Retelling Yokohama

2019  /  Video Installation (HD video, photo)

Filmed by Miku Sato and Ryo Mikami

Edited by Miku Sato

Performed by Martha Takeda, Masayoshi “Louis” Kabe, Jon Ludwig and Calvin Burchfiel (voice)

Special Thanks to Yoshitaka “Dan” Takeda and  Hwajin Lee

Filming Location: Isezakichō, The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery, The Negishi Foreign Cemetery, Live Cafe Stormy Monday and Naval Housing Annex Negishi

Yokohama is a major international port city located next to Tokyo, known for its exotic atmosphere—and it is also the artist’s hometown.

After World War II, the Allied occupation of Japan was led by General Douglas MacArthur, who established the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Allied Powers in Yokohama.

During this period, many Japanese women worked as prostitutes for American soldiers, and some gave birth to mixed-race children known as GI babies. Most of these children were abandoned after the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Their mothers, often living in poverty, were unable to raise them. At the time, foreigners were rarely seen in Japan, and abortion was illegal. As a result, more than 900 babies were reportedly buried in secret. To this day, the Yokohama city government continues to suppress this history.

This video work features a man who was born as a GI baby, along with his family. He experienced discrimination as a child, but eventually became the bassist and guitarist of The Golden Cups, a pioneering rock band in Japan. His Western appearance and charisma made him popular, particularly at a time—during the 1970s and 70s—when many Japanese bands were imitating Western music trends.

In the video, his daughter plays the roles of a prostitute and of her grandmother—his mother. A 1946 article in the Stars and Stripes newspaper noted that most of the women working as prostitutes at the time were over the age of 30. His daughter, now in her 30s, was cast in the video by the artist to draw a symbolic connection between three generations: the grandmother, the father, and the daughter.