A photograph of the sea front in Noto Peninsula in Japan where Akiko Ota, one of “Japanese wives” was born, is displayed on a beach in Hamhung in North Korea where Akiko lives since 1967. The photograph was shot and brought to North Korea by Noriko Hayashi as a part of her “Sawasawato” project. This vast sea separating Japan and Korea has been a symbol of division, but also a spatial link between the two countries.

About 93,000 ethnic Koreans in Japan moved to North Korea during a repatriation program organized by the Red Cross between 1959 and 1984. Among them, there were about 1,800 Japanese women who accompanied their Korean husbands. Most of them have never been able to return to Japan.

Photo by Noriko Hayashi, Hamhung (North Korea)

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Fotografija obale na japanskom poluotoku Noto gdje je rođena Akiko Ota, jedna od “japanskih supruga”, izložena je na plaži u Hamhungu, Sjevernoj Koreji, gdje ona živi od 1967. godine. Fotografija obale je snimljena i donesena u Sjevernu Koreju kao dio projekta “Sawasawato” autorice Noriko Hayashi. Ogromno more koje dijeli Japan i Koreju je simbol podjele, ali i veza između dviju zemalja.

Oko 93.000 etničkih Korejaca koji su živjeli u Japanu se preselilo u Sjevernu Koreju tokom programa repatrijacije koji je organizovao Crveni krst između 1959. i 1984. Među njima je bilo oko 1.800 japanskih žena koje su pratile svoje korejske supružnike. Većina njih se nikada nije vratila u Japan.

Foto: Noriko Hayashi, Hamhung (Sjeverna Koreja)