On October 1, 2023, JAXA marked its 20th anniversary and has been carrying out a wide range of initiatives in the field of space and aeronautics. To commemorate this 20-year milestone, we produced a video introducing JAXA’s activities, unfolding as they move farther away from the ground.

This work was created with the hope of prompting viewers to realize how extraordinary everyday life, which we take for granted, truly is, and to inspire a change in awareness. Through my own experience of being affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, I became aware of the value of the “ordinary” in daily life. However, as the years passed, I found that I had somehow grown accustomed to that very “ordinary.” That is why I decided to focus not only on what was “lost,” but also on what still remains, and to bring this perspective to life through video. I want to help people recognize the value of their uneventful daily lives and convey the underlying fragility behind ordinary days in which nothing seems to happen. Because the earthquake occurred on March 11, I set the scene to shift from everyday moments after 3 minutes and 11 seconds. My own perspective and sensibility are reflected in the character design and movement, so I aimed to create a sense of originality that cannot be expressed elsewhere. Even if someone else were to tackle a similar theme, I believe this work would still be one of a kind because it is created from my own experience and point of view. I drew the animation in Procreate and handled the editing in Adobe After Effects. Kyoto University of the Arts 2024 Graduation Works Exhibition — Excellence Award