Poster Of Japanese Artist’S Artwork On Hakka

To raise the international visibility of Hakka culture, the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) invited Japanese artist Amigo Koike (小池アミイゴ) to be an artist-in-residence in Hakka villages along Taiwan Romantic Route 3 in 2019. His artwork “Taiwan Hakka Sketchbook (客庄浪漫散策)” was officially published simultaneously in Japan and Taiwan on March 1.
 
HAC Minister Yiong Con-ziin said that, in 2018, he acted as one of Taiwan’s representatives to visit Japan’s Fukushima to offer Taiwanese people’s continued support to local residents after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. In the same year, the Council invited 29 junior high school students from Fukushima’s Minamisoma City to visit Hakka regions on Taiwan Romantic Route 3, promoting Hakka culture and Taiwan-Japan tourism.

Minister Yiong stated that the success of the 2018 exchange led to the collaboration with artist Amigo Koike. He believes that the publication of “Taiwan Hakka Sketchbook” was an embodiment of the friendship between Taiwan and Japan. The Minister hopes that, through Koike’s book, more overseas visitors will come to visit Hakka villages on Taiwan Romantic Route 3 as the COVID-19 pandemic is ebbing, and that they will be captivated by the charm of Hakka culture during their travel in Taiwan.

On his Facebook page, Koike wrote down his message in Mandarin, English, and Japanese, saying that he could hardly respond to all of the great kindness he received from Hakka people during his trip to Taiwan Romantic Route 3. However, he was able to express the beauty of Hakka culture that he felt during his trip, the artist wrote.

Amigo Koike is an artist from Japan’s Gunma Prefecture. He has become a freelance illustrator for books, magazines, and commercials since 1988. He also often collaborates with musicians to create his works.