Canon set up the “Canon Photo Studio of Memories” during a summer festival held from July 28 to 29 at the Yamoto Temporary Housing in Higashi Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture. The studio allowed temporary housing residents and other festival visitors to pose for photos, which were printed out on the spot and presented as souvenirs.

“Canon Photo Studio of Memories“ was held in cooperation with Marine Support Northeast Japan Youth Aid Team, a non-profit organization that has been carrying out relief activities in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The improvised event used a white sheet as a background to create a simple photo studio during the festival, which was held with the hope that areas devastated by the earthquake would fully recover. Volunteers captured cheerful photos of festival guests, which were printed using a PIXUS (PIXMA) inkjet printer.

The temporary housing residents and others guests visited the grounds to take part in the festival’s various activities and enjoy having their photos taken.

Many earthquake victims living in the temporary housing had lost their photos and photo albums due to the tsunami. The photo studio captured and printed out approximately 300 photos, which were given as souvenirs to the visitors, who offered such comments as: “ I’m very happy as I wanted to have a photo of my family,” and, “I am so very happy to receive this beautiful photograph.”

In addition to the “ Canon Photo Studio of Memories“ project, Canon also cooperated with the Northeast Japan Youth Aid Team earlier this year for the “Hare no Wa” (Circle of Celebration) Project. For the project, a photo studio was set up in a kimono shop located in Ishinomaki City for local residents who were unable to take part in shichi-go-san, a traditional Japanese festival celebrating children three, five and seven years of age, and the Japanese Coming-of-Age Day, to mark the passage into adulthood at the age of 20. After dressing in kimonos loaned by the shop, visitors had commemorative photos taken, which were then printed and presented as gifts.

Canon intends to continue contributing to recovery efforts in areas affected by disasters through photographs, which have the power to capture a precious moment and preserve it for the future.

Northeast Japan Youth Aid Team's website (Japanese-language only): http://stshientai.com/