organized by Executive Committee was held at Gallery CASA, Tokyo. The exhibition was intended to make people feel that every action that taken by any participants were Art by introducing the project with photographs, posters, works from where planted Kaki trees. And we exhibited kaki tree in the pot and made the room like Japanese living room to let regional people go into the room. And they recruited who would like to plant kaki trees.
Ms. Akiko Shiibara and Ms. Hiroko Kato were formed Yanaka Kaki Tree Network and participated this exhibition. They held workshop two times with Hike and Kazuyuki Hanada for propellant planting kaki tree at their local region. The first workshop was held in October 4th at the venue. It was for the children who were not attend the school yet. They made paintings and play. In the play, Mrs. Hike Hanada played a kaki tree role while Mr. Kazuyuki told the story of an atomic bomb. Children drubbed the ground to make a sound of the rain with saying “We got to save the kaki tree! ”. And the fruits that will be a kaki tree in the future were bearded. At last of this workshop, they expressed their feelings by painting in watercolors.
The second workshop, which let children to make drawings with their whole body, was held in October 19th at Imoazaizaka Park for the elementary school students. After listening to the story of kaki trees, they posed with their arms spread like they became kaki trees. Then they laid down on the huge papers, and others traced outline of their body with Japanese ink to draw Human’s tree. Those artworks displayed at exhibition. And finally, they make planting kaki trees at the community center of Yanaka came true in 1998.

The purpose of this symposium was to make the project known by more people and to focus on significant sides of this project. Such as, the art, which deeply connect with society, or the art exists in daily life.
The moderator was Mr. Makoto Murata, who is journalist about art. And panelists were Mr. James Lingwood (A curator and the head of the Artangel, from England), Ms. Catherine Grout (An art historian, art critic from French), Mr. Jean-Luc Vilmouth (The professor of National High School of Paris, an artist, from French), Ms. Yoko Hayashi (An art historian, the presidency of Art Woods, a teacher of Musashino Art University, from Japan) and Mr.Tatsuo Miyajima (An artist, the drafter of “Revival Time” Kaki Tree Project, from Japan).

The first part of symposium was activity report of the project. Miyajima talked about the goal of project and feelings for launch the project.
The second part was the panel discussion. Mr. Murata, the moderator, said that the art in these days seems like being away from our society. But in fact, the art always comes from the society and has been social existence, which has public value. Concerning such art in unfortunate period, he wanted to try to mend a relationship between art and society in this symposium.
Mr. Lingwood introduced activities of Artengel and talked about the project, which developed in the town to explore the unknown parts of the town by citizens and artists together. He said the process of the project itself make chemistry.
Mr. Grout introduced the ongoing project in Île-de-France and the significance of the process that makes art concrete in the society.
Mr. Vilmouth introduced two artworks from exhibitions he participated. One was “Chance Bar”, 1996, from Hiroshima Art Documenrt 96 situation, another was “Café of Olive”. 1994, from Gallery Anadiel, east Israel.
Ms. Hayashi introduced five projects that relate American society with her personal analysis of kaki tree project.

There were so many discussions with observing of new actions of art in the world. Such as, “Art can not exist without concerning with society.”, “Art does not conclude only inside of the museum.”, “Art should go outside of the museum and come into our daily life to change people’s acknowledgment about art.”
This symposium was founded by Pola art foundation and with the support of Ueno Artlink, Yanaka executive committee.

Akita prefecture has been attacked while World war 2 although it is located at north part of Japan where had little experience of the war. But unfortunately, that experience has been forgotten. Soto-Asahikawa Pre School applied to the project because they wished it brings the memory of war to children and makes every generation to think about the world peace. So they prepared to plant the trees and applied to the committee.

They planned some events that whole students of the Pre School could participate for the planting ceremony. They announced name of the kaki tree and had time capsule ready to put drawings by children. At the last part of the ceremony, they released balloons to the sky and watched it with whishes for the peace.

A Japanese artist, Ms.Kazue Mizushima who plays “STRINGRAPHY” performed with children at the ceremony. “STRINGRAPHY” is the performance of playing music at the space filled by weaving string　telephones. They did this installation with filling their gymnasium of many strings telephones to play the music and named it as ”Kaki Trees in 10 years after”. The beginning of the performance, children were looked at her playing with great interests and started to play by themselves. The sound they made sounded like birds singing. Those sounds by her and children sounded like dialogue between grew Kaki trees and children.
Ms. Mizushima thought that this installation might make children feel kaki trees closer. She also wished that they could see kaki trees again when they grow up. She talked to children those feelings at the ceremony.

The beautiful sounds played by them in that day remained in minds of participants.

In 2007, July 26th, they held a festival for celebrating 10th anniversary of planting kaki tree. The children in that time had a reunion at the Pre School. They opened the time capsule and received drawings that they drew 10 years ago from teachers. They looked back the time they spend with kaki trees with surprising and think about meaning of kaki trees again.
10th Anniversary / Sotoasahikawa Kindergarten