Produced with the cooperation of the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Tsukuba, this video introduces products certified under the Tsuchiura Brand, in collaboration with the artist Shoji Yamada (THE BACK HORN), a graduate of Tsuchiura Koboku High School.
Though it lies within roughly 60 km of the Greater Tokyo Area, the city of Tsuchiura is a land of abundant farmland—stretching from rural districts that preserve the satoyama landscapes at the foot of Mount Tsukuba, to the lowlands along the shores of Lake Kasumigaura. It overflows with the bounty of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries: lotus root, of which Tsuchiura boasts the largest production in Japan, along with rice, flowers, buckwheat, and the aquatic resources of Lake Kasumigaura. Drawing on these distinctive strengths, the city certifies local agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and their processed goods as the “Tsuchiura Brand,” working to raise their profile and enhance the brand’s appeal.
This work is the first promotional video of the Tsuchiura Brand-Up Project, produced by the Murakami Fumiaki Laboratory of the Plastic Art and Mixed Media area at the University of Tsukuba under commission from the city’s Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Division. Planning and direction were led by Otoha Nakamura, a fourth-year student in the School of Art and Design. Featured as the subject of the video is Shoji Yamada of THE BACK HORN (represented by Victor Music Arts), an artist with ties to Tsuchiura. Filming took place over two days beginning on November 21, 2022, at various locations across the city, including lotus paddies and a soy sauce brewery.
Come closer—closer still. Here, so near to Tokyo, lies a landscape of rich harvests and quietly radiant countryside. We invite you to step closer and encounter this “shimmer” that so often goes unnoticed as we pass it by. This work is an invitation to Tsuchiura, offered in that spirit.