Empire of Mirrors

2 x 52’

150 years ago, Japan opened up to the world and took giant steps towards modernity.
Even in times of globalization, some things remained different in the land of the rising sun. Despite all the hectic activity, the latest technology and the mega-metropolis Tokyo, you can still feel the meaning of tradition that seems to have survived even in times of globalization.
The Japanese actress Kaori Momoi, star architect Tadao Ando, the director Naomi Kawase, as well as a Zen priest and a tea master provide an insight into the Japanese soul. They help to understand the mysterious, contradictory and fascinating Japan – a kaleidoscope of contrasting clichés.

Although two violent atomic catastrophes – the bombing of Hiroshima and the Fukushima nuclear disaster - have shaken and shaped modern-day Japan, the artist Takahiro Iwasaki believes that memory of 6th and 9th August 1945 is slowly fading, despite all the folded cranes left by visitors to the memorial sites. Natural catastrophes like sea- and earthquakes also rock Japan time and time again; perhaps this explains why the Japanese aesthetic Wabi Sabi incorporates both beauty and decay…much like the beauty of the cherry blossom as it withers during the annual festival of Hanami.